author
Chao Zhang
b. 1650
A witty and wide-ranging voice from the early Qing period, this Chinese writer and publisher is best remembered for turning everyday thoughts on art, nature, reading, and human nature into lively, memorable prose. His work has lasted because it feels curious, sharp, and surprisingly modern.
4 Audiobooks
About the author
Born in 1650 in Anhui during the Qing dynasty, Zhang Chao was a Chinese litteratus, publisher, and fiction writer. Sources describe him as deeply learned in Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, with broad interests that also included chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and the natural world.
He is especially known for writing in a graceful, reflective style that blends literary taste with observation and wit. His best-known work is Youmeng ying (幽夢影), a collection of brief remarks and reflections that helped preserve his reputation as a distinctive prose writer.
Library and authority records identify him as having been born in 1650, with later sources giving his death around 1707 or circa 1711. No suitable verified portrait image was found from the sources checked, so none is included here.