PureInsight | August 22, 2026
[PureInsight.org] The opening of the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) states, “The Yellow Emperor was the son of Shaodian. His surname was Gongsun, and his given name was Xuanyuan. He was born with extraordinary spiritual qualities; while still very young he could speak; as a child he was quick to understand and perceptive; as he grew, he became sincere and diligent; and upon maturity, he was intelligent and wise.” The beginning of Chinese civilization officially unfolded with the cries of this infant who was said to be born with divine intelligence. Over the past five thousand years, the land of China has been filled with remarkable stories, including many gifted children whose extraordinary talents left a vivid mark on history.
The Shiji describes the Yellow Emperor as “born with extraordinary spiritual qualities” and “able to speak at a very young age”. From a modern perspective, such accounts might be dismissed as exaggerations intended to highlight his greatness. Yet stories of this kind are not unique. In a letter to his friend Yuan Zhen, the Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi recounted an incident from his own infancy, “When I was six or seven months old, my nurse would carry me and play with me beneath a screen covered with writing. Someone pointed out the characters ‘wu’ (無) and ‘zhi’ (之) to me. Although I could not yet speak, I had already memorized them in my mind. Later, whenever people tested me on these two characters—even a hundred times or more—I could always point them out correctly.” (Complete Prose of the Tang Dynasty, “Letter to Yuan Jiu”) At only six or seven months of age, Bai Juyi supposedly already possessed the ability to recognize written characters.
If Bai Juyi’s talent can perhaps be explained as exceptional precocity, the gifts of Fang Zhongyong are even more baffling. Born into a family of farmers for generations, he had never seen pen and paper and had no opportunity to study before the age of five. Yet one day he suddenly began crying and demanding writing materials. After his father borrowed some, Fang Zhongyong immediately composed a poem and even signed it with his own name. His father was astonished. Thereafter, whenever people pointed to an object and asked him to write a poem about it, Fang Zhongyong could produce one instantly. His remarkable talent seemed unstoppable.
How could a child who had never studied learn to write? Even more astonishing was the literary elegance and philosophical depth of his poems. By modern standards, many would likely dismiss the story as a fabrication. Yet it was recorded by the renowned Song dynasty statesman and writer Wang Anshi, which lends it considerable credibility.
Among the figures known as the “Four Great Literary Masters of the Early Tang,” three—Wang Bo, Luo Binwang, and Yang Jiong—were famous child prodigies. Luo Binwang is perhaps the most familiar. At the age of seven, he wrote the immortal poem Ode to the Goose (Yong E), which has been recited for generations. Wang Bo was even more remarkable. At only five or six years old, he was already writing essays distinguished by both strong logic and elegant prose. By the age of nine, he was able to identify errors in the annotations to the Book of Han (Hanshu) made by the renowned scholar Yan Shigu. Yang Jiong, meanwhile, passed the imperial examination for child prodigies and was officially recognized by the government as one. It can be said that without these men helping to reverse the ornate literary style that had prevailed since the Qi and Liang dynasties, the magnificent flourishing of Tang poetry and prose might never have emerged.
The “Immortal Poet” Li Bai was also a child prodigy. It was said that “at five he recited the Six Jia, and at ten he studied the Hundred Schools.” The Six Jia referred to calendrical calculations, while the Hundred Schools referred to the writings of the various philosophical traditions. The breadth and complexity of what Li Bai studied as a child are difficult for ordinary people to imagine. As a result, by the age of fifteen, his Rhapsody on the Bright Hall (Mingtang Fu) was already considered comparable to the works of Sima Xiangru.
Then there was Li Mi. At the age of seven, he was summoned to court to meet Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. At the time, the emperor was playing Go with Chancellor Zhang Yue. He challenged Li Mi to compose an acrostic poem on the theme “square, round, movement, and stillness.” Without a moment’s hesitation, the boy replied: “Square in practicing righteousness; Round in exercising wisdom. Active in displaying talent; Still in fulfilling one’s purpose.” Whether in its vision, bearing, or understanding of life, the poem was extraordinarily refined. Many adults could not match such insight or literary skill. One can only wonder how the mind of such a gifted child was formed.
So where did these prodigious talents come from? Perhaps one story offers a possible explanation. According to Sangang Shilüe (Brief Records of the Three Hills), the Qing dynasty official Li Wei could remember experiences from a previous life. In his former life, he had been a scholar well versed in the classics and histories, but despite repeated attempts, he never passed the imperial examinations. One day, while passing the residence of the wealthy Li family, he looked at their grand mansion and could not help but feel envious.
Later, he fell ill. While suffering from the illness, he suddenly felt his body become light. Rising up, he walked to the Li family residence. Inside, he saw a group of maidservants attending a pregnant woman who was about to give birth. He climbed onto a roof beam to watch. Suddenly, someone pushed him, and he fell directly into the woman’s embrace. After a brief moment of confusion, he discovered that he had become a newborn infant.
Snow was falling outside at the time. The woman who had just given birth asked what the sound outside was. To everyone’s shock, the newborn Li Wei replied, “It is snow.” The family was terrified. People spoke all at once, believing it to be an ominous sign, and some proposed drowning the child. Fortunately, his father refused. Yet after this incident, Li Wei no longer dared to speak and remained silent until the age of seven. One day, a relative remarked, “This child is mute. What is the point of raising him?” Hearing this, Li Wei smiled and answered. His sudden speech once again astonished everyone.
After beginning his studies, his memory of his previous life supposedly made him exceptionally intelligent. At sixteen, he passed the provincial examination, and later rose to the position of Minister of Revenue. He was highly valued by Emperor Kangxi. If the talents of child prodigies come from memories carried through reincarnation, then perhaps many of the remarkable stories of prodigies throughout history become easier to understand.
There was another prodigy whose abilities seemed even more incredible. His name was Li Yuanjia, a son of Emperor Gaozu of Tang. He possessed a skill that others could scarcely imitate. With his left hand he could draw a circle while simultaneously drawing a square with his right. At the same time, he could recite passages aloud, count a flock of sheep with his eyes, compose a forty-character poem in his mind, and use his toes to hold a brush and write a five-character quatrain. The author notes that he once tried drawing a circle with one hand and a square with the other, but his mind became so confused that he nearly threw down the pen. To perform “six tasks simultaneously” truly justified Li Yuanjia’s nickname: “the Divine Child.”
As Confucius once said, “Those who are born with knowledge are the highest.” These child prodigies, who seemed to possess knowledge from birth, appear almost like gifts bestowed upon humanity by Heaven, allowing people a glimpse into the mystery and wonder of creation. Chinese civilization has endured for five thousand years, sustained in part by this reverence and humility toward Heaven. Or perhaps the five-thousand-year civilization itself is a kind of heavenly gift.
Chinese version: https://www.zhengjian.org/node/303051
CATEGORY: Divine Culture -People; Ancient story
