Gourt Home::Gourt :: List of Famous Chinese people
The following is a list of famous Chinese or Chinese-speaking/writing people.
Note in Chinese names, the family name is typically placed first (for example, the family name of "Mao Zedong" is "Mao"). For westernized names, the family name is placed last (for example, the family name of "Maggie Cheung" is "Cheung").
Imperial times
- Aixinjueluo Puyi, the last emperor
- Cao family
- Chen Youliang, founder of Dahan
- Empress Dowager Cixi, Qing dynasty de facto leader
- Dong Zhuo, Han dynasty general
- Dou Xian
- Gao Lishi, Tang, corrupt
- Guo Jia, Kingdom of Wei strategist
- Emperor Gao of Han China
- Feng Zicai, fomer bandit turned general
- Hongwu Emperor of China
- Hong Tianguifu, king of Taiping
- Hong Xiuquan, king of Taiping
- Hua Xiong
- Huang Chenyan
- Jiang QiLi
- Kangxi Emperor of China, Emperor of the Qing Dynasty
- Kublai Khan
- Li Chengqian, Tang prince
- Li Tai, Tang prince
- Li Hongzhang, Qing statesman
- Li Houzhu, Southern Tang ruler and poet
- Li Si, Qin prime minister, Legalist, invented systemized script
- Li Zicheng, Ming rebel leader
- Lin Zexu, Qing official
- Liu Bei, founder of Kingdom of Shu
- Liu Biao
- Liu Shan, Kingdom of Shu emperor
- Liu Ying
- Lu Su, Kingdom of Wu advisor
- Empress Dowager Lü of Han Empire
- Ming Yuzhen, founder of Daxia
- Pang Tong
- Qianlong Emperor of China, Emperor of the Qing Dynasty
- Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor
- Sima Guang
- Sima Lun
- Sun Ce
- Sun Jian
- Sun Quan, founder of Kingdom of Wu
- Emperor Tang Taizong of China
- Wang An-shih
- Wang Mang
- Wen Tianxiang, Song prime minister, writer
- Wei Yan
- Wu Zetian, Empress of China
- Xu Shu
- Yan Song, corrupt prime minister
- Yang Guozhong, Tang official by guanxi
- Yinreng
- Yongle Emperor of China
- Yuan An
- Yuan Taotu
- Zeng Guofan, Qing official
- Zhao Gao, Qin eunuch
- Zhang Zhao
- Zheng Chenggong
- Zhou Tai
- Zhuge Liang, Han dynasty strategist
- Zuo Zongtang, known as General Tso in the West
See also: Chinese sovereign, Table of Chinese monarchs
Warlords
- Cai Sichen
- Chang Hsüeh-liang
- Chang Tso-lin
- Feng Yü-hsiang
- Gongsun Du
- Gongsun Kang
- Gongsun Yuan
- Kao H. Michelle
- Lei Yu
- Sheng Shicai
- Wang Jingwei
- Yuan Shikai
Communist Party of China / PRC
- Bo Xilai
- Chen Duxiu, CPC cofounder
- Chen Yun
- Deng Xiaoping family
- Deng Yingchao
- Gang of Four
- Han Zheng - Mayor of Shanghai
- Hu Jintao
- Hu Yaobang
- Hua Guofeng
- Huang Ju
- Jia Qinglin
- Jiang Zemin
- Lei Feng
- Li Dazhao, CPC cofounder
- Kang Sheng
- Li Peng
- Li Ruihuan
- Li Xiannian, PRC president
- Lin Biao
- Liu Bocheng
- Liu Shaoqi
- Luo Gan
- Mao Zedong
- Peng Dehuai
- Peng Zhen
- Tung Chee Hwa
- Wang Fanxi, Trotskyist
- Wang Guangya, ambassador
- Wen Jiabao
- Wu Bangguo
- Wu Guanzheng
- Wu Yi, vice-premier
- Xie Fuzhi
- Yang Shangkun, PRC president
- Ye Jianying
- Zeng Qinghong
- Zhao Ziyang
- Zhou Enlai
- Zhu Rongji, PRC premier
Nationalists (Kuomintang)
- Chen Cheng
- Chen Yi (Kuomintang)
- Chiang Ching-Kuo
- Chiang Fang-liang
- Chiang Kai-shek
- Du Yuming, field commander
- H. H. Kung, banker, politician
- Hau Pei-tsun
- Huang Hsing
- Li Tsung-jen
- Lin Sen
- Liu Chih
- Lu Muzhen
- Qiu Jin, female revolutionary
- Soong family
- Sun Yat-sen
- Sung Chiao-jen
- Yen Chia-kan
- Yen Hsi-shan
Republic of China
See also: List of leaders of the Republic of China, Premier of the Republic of China
Dissidents
Non-political royalty
- Concubine Qi
- Xishi, melancholy beauty
- Yang Guifei, emperor's consort
Artists and perfomers
Painters and calligraphers
- Dong Yuan
- Fu Baoshi
- Jiang Tingxi
- Leung Long Chau
- Liang Kai
- Qi Baishi
- Wang Xizhi, calligrapher
- Wei Shuo, female calligrapher
- Xu Peiheng
- Xu Wei
- Xue Wei, painter
- Zhao Mengfu
- Zhu Da, also known as Bada Shanren
See also: List of Chinese painters
Actors and actresses
- Nicholas Tse
- Jackie Chan
- Sammi Cheng
- Leslie Cheung
- Maggie Cheung
- Chow Yun-Fat
- Gong Li
- Sammo Hung
- Leon Lai
- Andy Lau
- Alec Su
- Bruce Lee
- Tony Leung Chiu Wai
- Jet Li
- Ling Bai
- Betty Loh Ti
- Anita Mui
- Michelle Reis
- Ruan Lingyu, suicided silent-film actress
- Sally Yeh
- Michelle Yeoh
- Yuen Biao
- Zhang Ziyi
- Wei-Huong (Brian) Ebling
- Lucy Liu
Film-makers
- Ang Lee
- Jackie Chan
- Chen Kaige
- Samson Chiu
- Stephen Chow
- King Hu
- Ringo Lam
- Stanley Kwan
- Patrick Tam
- Ng Wui
- Tsui Hark
- Wayne Wang
- Wong Kar-wai
- John Woo
- Zhang Yimou
See also: Cinema of China
Singers
- Beyond
- Andy Lau
- Aaron Kwok
- Jay Chou
- Jacky Cheung
- Sam Hui
- CoCo Lee
- Bic Runga, Chinese–Māori singer–songwriter
- Roman Tam
- Wing Yee, Singer-Songwriter.
- Jolin Tsai
- Ron Ng
- Faye Wong, Singer-Actress
Musicians
- Ch'eng Mao-yün, violinist and composer
- Yundi Li, pianist
- Muhai Tang, conductor
- Wing Yee, Guitarist.
- Sharin Foo, (1/4 Chinese), Guitarist of The Raveonettes
- Herman Li,guitarist of Dragonforce
Comedians
- Raybon Kan, New Zealand Chinese comedian and newspaper columnist
Martial Artists
- Cheng Man-ch'ing, T'ai Chi Ch'üan
- Bruce Lee, kung fu and Jeet Kune Do
- Leung Sheung, Wing Chun
- Wong Fei Hung, kung fu during the Qing dynasty
- Wu Chien-ch'üan, T'ai Chi Ch'üan
- Yang Ch'eng-fu, T'ai Chi Ch'üan
- Yip Man, Wing Chun
- Zhang Sanfeng, T'ai Chi Ch'üan
- Chang Tung Sheng, Baoding Shuai Chiao
Athletes
- Ding Junhui, snooker player
- Fu Mingxia, diver
- Han Xiaopeng - freestyle skiier and gold medalist winner in the 2006 Winter Olympics
- He Ying, archer
- Ma Jian, basketball player
- Mengke Bateer, NBA basketball player
- Li Ning, gymnast, entrepreneur
- Li Tie, footballer who plays for Everton FC
- Lin Sang, archer
- Liu Xiang, hurdler
- Sun Jihai, footballer who plays for Manchester City
- Sun Wen, woman footballer
- Teng Haibin, gymnast
- Wang Junxia, long-distance runner
- Wang Zhizhi, NBA basketball player
- Wu Qingyuan (Go Seigen), go player
- Xie Jun, chess player
- Xu Jun, chess player
- Yao Ming, NBA Basketball player, Houston Rockets
- Ye Jiangchuan, chess player
- Yining Zhang, table tennis player
- Zhang Juanjuan, archer
- Zhang Zhong, chess player
Coach
- Ma Junren, track coach
Educators
- Cai Yuanpei, chancellor
- Chang-lin Tien, chancellor
- Winston Chang
- Moy Lin-shin, Taoist monk, T'ai Chi Ch'üan
Business tycoons
Taiwan:
- Tsai Wan Lin
- Wang Yung-ching
- Terry Gou
- Koo Chen-fu
- John Tu and David Sun, cofounders of Kingston Technologies
Hong Kong:
- Li family
- Walter Kwok
- Thomas Kwok
- Raymond Kwok
- Lee Shau Kee
- Michael Kadoorie
- Nina Wang
- Patrick Wang
- Cheng Yu-tung
- Stanley Ho
- Chen Din Hwa
- Henry Fok Ying Tung
- Tung Chao Yung
- Teddy Wang
- Wang Din-shin
- Gordon Wu
Explorers
Law
Military officers and soldiers
- Cai Mao
- Chen Yi (communist)
- Guo Ziyi, Tang general
- Five Tiger Generals (Kingdom of Shu):
- Fu Zuoyi
- Gan Ning
- Han Shizhong - Southern Song General
- Han Xin - Western Han general
- Huang Gai
- Jiang Wei, Kingdom of Shu general
- Yue Jin
- Liao Hua
- Lin Biao
- Liu Huaqing
- Lu Yi
- Ma Su
- Nian Gengyao
- Nie Rongzhen
- Shi Lang
- Sima Yi
- Sima Zhao
- Song Zheyuan
- Sun Ce
- Wuqiu Jian
- Yuan Chonghuan
- Yuan Shao
- Xu Shouhui, Yuan dynasty rebel leader
- Zhang He
- Zhang Liao
- Zhang Xueliang
- Zhang Zizhong
- Zhou Yu
- Zhu De
See also: People of note in the PLA
Philosophers and writers
- Bai Shouyi, historian
- Ban Gu, Han dynasty historian
- Cao Yu, dramatist
- Chang San-feng
- Ch'ien Mu
- Confucius, philosopher
- Cui Hao, Tang dynasty poet
- Du Mu, Tang poet, official
- Gao Qi, Ming dynasty poet
- Gao Xingjian
- Gongsun Longzi, one of the Logicians of the Warring States Period
- Guan Hanqing, Yuan dynasty playwright
- Guo Moruo, poet, historian, archaeologist
- Han Fei - philosopher of the Warring States Period
- Han Yu, founded Neo-Confucianism, essayist, poet
- Hu Shih, writer
- Jia Dao, poet
- Jin Shengtan, editor and critic
- Jinyong, novelist
- Jung Chang, historian
- Kang Youwei
- Lao She
- Lao Zi, philosopher
- Li Ao, writer
- Li Po, poet
- Li Qiao, Tang poet
- Li Shangyin, poet
- Li Zongwu, philosopher and writer
- Liang Qichao
- Lin Yutang, writer
- Liu Zongyuan, poet
- Lu Hao-tung
- Lu Xun, novelist
- Luo Binwang, Tang poet
- Mao Dun, writer
- Mei Yaochen, Song dynasty poet
- Meng Haoran, Tang dynasty poet
- Mozi, philosopher
- Mencius, philosopher
- Ouyang Xiu, Song statesman, historian, poet
- Pai Hsien-yung, writer
- Pu Songling, Qing writer
- Qian Xuantong, phonetician
- Qian Zhongshu
- Qu You, Ming novelist
- Qu Yuan, State of Chu poet
- Shen Congwen, writer
- Sima Qian, historiographer
- Su Dongpo, poet
- Sun Tzu, philosopher
- Tao Qian, poet
- Tian Han, playwright
- Tu Wei-ming, ethicist
- Wang Yi-Ch'eng, poet
- Wang Pi, Three Kingdoms philosopher
- Wang Wei, Tang poet, painter, official
- Wang Wei (17th century poet), poet
- Wang Yangming, Ming neo-Confucianist
- Wu Cheng'en, Ming novelist, poet
- Xu Zhimo, poet
- Xun Zi, philosopher
- Zhang Ailing, woman novelist
- Zhuang Zi, philosopher
See also
Linguist
- Xu Shen, dictionary compiler
- Woo Tsin-hang, linguist
- Zhang Binglin, phonologist
- Y. R. Chao, phonologist and dialectologist
Religion
- Chen Po (Chen Tuan, Chen Hsi I), Taoist monk
- Faxian, Buddhist monk, explorer
- Huangbo Xiyun, Chan Buddhism master
- I Ching (monk), Buddhist monk
- Jianzhen Buddhist monk
- Xi Shengmo (Pastor Hsi), Christian preacher and missionary to opium addicts
- Witness Lee, Christian founder of the Local Church
- Liang Fa, Christian preacher
- Gong Shengliang, Christian preacher
- K. H. Ting, Christian leader
- Abbot Wang, Daoist priest
- Xuanzang, Buddhist monk
- Zhang Daoling, founded Daoist sect
- Zhang Tian Ran, founder of I Kuan Tao
- Wang Hao De, founder of Maitreya Great Tao
Scientists and engineers
- Sir CK Chow, engineer/CEO
- Chen Jingrun, mathematician
- David Ho, AIDS researcher
- Charles Kao, pioneer of optical fiber
- Yuan T. Lee, Nobel Laureate, Chemistry
- Liu Hui, mathematician
- Liu Yong-chuan, methodologist
- Qian Sanqiang, nuclear physicist
- Qin Jiushao, mathematician
- Su Buqing, mathematician
- Tsien Hsue-shen, rocket scientist
- An Wang, computer scientist
- Zhang Heng, astronomer, mathematician, artist and literature scholar
- Zhu Shijie, mathematician
- Zu Chongzhi, mathematician and astronomer
- Li Zhengdao, Nobel Laureate, Physics
- Yang Zhenning, Nobel Laureate, Physics
- Daniel Chee Tsui, Nobel Laureate, Physics
- Wu Jianxiong, Physicist
- Andrew Yao, physicist, computer scientist
- Henry Yeh, computer/systems engineer
- Zhang Yuzhe, astronomer
- I. M. Pei, Chinese-American architect
- Li Shizhen, Chinese physician and pharmacologist
Others
- Ching Shih, woman pirate
- Jing Ke, assassin
- Li Shuxian, wife of Aixinjueluo Puyi
- Wan Hu, would-be astronaut
- Wang Wei (pilot), crashed PLAAF pilot
- Jack Yan, publisher and businessman
- Ying Lianzhi, newspaperist
- Sean yo, analyst / philosopher
- Guo Shoujin, astronomer and mathematician
Burmese Chinese
Fictional Chinese people
- Amy Wong of Futurama TV series
- Cato of the Pink Panther series of films
- Charlie Chan, detective
- Chun-Li of the Street Fighter series and film
- Judge Dee, Tang dynasty detective by Robert van Gulik
- the characters from the musical Flower Drum Song
- Forrest Law of the Tekken series
- Fu Hsi, mythical first emperor of China
- Fu Manchu, criminal mastermind
- parodied in the radio series Round the Horne as "Dr Chou En Ginsberg MA (failed)"
- Kai Lung, of stories by Ernest Bramah
- Kato of The Green Hornet TV series
- Li Kao and Number Ten Ox, of novels by Barry Hughart
- Ling Xiaoyu of the Tekken series
- Dr Julius No, villain in the Ian Fleming novel of the same name and later the film
- Marshall Law of the Tekken series
- Nüwa, mother goddess of Chinese mythology
- Wai Lin, a Chinese secret agent in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies
- Xuanzang and his disciples (including Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie), of Journey to the West
- Chi-Hsiang (Matthew) Holtzman, Chinese-German literary icon
- Con Smith, of Killer7.
- Jacob 'Jake' Luke Long, of Jake Long.
See also
Chinese people | Lists of people by nationality
Liste bedeutender Chinesen | Liste de Chinois célèbres | Cinesi illustri | Cinisi cèlibbri | 中国人列表
"List of Famous Chinese people"