YAN ZHENGZHAI, MOTHER OF THE SAGE CONFUCIUS

Confucius's biological mother Yan Zhengzai married Shu-liang He at the age of 16. The couple often visited Ni Qiu or Mount Ni to pray for a son. Thus they named their child Qiu, styled as Zhongni. After Confucius lost his father at the age of three, he and his mother moved into the home of his maternal grandfather, Yan Xiang, a man well-versed in learning and martial arts. Confucius was raised and educated at the Yan residence. Yan Zhengzai passed on when Confucius was 17.

She was bestowed the title of “The Lady of Lu State” during the Song Dynasty (1008 AD) and honoured as “The Qi Sheng Wang Lady” during the Yuan Dynasty (1330 AD).

Confucius – the greatest philosopher, educator and thinker in Chinese history – was profoundly shaped by this great lady who bore the surname of Yan and had earned the venerable title of Mother Yan and Mother of the Sage. Her exemplary wisdom, code of ethics and moral conduct are a beacon of inspiration to the Gan clan.