Who is Zhang Hua 张华

Zhang Hua
(232–300) A litterateur and bibliophile of the Western Jin Dynasty, styled Maoxian. He was a native of Fanyang Fangcheng (present-day south of Gu'an, Hebei Province).

In the late Wei Dynasty, he served as a Doctor of the Grand Ancestral Temple and a Gentleman of the Secretariat. After the founding of the Jin Dynasty, he held the position of Yellow Gate Attendant and was granted the title of Marquis of Guannei. He strongly refuted opposing views and advised Emperor Wu to decide on the plan to conquer Wu. After Wu was defeated, he was promoted to Marquis of Guangwu County. When Emperor Hui ascended the throne, he served as Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, Palace Attendant, Supervisor of the Secretariat, and Minister of Works. Later, he was killed by Prince Lun of Zhao and Sun Xiu.

He recommended talented people and had a profound love for books, being renowned in his time for his extensive knowledge and erudition. In philosophy, he advocated "following nature," which was consistent with the ideological tendencies of Wei-Jin metaphysics. He stated: "Do not cherish treasures to invite harm, do not adorn appearances to attract troubles; remain calm and abide by frugality without arrogance, act in accordance with nature and keep things simple. Take following nature as a resource, and do not be tempted by the hypocrisy of the world" (Ode to the Wren, included in Selections of Refined Literature, Volume 13).

In his famous work Ode to the Wren, he adopted the technique of using the shallow to convey the profound and the trivial to illustrate the great. Through the wren, a small bird living among weeds, he expounded Zhuangzi's idea that "those without utility can live out their natural lifespan" (Zhuangzi·Mountain Trees). He said that the wren, a small bird with plain color and humble appearance, has feathers that cannot be made into utensils and flesh that is not fit for elegant banquets. Precisely because it is useless, it can multiply and live out its natural years: "Not being useful to humans, with a tiny form and humble position, no creature harms it. It multiplies its species, perches and roams in pairs, fluttering about with joy of its own" (ibid.).

He pointed out that other birds such as eagles, ducks, herons, swans, peacocks, and kingfishers, with wings that can soar high in the sky and beaks or claws enough to defend themselves, often become targets of human capture. "Why? Because they are useful to humans" (ibid.).

He regarded such human-useful traits as beautiful feathers and plump flesh as factors that lead to the birds' own destruction. He stated: "The wild ducks and returning geese, with flapping wings, fly higher and farther. All have beautiful feathers and plump flesh, so even without guilt, they are all killed; they merely hold reeds to avoid arrows, but in the end, they are slaughtered in this world. The goshawk, though fierce, is tethered; the parrot, though intelligent, is caged" (ibid.). He believed that wild ducks and geese are shot because of their beautiful feathers and plump flesh; goshawks are captured because of their fierceness; parrots are put in cages for people to admire because of their intelligence.

Zhang Hua has a biography in Volume 36 of The Book of Jin. His works include Records of the Natural World. He also had a 10-volume collection of works, most of which are lost. Later generations compiled Collected Works of Zhang, Minister of Works. (Gu Fang)