On the Mental State of QIAN Qian－ yi, an Intellectual Adhering to the Old Order

Qian Qian- yi, a famous writer in the last years of the Ming Dynasty and the early years of the Qing Dynasty was a historical figure with complex thoughts and characters. His eventful life was marked with bitter experiences and unstable mental states. There was a mixture of the bad habit of indulgence particular to intellectuals in the last years of the Ming Dynasty and adherence to traditional moral standards. He claimed to hold aloof from those in power but was frequently involved in political whirlpool in pursuit of personal name and gain. Therefore, his fame was badly ruined. In his later years, encouraged by Liu Ru- shi, he participated in the restoration activities. His poems and history works at that time reflect the mental state of an intellectual adhering to the old order of the Ming Dynasty.