Ministers › Diplomat / Envoy
Gongxi Hua
Disciple of Confucius named Chi, skilled in ritual and the reception of guests, who went on a mission to Qi and wished to serve as a minor master of ceremonies.
On a road beside a desert gateway, a camel train carries a lidded chest and rolled bundles while travellers walk along the path; a large sailing ship lies in the harbour at the right, a stone waymark stands by the road, and dunes and mountains fill the distance.
Also known as Gongxi Chi · Zi Zihua
- Roles
- Diplomat / Envoy
Gongxi Hua, personal name Chi, courtesy name Zihua, was a native of Lu and a disciple of Confucius forty-two years his junior. Versed in ritual and diplomatic reception, he was described by Confucius as one who, sash fastened and standing at court, could converse with guests of state, and he once went on an errand to Qi. In the Analects passage on sitting with the Master, he modestly says he does not claim the ability but would like to learn, wishing to serve as a minor assistant in ceremonial dress at ancestral rites and princely assemblies.
Life and times
Dates c. 509 BCE–death unknown