Is Kang Youwei a genuine historical figure?

Kang Youwei (1858-1927) was indeed a famous calligrapher and revolutionary, sentenced to death by the Dowager Empress, as Claiborne Lorenz states. More famous still is Tu Fu (pronounced and now more commonly transliterated as Du Fu), the T’ang dynasty poet quoted in the Kang forgery.

Lorenz chose a profitable sideline: in 2022 the small example of Kang’s calligraphy pictured sold at auction in Hong Kong for $15,000. Interestingly, it translates as “One Requires Tranquility to Reach One’s Far-reaching Goal,” a sentiment that sums up the quiet patience with which the Chinese state proceeded in Ash Wednesday.