Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period/Tung Pang-ta
TUNG Pang-ta 董邦達 (T. 孚存, 非聞, H. 東山), 1699–1769, Aug., 19, official, painter and calligrapher, was a native of Fu-yang, Chekiang. Although descended from a poor family, he succeeded after many hardships in obtaining, in 1733, the chin-shih degree. Appointed a compiler of the second class in the Hanlin Academy, he was twice in charge of provincial examinations (Shensi 1738, Kiangsi 1753), and twice directed the metropolitan military examinations (1754, 1760). In 1747 he was appointed sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat, and later was made vice-president of the following Boards: Board of Ceremonies (1752–53), Board of Works (1753–57), and Board of Civil Offices (1757–62). Subsequently he was senior vice-president of the Censorate (1762–63), president of the Board of Works (1763–65, 1766–67), and president of the Board of Ceremonies (1765–66, 1767–69). At his death, in 1769, he was canonized as Wên-k'o 文恪. In recognition of the meritorious services of his son, Tung Kao [q. v.], his tablet was entered, in 1807, in the Temple of Eminent Statesmen.
Tung Pang-ta participated in the compilation, among other works, of the following items: Shih-ch'ü pao-chi, Pi-tien chu-lin (for both see under Chang Chao); Hsi-ch'ing ku-chien (see under Liang Shih-chêng), and 皇清文頴 Huang-Ch'ing wên-ying, 124 chüan, printed in 1747. The last is a collection of Court literature up to the year 1744, comprising the literary works of Ch'ing Emperors, 24 chüan, and of Ch'ing courtiers, 100 chüan. An expanded edition, 續編 Hsü-pien, in 164 chüan, was compiled and printed in 1810 under the direction of Tung Kao.
As a painter, Tung Pang-ta won high recognition. He was known as one of the Three Tungs; the other two being Tung Yüan 董源 (T. 叔達, H. 北苑), a painter of the tenth century, and Tung Ch'i-ch'ang [q. v.]. Tung Pang-ta's landscapes are numerous; they are highly praised, and many have colophons written by Emperor Kao-tsung. As a calligraphist, Tung Pang-ta excelled in the writing of characters in the archaic styles known as chuan and li (see under Ho Shao-chi). Many specimens of his calligraphy and painting are preserved in the Palace Museum and are catalogued in the Shih-ch'ü pao-chi and its supplements.
Tung Pang-ta had a younger son, Tung Ch'êng 董誠 (d. c. 1786), who became assistant magistrate of Chien-yang, Fukien (1780), and died in office.
[1/311/7b; 3/80/30a; 19/丙上/46a; 26/1/54a; 27/11/3b; 33/53/3a; L.T.C.L.H.M. 上/356a; Ku-kung chou-k'an (see bibl. under Na-yen-ch'êng) passim; Fu-yang hsien-chih (1906) 19 中 9b; Fukien tung-chih (1871) 113/12b.]