Han Yu, courtesy name Tuizhi, and commonly known by his posthumous name Han Wengong (韓文公), was an essayist, Confucian scholar, poet, and government official during the Tang dynasty who significantly influenced the development of Neo-Confucianism. Described as "comparable in stature to Dante, Shakespeare or Goethe" for his influence on the Chinese literary tradition, Han Yu stood for strong central authority in politics and orthodoxy in cultural matters. 768 – December 29, 824; died at about 56. Alive at the same time as Charlemagne, Muḥammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, Ādi Shankara, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Abu Nuwas. Wiki link