Famous historical figures who failed 'gaokao'

Pu Songling (1640-1715), a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) writer

Pu was born into a poor landowner family. He sat for the keju tests four times and failed. It was not until he was 71 that he was awarded a degree for his achievement in literature rather than for passing the Imperial examinations. Working as a tutor, he spent most of his spare time collecting the stories that were later published in Liaozhai Zhiyi (Strange Tales from Make-Do Studio), which is considered a Chinese literature classic.

A sculpture of Pu Songling at his former residence in Zibo, Shandong province, Oct 30, 2009. [Photo/IC]

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