Xu Yu

• Xu Yu, whose courtesy name was Renfu and his nickname was Donghe. A native of Xujia Dazhuang (now Liuxing Dazhuang, Jiaonan) in Zhucheng, Shandong. In the third year of Guangxu's reign (1877), he became a Jinshi and a scholar of the Hanlin Academy. He left the academy and served as the director of the Ministry of Rites. He was promoted to Hou Butao in Shaanxi Province. He has political achievements, is good at calligraphy and painting, works in poetry and essays, and has written many books. Liu Shi'an is a calligrapher with strong penmanship.