Scholar-official
Videos
The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats, were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class.
Painting that depicts the career of a civil servant. The career path starts with passing the civil service examinations (left side) and progresses to a high position in the government (right side).
A 15th-century portrait of the Ming official Jiang Shunfu. The decoration of two egrets on his chest are a "mandarin square", indicating that he was a civil official of the sixth rank.
Government officials in Changfu during the Wanli era, Ming dynasty
A Western Han fresco depicting Confucius (and Laozi), and his students
Imperial examination
Videos
The imperial examination was a civil service examination system in Imperial China administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by
Imperial examination candidates gathering around the wall where results were posted, an announcement known as 'releasing the roll' (放榜; fàngbǎng) – by Qiu Ying (c. 1540)
Examination cells, Beijing
Chinese Examination Cells at the South River School (Nanjiangxue) Nanjing (China)
A model of exam cells displayed at Beijing Imperial Academy