Wei Yuan (, April23, 1794March26, 1857), born
Wei Yuanda (魏远达),
courtesy names Moshen (默深) and
Hanshi (汉士), was a
Chinese scholar from
Shaoyang, Hunan. He moved to
Yangzhou in 1831, where he remained for the rest of his life. Wei obtained the provincial degree (
juren) in the
Imperial examinations and subsequently worked in the secretariat of several prominent statesmen, such as
Lin Zexu. Wei was deeply concerned with the crisis facing China in the early 19th century; while he remained loyal to the
Qing Dynasty, he also sketched a number of proposals for the improvement of the administration of the empire.