Life

Lü Shi-Yi moved to Xiamen in his early years. In the 13th year of Jiaqing's reign (1808), he achieved the title of Xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the county level). In the 2nd year of the Daoguang's reign (1822), he obtained the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level). He served as a teacher at various institutions, such as Zhishan Academy in Zhangzhou and Yuping Academy in Xiamen. He assisted Zhou Kai in editing Chronicle of Kinmen and Chronicle of Xiamen.

In Daoguang's 17th year (1837), he arrived in Taiwan and accepted an invitation from the Lin family of Banqiao to work as a private tutor. He collected various stone inscriptions and tablets and became known as one of the "Three Sages of Banqiao," along with Xie Guanqiao and Ye Huacheng.

In his later years, he served as a member of the Hanlin Academy and personally inscribed his own epitaph on the back of an inkstone, which was then buried with him upon his passing in 1854. The inkstone was discovered in 1989 in Kinmen, and it is speculated that it was unearthed by tomb raiders after the Cultural Revolution. Lü Shi-Yi's former residence in Dongcun, Kinmen (No. 16 Dongcun, Jinhua Town, Kinmen County), has been designated as a county-level historic site by the Kinmen County Cultural Affairs Bureau. The National Museum of History preserves his calligraphic works, including a set of four hanging scrolls in the clerical script, which have been designated as important cultural artifacts.

Works

Lü Shi-Yi's writings include stone inscriptions such as "Forty-Nine Stone House Inscription" and "You Shi Lou Inscription." He authored works such as Notes and Annotations of Ai Wulu, Collected Works of Ai Wulu, Notes of Ai Wulu, General Knowledge of Ancient and Modern Characters, and Explanations of the Thousand Character Classic.

Gravesite

In 2006, Xiamen calligraphy enthusiast Zhang Wenjie discovered a tombstone on Mount Dachu that was confirmed to be that of Lü Shi-Yi. The tomb has been designated as a cultural heritage site related to Taiwan and the tombstone was relocated to a museum. A replica is displayed in its original location.

生平

呂世宜早年移居廈門，嘉慶十三年（1808年）中秀才，道光二年（1822年）得舉人，於漳州芝山書院、廈門玉屏書院等處任教，協助周凱主編《金門志》、《廈門志》。道光十七年（1837年）抵達臺灣，接受板橋林家邀請擔任西席（家庭教師），廣蒐各類金石碑板，與謝琯樵、葉化成並稱「板橋三先生」。晚年捐翰林院典簿，並在咸豐四年（1854年）自撰墓誌銘，刻於硯背，翌年過世後即用該硯陪葬。該硯於1989年流傳至金門，畫家吳鼎仁推測是文化大革命後被盜墓者盜挖出土。金門縣文化局將其故居東村呂世宜古厝（現址金門縣金湖鎮東村16號）指定為縣定古蹟。國立歷史博物館典藏其書法作品隸書四聯屏，已被指定為重要古物。

著述

書有碑刻〈四十九石山房刻石〉、〈有是樓刻石〉，著有《愛吾廬題跋》、《愛吾廬文鈔》、《愛吾廬筆記》、《古今文字通識》、《千字文通釋》等。

墓地

2006年，廈門書法愛好者張文傑在大厝山發現一座墓碑，後經檢查確認為呂世宜之墓。目前該墓已被列入涉臺文物古蹟，墓碑亦遭移至博物館，以一複製品代為展示在原處。