Sima Qian (145 BC-87BC) is a historian and litterateur of the Western Han Dynasty. Born in a historiographer family, Sima Qian had once left home for a long journey in his 20s, with the purpose of knowing about local customs and historical records. As a government official, he had accompanied Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty to go on tours for many times, and served as an envoy abroad upon the command of the emperor. Such experiences had laid a solid foundation for writing Historical Records later.

Later on, Sima Qian suffered from castration (a cruel punishment in ancient China) because of his bold remarks against the emperor. Since then, he devoted himself to writing. His masterpiece Historical Records, a precious cultural heritage, enjoys high reputation at home and abroad. Sima Qian also wrote A letter to Ren An, which depicts his imprisonment and torture as well as his ambition to writing. This book has also been passed down from generation to generation.