 Wang Jian was born in 847, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong of Tang.He was from Wuyang (舞陽, in modern Luohe, Henan), and was said to be ambitious and alert in his youth.However, he was also described to be a hoodlum, abandoning his ancestral craft of baking to be involved in butchering cattle, stealing donkeys, and privateering in salt.