ch'ien mu was from the prestigious qian (ch'ien) family in wuxi. his ancestor was said to be qian liu (852–932), founder of the wuyue kingdom (907–978) during the five dynasties and ten kingdoms period. he was born in qifang qiao village (七房橋; "seven mansions bridge village"), in wuxi, jiangsu province. his biographer jerry dennerlien described his childhood world as the "small peasant cosmos" of rituals, festivals, and beliefs held the family system together. he received little formal education, but gained his knowledge on chinese history and culture through traditional family school education and continuous self-study.