Abstract: Dong Qichang resigned office as many as 17 times in his lifetime, sometimes even defying imperial appointments of local magistrates. This example was not isolated, instead it reflected the frequent resignation of officials and even their refusal of imperial orders in the late Ming Dynasty （1368-1644） when the normal resignation system had been reduced to a form of political wrestling. For Dong himself, however, resignation was not necessarily a misfortune. By resigning, he eluded the fate of becoming the price paid in factional struggles on the one hand, and demonstrated his personality of caring more about painting than politics on the other. More importantly, becoming a recluse gave him plenty of time to devote to calligraphy and painting, making him a prominent, prolific artist. Moreover, Dong’s repeated resignation attempts could also be viewed as a result of the poor remuneration to the officials at that time and the fact that an official with masterly skills, impeccable reputation and a connoisseur's eyes could earn much more by writing, painting and trading works of art. Viewed from this perspective, the large number of officials who returned to their hometowns after resignation arguably boosted local economy in the late Ming Dynasty although this economic phenomenon could be attributed to development of market economy in the larger picture.

Key words: Dong Qichang, resignation, official system in the late Ming Dynasty, painting, calligraphy