The movement was established in 1604, during the Wanli era of Ming, when Gu Xiancheng (1550–1612), a Grand Secretary, and Gao Panlong (高攀龍, 1562–1626), a scholar, restored the Donglin Academy in Wuxi with the financial backing of local gentry and officials.
[3] Donglin men carried on politics not only through bureaucratic maneuverings but also through educated opinion; it involved building reputation and reporting of dreams.
[5] During the reign of the Tianqi Emperor, Donglin opposition to the eunuch Wei Zhongxian resulted in the closure of the academy in 1622 and the torture and execution of its head, Yang Lian, and five other members in 1624.
[7] Later during Chongzhen's reign, Donglin partisans found themselves opposed to the Grand Secretary Wen Tiren, eventually arranging his dismissal in 1637.
China's defeat in the Opium War (1839–42) prompted the revival of interest to the Donglin movement, a prominent instance of literati solidarity.