- published: 18 Dec 2010
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- author: JessieSW
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Beijing
Beijing (
/beɪˈdʒɪŋ/; Chinese: 北京; pinyin: Běijīng, [peɪ˨˩ t͡ɕiŋ˥]), formerly romanized as Peking ( /piːˈkɪŋ/ or /peɪˈkɪŋ/), is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The metropolis, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government, with 14 urban and suburban districts and two rural counties. Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin Municipality to the southeast.
Beijing is China's second largest city by urban population after Shanghai and is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's largest state-owned companies. Beijing is a major transportation hub in the national highway, expressway, railway and high-speed rail network. Beijing's Capital International Airport is the second busiest in the world by passenger traffic.
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Changsha
Changsha (simplified Chinese: 长沙; traditional Chinese: 長沙; pinyin: Chángshā; Wade–Giles: Chang-sha) is the capital city of Hunan, in south-central China, located on the lower reaches of Xiang river, a branch of the Yangtze River. Its municipality covers an area of 11,819 sq. kilometers and, according to the 2010 Census, a population of 7,044,118 inhabitants.
Changsha was important from the time of the Qin dynasty (221–207 BC). In AD 750–1100 Changsha was an important commercial city, and its population increased greatly. Under the Qing dynasty, from 1664, it was the capital of Hunan province, and it was a major rice market. It was besieged during the Taiping Rebellion but never fell. Changsha was the site of Mao Zedong's conversion to communism. It was the scene of major battles in the Sino-Japanese War of 1937–45 and was briefly occupied by the Japanese. Rebuilt since 1949, the city is now a major port and a commercial and industrial center.
The origins of the name "Changsha" are lost in antiquity. The name first appears in the 11th century BC, during the reign of King Cheng of the Zhou dynasty, a vassal lord from the Changsha area sent a type of softshell turtle known as "Changsha softshell turtle" (Chinese: 长沙鼈) as tribute to the Zhou king. In the 2nd century AD, historian Ying Shao wrote that the Qin dynasty use of the name Changsha for the area was a continuance of its old name.
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Guangyuan
Guangyuan (simplified Chinese: 广元; traditional Chinese: 廣元; pinyin: Gǔangyúan; Wade–Giles: Kuang-yüan) is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan Province, China. It has an area of 16313.78 square kilometers and a population of 2,484,123 in 2010 (3,037,600 in 2002.)
Guangyuan's economy is based on a diverse array of heavy industry, as well as mining and agriculture. It is an ancient city, notable for its relics and tombs. Plant 821, a large plutonium producing reactor is located near Guangyuan.
On May 12, 2008 a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred. 4,822 people were killed, 28,245 injured, and 125 missing in the city as of June 7, 2008.
Formerly known as Lizhou (利州), Guangyuan was the birthplace of Wu Zetian, the only woman in Chinese history to bear the title Empress Regnant.
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Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty (simplified Chinese: 汉朝; traditional Chinese: 漢朝; pinyin: Hàn Cháo; Wade–Giles: Han Ch'ao; IPA: [xân tʂʰɑ̌ʊ̯]) (206 BCE – 220 CE) was an imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BCE) and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms (220–280 CE). It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty (9–23 CE) of the former regent Wang Mang. This interregnum separates the Han into two periods: the Western Han (206 BCE – 9 CE) and Eastern Han (25–220 CE). Spanning over four centuries, the period of the Han Dynasty is considered a golden age in Chinese history. To this day, China's majority ethnic group refers to itself as the "Han people" and Chinese characters are referred to as "Han characters".
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Hebei
Coordinates: 39°18′N 116°42′E / 39.3°N 116.7°E / 39.3; 116.7
Hebei (help·info) (Chinese: 河北; pinyin: Héběi; Postal map spelling: Hopeh) is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "冀" (jì), named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province (zhou) that included what is now southern Hebei. The name Hebei means "north of the river", referring to its location completely above the Yellow River.
In 1928, Hebei was formed after the central government dissolved the province of Chih-li (直隸), which means "Directly Ruled (by the Imperial Court)".
Beijing and Tianjin Municipalities, which border each other, were carved out of Hebei. The province borders Liaoning to the northeast, Inner Mongolia to the north, Shanxi to the west, Henan to the south, and Shandong to the southeast. Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea is to the east. A small part of Hebei, an exclave disjointed from the rest of the province, is wedged between the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin.
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Henan
Coordinates: 33°54′N 113°30′E / 33.9°N 113.5°E / 33.9; 113.5
Henan (Chinese: 河南; pinyin: Hénán; Wade–Giles: Ho-nan), is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" (yù), named after Yuzhou (豫州 Yù Zhōu), a Han Dynasty state (zhou) that included parts of Henan. Although the name of the province (河南) means "south of the river", approximately a quarter of the province lies north of the Yellow River, also known as the "Huang He".
Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan (中原 zhōngyuán) or Zhongzhou (中州 zhōngzhōu) which literally means "central plains" or "midland", although the name is also applied to the entirety of China proper. Henan is the birthplace of Chinese civilization with over 5,000 years of history, and remained China's cultural, economical, and political center until approximately 1,000 years ago. Numerous heritages have been left behind including the ruins of Shang Dynasty capital city Yinxu and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the Eight Great Ancient Capitals of China, Luoyang, Anyang, Kaifeng, and Zhengzhou are located in Henan.
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Hunan
Coordinates: 27°24′N 111°48′E / 27.4°N 111.8°E / 27.4; 111.8
Hunan (help·info) (Chinese: 湖南; pinyin: Húnán) is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence the name Hunan, meaning "south of the lake"). Hunan is sometimes called and officially abbreviated as "湘" (pinyin: Xiāng) for short, after the Xiang River which runs through the province.
Hunan borders Hubei in the north, Jiangxi to the east, Guangdong to the south, Guangxi to the southwest, Guizhou to the west, and Chongqing to the northwest. The capital is Changsha.
Hunan's primeval forests were first occupied by the ancestors of the modern Miao, Tujia, Dong and Yao peoples. It entered the written history of China around 350 BC, when under the kings of the Zhou dynasty, it became part of the State of Chu. At this time, and for hundreds of years thereafter, it was a magnet for migration of Han Chinese from the north, who cleared most of the forests and began farming rice in the valleys and plains. To this day many of the small villages in Hunan are named after the Han families who settled there. Migration from the north was especially prevalent during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties Periods, when nomadic invaders pushed these peoples south.
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Jiangling County
Jiangling (Chinese: 江陵; pinyin: Jiānglíng; Wade–Giles: Chiang-ling) is a county in southern Hubei province, People's Republic of China. Administratively, it is under the jurisdiction of Jingzhou City.
Under its old name of Chen (陳/陈), during the Warring States Period Jiangling became the capital of the State of Chu after the Qin army captured their old capital at Ying. Chen itself was sacked in 241 BCE and the capital moved to Shouchun (壽春/寿春). Later on, Jiangling was the capital of the small Jingnan kingdom that existed from 924 to 963 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period.
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Jiangsu
Coordinates: 32°54′N 119°48′E / 32.9°N 119.8°E / 32.9; 119.8
Jiangsu (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 江苏; traditional Chinese: 江蘇; pinyin: Jiāngsū; Wade–Giles: Chiang-su; Postal map spelling: Kiangsu) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning (now Nanjing), and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" (sū), the second character of its name. It is the province with the highest population density in China, though provincial level municipalities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin have a higher density.
Jiangsu borders Shandong in the north, Anhui to the west, and Zhejiang and Shanghai to the south. Jiangsu has a coastline of over one thousand kilometers along the Yellow Sea, and the Yangtze River passes through its southern parts. Since the inception of economic reforms in 1978, Jiangsu has been a hot spot for economic development, and now has the highest GDP per capita of all Chinese provinces. The wealth divide between the rich southern regions and the north, however, remains a prominent issue in the province.
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Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately 3.5 million.
The city covers an area of 15 km². The altitude averages 1,289 m/4,282 ft. above sea level. The city is located in the western extremity of China, near the border with Tajikistan.
The modern Chinese name is 喀什 (Kāshí), a shortened form of the longer and less-frequently used (simplified Chinese: 喀什噶尔; traditional Chinese: 喀什噶爾; pinyin: Kāshígé’ěr). Ptolemy (AD 90-168), in his Geography, Chapter 15.3A, refers to Kashgar as “Kasia”. The name is Middle Iranic in its origin, meaning "Kush Mountains" (from gar/ghar, "mountain", and Kush/Kâsh, being the same as the ethnonym of the Kushan Empire and the Hindukush mountains in the neighboring Afghanistan.
An early Chinese name was 疏勒 (now Shule County), variously romanized as Su-leh, Sulei, Shule, Shu-le', She-le, Shu-lo or Sha-le, which perhaps represents either an original Solek or Sorak.[citation needed]
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Keriya County
The Keriya (Kériye) County (Chinese: 于田县, Pinyin: Yútián Xiàn; Uyghur: كېرىيە ناھىيىسى, ULY: Kériye Nahiyisi, UPNY: Keriyə Nah̡iyisi?) is a county within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Hotan Prefecture. It contains an area of 39,023 km². According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 220,000. Its government is located at Keriya Town.
Coordinates: 36°52′N 81°42′E / 36.867°N 81.7°E / 36.867; 81.7
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Lhasa
Lhasa ( /ˈlɑːsə/, Tibetan: ལྷ་ས་གྲོང་ཁྱིར།, ZYPY: Lhasa Chongkyir, [l̥ásə] or [l̥ɜ́ːsə]; simplified Chinese: 拉萨; traditional Chinese: 拉薩; pinyin: Lāsà; sometimes spelled Lasa) is the administrative capital and a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. It is the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining, and at an altitude of 3,490 metres (11,450 ft), Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world. The city contains many culturally significant Tibetan Buddhist sites such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang temple and Norbulingka palaces, many of which are located in Chengguan District, the city seat.
Lhasa literally means "place of the gods". Ancient Tibetan documents and inscriptions demonstrate that the place was called Rasa, which either meant "goats' place", or, as a contraction of rawe sa, a "place surrounded by a wall," or 'enclosure', suggesting that the site was originally a hunting preserve within the royal residence on Marpori Hill. Lhasa is first recorded as the name, referring to the area's temple of Jowo, in a treaty drawn up between China and Tibet in 822 C.E.
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Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty (simplified Chinese: 辽朝; traditional Chinese: 遼朝; pinyin: Liáo Cháo; Khitan language: Mos Jælut), also known as the Khitan Empire (simplified Chinese: 契丹国; traditional Chinese: 契丹國; pinyin: Qìdān Guó; Khitan: Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur), was an empire in East Asia that ruled over Mongolia and portions of Kazakhstan, the Russian Far East, and northern China proper between 907–1125. It was founded by the Khitan Great Khan Abaoji around the time of the collapse of the Han Chinese Tang Dynasty.
The Liao Empire was destroyed by the Jurchen of the Jin Dynasty in 1125. However, remnants of its people, led by Yelü Dashi, established Western Liao Dynasty, also known as Kara-Khitan Khanate, which ruled over parts of Central Asia for almost a century before being conquered by Genghis Khan's Mongolian army.
The Khitan were a Mongolic tribe who originally formed a part of Tanshihuai's Xianbei state before submitting along with the Kumo Xi to the Yuwen chieftains after the state's disintegration. They considered themselves descendants of the legendary Qishou Khagan, who was descended from Tanshihuai (reigned 157–181). The Kumo Xi and Khitan separated as one body from the Yuwen after the Yuwen were defeated by Murong Huang of the Murong tribe in 344. In 388 the Khitan separated from the Kumo Xi. This began the written history of the Khitan as an independent tribe. In the period of Zhenjun (r. 440–449) they 'asked for paying tribute' (any presentation of gifts by foreigners were seen as submissive 'tribute') and presented famous steeds to the court of the Northern Wei. In the Xianzu period (466–470) Mofuhe Hechen of the Khitan leading the eight Khitan tribes (Xiwandan, Hedahe, Fufuyu, Yuling, Rilian, Pijie, Li and Tuliuyu) presented famous steeds and high quality fur to the Northern Wei at their capital Datong and the Khitan were 'allowed' to trade in the area of modern-day Miyun County of Beijing City.
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Liaocheng
Liaocheng (Chinese: 聊城; pinyin: Liáochéng), also known as the Water City, is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Dezhou to the northeast, Tai'an to the south, and the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the west. The Grand Canal flows through the city center.
During the Song dynasty, the area of present-day Liaocheng included the prefectures of Bozhou (博州) and Jizhou (濟州).
The prefecture-level city of Liaocheng administers eight county-level divisions, including one district, one county-level city, and six counties.
These are further divided into 134 township-level divisions.
In August 1949 Liaocheng was detached from Shandong and attached to Pingyuan. In November 1952 Pingyuan was dissolved and Liaocheng returned to Shandong.
Liaocheng is a sister city of the following cities.
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Liaoning
Coordinates: 41°06′N 122°18′E / 41.1°N 122.3°E / 41.1; 122.3
Liaoning (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 辽宁; traditional Chinese: 遼寧; pinyin: Liáoníng; Manchu: ᠯᡳᠶᠣᠣ ᠨᡳᠩ, Liyoo ning) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" (pinyin: liáo), a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace". The modern province was established in 1907 as Fengtian province (奉天 pinyin: Fèngtiān; Postal map spelling: Fengtien; Manchu: ᠠᠪᡴᠠᡳ ᡳᠮᡳᠶᠠᠩᡤᠠ, Abkai imiyangga) and the name was changed to Liaoning in 1929. Under the Japanese puppet Manchukuo regime, the province reverted to its 1907 name, but the name Liaoning was restored in 1945.
Liaoning is located in the southern part of the Northeast, and is often called "the Golden Triangle" because of its superior geographical location, with the Yellow Sea (Korea Bay) and the Bohai Sea in the south, North Korea in the southeast, Jilin province to the northeast, Hebei province to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the northwest. The Yalu River marks the border between North Korea and the province. It empties into the Korea Bay between Dandong, Liaoning and Sinŭiju, North Korea.
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Luoyang
Luoyang (simplified Chinese: 洛阳; traditional Chinese: 洛陽; pinyin: Luòyáng; Postal map spelling: Loyang; IPA: [lwɔ̂jɑ̌ŋ]) is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.
Situated on the central plain of China, one of the cradles of the Chinese civilization, Luoyang was one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China.
The origin of the name "Luoyang" is the city's location to the north side ("yang") of the Luo River. The river flows from west to east and the sun is on south of the river, so that the sun shine is always on north side of the river. Luoyang has had several names over the centuries, including "Luoyi" (洛邑) and "Luozhou (洛州)", though Luoyang has been its primary name. It has been called, during various periods, "Dongdu" (东都, meaning the Eastern Capital, during the Tang Dynasty), "Xijing" (西京, meaning the West Capital, during the Song Dynasty), or "Jingluo" (京洛, meaning the general capital for China).
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Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China for 276 years (1368–1644) following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, described by some as "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic Han Chinese. Although the Ming capital Beijing fell in 1644 to a rebellion led by Li Zicheng (who established the Shun Dynasty, soon replaced by the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty), regimes loyal to the Ming throne—collectively called the Southern Ming—survived until 1662.
Ming rule saw the construction of a vast navy and a standing army of one million troops. Although private maritime trade and official tribute missions from China had taken place in previous dynasties, the tributary fleet under the Muslim eunuch admiral Zheng He in the 15th century far surpassed all others in size. There were enormous construction projects, including the restoration of the Grand Canal and the Great Wall and the establishment of the Forbidden City in Beijing during the first quarter of the 15th century. Estimates for the late-Ming population vary from 160 to 200 million.
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Qianling Mausoleum
Coordinates: 34°34′23.37″N 108°13′6.94″E / 34.5731583°N 108.2185944°E / 34.5731583; 108.2185944
The Qianling Mausoleum (Chinese: 乾陵; pinyin: Qiánlíng) is a Tang Dynasty (618–907) tomb site located in Qian County, Shaanxi province, China, and is 85 km (53 mi) northwest from Xi'an, formerly the Tang capital. Built by 684 (with additional construction until 706), the tombs of the mausoleum complex house the remains of various members of the royal Li family. This includes Emperor Gaozong of Tang (r. 649–83), as well as his wife, the Zhou Dynasty usurper and China's first (and only) governing empress Wu Zetian (r. 690–705). The mausoleum is renowned for its many Tang Dynasty stone statues located above ground and the mural paintings adorning the subterranean walls of the tombs. Besides the main tumulus mound and underground tomb of Gaozong and Wu Zetian, there is a total of 17 smaller attendant tombs or peizang mu. Presently, only five of these attendant tombs have been excavated by archaeologists, three belonging to members of the royal family, one to a chancellor of China, and the other to a general of the left guard.
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Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China.
The dynasty was founded by the Jurchen Aisin Gioro clan in contemporary Northeastern China. The Aisin Gioro leader, Nurhachi, who was originally a vassal of the Ming emperors, began unifying the Jurchen clans in the late sixteenth century. By 1635, Nurhachi's son Hong Taiji could claim they constituted a single and united Manchu people and began forcing the Ming out of Liaoning in southern Manchuria. In 1644, the Ming capital Beijing was sacked by a peasant revolt led by Li Zicheng, a former minor Ming official who became the leader of the peasant revolt, who then proclaimed the Shun dynasty. The last Ming ruler, the Chongzhen Emperor, committed suicide when the city fell. When Li Zicheng moved against Ming general Wu Sangui, the latter made an alliance with the Manchus and opened the Shanhai Pass to the Manchurian army. Under Prince Dorgon, they seized control of Beijing and overthrew Li Zicheng's short-lived Shun Dynasty. Complete pacification of China was accomplished around 1683 under the Kangxi Emperor.
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Shandong
Coordinates: 36°24′N 118°24′E / 36.4°N 118.4°E / 36.4; 118.4
Shandong (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 山东; traditional Chinese: 山東; pinyin: Shāndōng; Wade–Giles: Shan1-tung1) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese Buddhism, and Confucianism. Shandong's Mount Tai is the most revered mountain of Taoism and one of the world's sites with the longest history of continuous religious worship. The Buddhist temples in the mountains to the south of the provincial capital of Jinan were once among the foremost Buddhist sites in China. The city of Qufu is the birthplace of Confucius, and was later established as the center of Confucianism. Shandong's location at the intersection of ancient as well as modern north-south and east-west trading routes have helped to establish it as an economic center. After a period of political instability and economic hardship that began in the late 19th century, Shandong has emerged as one of the most populous (95,793,065 inhabitants at the 2010 Census) and most affluent provinces in the People's Republic of China (GDP of 3.94 trillion CNY in 2010).
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Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang (Chinese: 石家庄; pinyin: Shíjiāzhuāng) is the capital and largest city of North China's Hebei province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about 280 kilometres (170 mi) south of Beijing. Shijiazhuang Prefecture contains the 5 districts of Shijiazhuang urban area, the Jingxing Mining District, five county-level cities, and twelve counties.
At the 2010 census, it has a total population of 10,163,788, with 2,604,930 in the urban area in 2010 and 3,833,606 in its built up area (metro) made of 5 urban districts plus Luquan city, Zhengding and Luancheng counties. Gaocheng county is about to be part of Shijiazhuang built up area while its urbanisation is still growing.
Shijiazhuang is a newly industrialised city. It experienced dramatic growth after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The population of the metropolitan area has more than quadrupled in only 30 years. It is a central hub of transportation routes. The city is home to a large garrison of military troops ready to protect Beijing if required. It has a number of PLA colleges and universities.
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Suyab
Suyab (Persian: سوی آب; simplified Chinese: 碎叶; traditional Chinese: 碎葉; pinyin: Suìyè; Wade–Giles: Suiyeh, also known as Ordukent, modern-day Ak-Beshim) was an ancient Silk Road city located some 50 km east from Bishkek, and 8 km west southwest from Tokmok, in the Chui River valley, present-day Kyrgyzstan.
The settlement of Sogdian merchants sprang up along the Silk Road in the 5th or 6th centuries. The name of the city derives from that of the Suyab River, whose origin is Iranian (in Persian: suy means "toward"+ ab for "water", "rivers"). It was first recorded by Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang who travelled in the area in 629:
Traveling 500 li to the north west of Great Qing Lake, we arrive at the city of the Suye River. The city is 6 or 7 li in circuit; various Hu ("barbarian") merchants here came from surrounding nations congregate and dwell. The soil is favourable for red millet and for grapes; the woods are not thick, the climate is windy and cold; the people wear garments of twilled wool. Traveling from Suye westward, there are a great number of isolated towns; in each there is a chieftain; these are not dependent on one another, but all are in submission to the Tujue.
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Taiyuan
Taiyuan (Chinese: 太原; pinyin: Tàiyuán [tʰâɪɥǎn]) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River leaves the mountains.
From around 859BC the area was held by the Rong people. In 662 they were driven out by the Beidi.
Taiyuan was an ancient capital, constructed by Zhaojianzi (simplified Chinese: 赵简子; traditional Chinese: 趙簡子) in 497 BC, named Jinyang (t 晉陽, s 晋阳). It served as the capital of Zhao. It was renamed Taiyuan following its conquest by the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC. Under the later Han dynasty, it was the capital of Bing Province (Bingzhou). For a time in the 6th century, the city was a secondary capital of Eastern Wei and Northern Qi states, growing into a fairly large city and also becoming a center of Buddhism. A new city was built in AD 562, which was later linked to the old city during the Tang Dynasty in AD 733. From that time until the middle of the Tang dynasty (618–907), the construction of the cave temples at Tianlong Mountain just southwest of the city, continued. The dynastic founder of the Tang began his conquest of the empire with Taiyuan as a base and using the support of its local aristocracy. It was periodically designated as the Tang's northern capital and grew into a heavily fortified military base.
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Western Xia
The Western Xia Dynasty (Chinese: 西夏; pinyin: Xī Xià; Wade-Giles: Hsi Hsia; literally "Western Xia") or the Tangut Empire, was known to the Tanguts and the Tibetans as Minyak.
The state existed from 1038 to 1227 AD in what are now the northwestern Chinese provinces of Ningxia, Gansu, eastern Qinghai, northern Shaanxi, northeastern Xinjiang, southwest Inner Mongolia, and southernmost Outer Mongolia, measuring about eight hundred thousand square kilometers. The state suffered from devastating destruction by the Mongols who founded Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), including most of its written records and architecture. Its founders and history therefore remained controversial until recent research conducted both in the West and within China. They occupied the area of important trade route between North China and Central Asia, the Hexi Corridor. The Western Xia made significant achievements in literature, art, music, and architecture, which was characterized as "shining and sparkling". Their extensive stance among the other empires of the Liao, Song, and Jin was attributable to their effective military organizations that integrated cavalry, chariots, archery, shields, artillery (cannons carried on the back of camels), and amphibious troops for combats on land and water.
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Xin Dynasty
The Xin Dynasty (Chinese: 新朝; pinyin: Xīn Cháo; Wade–Giles: Hsin Ch'ao; literally "New Dynasty") was a Chinese dynasty (although strictly speaking it had only one emperor) which lasted from AD 9 to 23. It followed the Western Han Dynasty and preceded the Eastern Han Dynasty.
The sole emperor of the Xin Dynasty, Wang Mang (王莽), was the nephew of Grand Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun. After the death of her step-grandson Emperor Ai in 1 BC, Wang Mang rose to power. After several years of cultivating a personality cult, he finally proclaimed himself emperor in AD 9. However, while a creative scholar and politician, he was an incompetent ruler, and his capital Chang'an was besieged by peasant rebels in AD 23. He died in the siege, and the Han Dynasty was restored by descendants of the former imperial clan.
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Yangzhou
Yangzhou (simplified Chinese: 扬州; traditional Chinese: 揚州; pinyin: Yángzhōu; former spellings: Yang-chou, Yangchow, Yang-chow; literally "Rising Prefecture") is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across the river to the south. Historically it is one of the wealthiest of China's cities, known at various periods for its great merchant families, poets, painters, and scholars.
Its population is 4,414,681 at the 2010 census and its built up area is home to 2,146,980 inhabitants including three urban districts plus currently in the agglomeration.
The prefecture-level city of Yangzhou administers seven county-level divisions. There are three districts, two county-level cities and one county:
These are further divided into 98 township-level divisions, including 87 towns and townships, and 11 subdistricts.
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Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty (Chinese: 元朝, p Yuán Cháo; Mongolian: Их Юань улс) was the branch of Mongol Borjigin dynasty established by Kublai Khan. Although the Mongols had ruled northern China for decades, it was not until 1271 that Kublai Khan officially proclaimed the dynasty in the traditional Chinese style. His realm – the Great Yuan Empire (t 大元帝國, s 大元帝国, p Dà Yuán Dìguó) – was by this point isolated from the other khanates and controlled only most of present-day China and its surrounding areas including modern Mongolia. It was the first non-Han dynasty to rule all of China and lasted until 1368, after which its remnants in Mongolia were known as the Northern Yuan.
The Yuan is considered both a successor to the Mongol Empire and as an imperial Chinese dynasty. In official Chinese histories, the Yuan Dynasty bore the Mandate of Heaven, following the Song Dynasty and preceding the Ming Dynasty. Although the dynasty was established by Kublai Khan, he placed his grandfather Genghis Khan on the imperial records as the official founder of the dynasty as Taizu.
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Zhumadian
Zhumadian (simplified Chinese: 驻马店; traditional Chinese: 駐馬店; pinyin: Zhùmǎdiàn; Postal map spelling: Chumatien) is a prefecture-level city in southern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders Xinyang to the south, Nanyang to the west, Pingdingshan to the northwest, Luohe to the north, Zhoukou to the northeast, and the province of Anhui to the east.
Its population is 7,230,744 at the 2010 census whom 503,812 live in the built up area.
The prefecture-level city of Zhumadian administers 1 district and 9 counties.
Zhumadian was previously known as Yicheng, for it used to be a relay station. In the Tang Dynasty, the emperor ordered his soldiers carry lychees from Guangdong to his charming princess Yang who loved to eat lychees. And Zhumadian was one of the relay stations.
Zhumadian is situated at 32° 18' -- 33° 35' N latitude, and 113° 10' -- 115° 12' E longitude, with a maximum east-west width of 191.5 kilometres (119.0 mi), and at most 137.5 kilometres (85.4 mi) long from south to north. The area of the prefecture is 15,083 square kilometres (5,824 sq mi), occupying 8.9% of the total provincial area. Neighbouring prefectures are:
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Angela Pan
Pan Yin-tze (born June 5, 1945 in Jiangsu, China), better known as Angela Pan, is a Chinese actress who starred in numerous films and soap operas in the 1970s–1980s.
In 1972 she married actor Chan Hung-lit whom she co-starred with in many films but divorced in 1980.
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Ann Paludan
Ann Paludan (born 1928) is a British author of several books on Chinese history, sculpture, and architecture.
Ann Paludan is the daughter of Basil Murray. Her father was the second son of the eminent classical scholar Gilbert Murray and his wife Lady Mary Howard, and Ann would visit her grandparents at Yatscombe, on Boars Hill, particularly during her undergraduate years in St Hugh's College, Oxford when she cycled up to Yatscombe every Sunday. Her parents had split up when she was young and her father died in Spain when she was eight, so her visits to her grandparents gave a welcome sense of continuity. On her mother's side she was the grand-daughter of the painter Algernon Newton RA, of the family which founded the Winsor and Newton paints company, and a niece of the actor Robert Newton.
After graduating she worked as a British diplomat, marrying and starting a life abroad in 1949. Her son, Sir Mark Jones, was born in 1951; he is now an art historian and museum director.
Janus Paludan, a Danish diplomat, had served as Danish Ambassador to the Congo 1962–1965 and to Brazil 1968–1972, and he and Ann married before he took up the post of Danish Ambassador to China in 1972. They lived in Beijing until 1976, and thereafter she returned regularly to China on research trips. He then served as Ambassador to Egypt in 1976 and to Iceland from 1977 to 1984, after which they retired to northern Cumbria. Ann was widowed in 2004.
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Baizhang Huaihai
Baizhang Huaihai (Chinese: 百丈懷海; pinyin: Bǎizhàng Huáihái; Wade-Giles: Pai-chang Huai-hai; Japanese: Hyakujō Ekai) (720–814) was a Chinese Zen master during the Tang Dynasty. He was a dharma heir of Mazu Daoyi (Wade-Giles: Ma-tsu Tao-i). Baizhang's students included Huangbo, Linji and Puhua.
According to traditional Chan/Zen accounts, Baizhang established an early set of rules for Chan (Chinese Zen) monastic discipline, the Pure Rules of Baizhang (Chinese: 百丈清規; pinyin: Bǎizhàng qīngguī; Wade–Giles: Pai-chang ch'ing-kuei),Korean: 백장청규) It was practiced in Ta-chih shou-sheng ch'an-ssu (Jp. Daichijusho-zenji), founded by Baizhang. This monastery contained a minks hall, an innovation which became typical for Chán:
Some believe these rules developed much later in Chan history, and are agreed by the monks Taixu and Hsu Yun.
As the Zen monks farmed, it helped them to survive the Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution more than other sects which relied more on donations. These rules are still used today in many Zen monasteries. From this text comes the well-known saying "A day without work is a day without food" (一日不做一日不食 "One day not work, one day not eat").
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Bo Yang
Bo Yang (simplified Chinese: 柏杨; traditional Chinese: 柏楊; pinyin: Bóyáng; 7 March 1920 – 29 April 2008), also sometimes called Bai Yang, was a Chinese language writer based in Taiwan. His pen name is found in most sources as "Bo Yang" or "Bai Yang", but there is an argument that as Bo Yang was a pen name, it should be written as "Boyang" insead[citation needed]. According to his own memoir, the exact date of his birthday was unknown even to himself. He later adopted the date of his imprisonment in 1968 (7 March) as his birthday.
Bo Yang was born as Guō Dìngshēng (郭定生) in Kaifeng, Henan Province, China, with family origins in Hui County (輝縣), now part of Xinxiang, Henan. Bo Yang's father changed his son's name to Guō Lìbāng (郭立邦) to facilitate a transfer of schools. Bo Yang later changed his name to Guo Yìdòng (郭衣洞). In high school, Bo Yang participated in youth organisations of the Kuomintang, the then-ruling party of the Republic of China, and joined the Kuomintang itself in 1938. He graduated from the National Northeastern University, and moved to Taiwan after Kuomintang lost in the civil war in 1949.
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Carina Lau
Carina Lau Kar-ling (born December 8, 1965 in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, with family roots in Rongxian, Guangxi, China) is a Hong Kong actress. She was especially notable in the 1980s for her girl-next-door type roles in films.
Lau started her acting career in TVB, where she encountered fellow actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai who had been her boyfriend since 1989. The couple wedded in 2008.
Lau was born in Suzhou, China, in 1965. She emigrated to Hong Kong at the age of fifteen, and joined TVB acting classes.
She has been in a relationship with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai since 1989. The couple married on July 21, 2008 at the Uma Paro resort in Bhutan in front of about 100 guests. According to Ming Pao Daily News, Faye Wong took the couple to India to visit the 17th Karmapa, together with her husband, actor Li Yapeng. They had an audience with the Karmapa, who suggested Bhutan as a wedding venue. The wedding itself cost more than HK$30 million and Lau's 12-carat (2.4 g) Cartier wedding ring is worth over HK$10 million. They have been a celebrity couple for 19 years. Guests included singer Faye Wong who performed for them on their special day. Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai also directed the ceremony. They were also introduced to Bhutanese royalty by fellow actor Eric Tsang. Other guests include Stanley Kwan and Brigitte Lin. The hotel was also heavily guarded to keep the paparazzi away.
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Cen Changqian
Cen Changqian (岑長倩) (died November 7, 691), briefly known as Wu Changqian (武長倩) during the reign of Wu Zetian, formally the Duke of Deng (鄧公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, as well as Wu Zetian's reign and her earlier regency over her sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong. In 691, he offended Wu Zetian by opposing the movement to declare her nephew Wu Chengsi crown prince (thus displacing the former Emperor Ruizong, whom she demoted to crown prince status in 690 after taking the throne herself), and he, along with his fellow chancellors Ge Fuyuan and Ouyang Tong, were accused of treason and executed.
It is not known when Cen Changqian was born. His father was Cen Wenshu (岑文叔), an older brother of Cen Wenben, who served as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang. Cen Wenshu died early, so Cen Wenben raised Cen Changqian as his own son.
As of 682, late in the reign of Emperor Gaozong, Cen Changqian was serving as the deputy minister of defense, when he was given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto.
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Chu Suiliang
Chu Suiliang (褚遂良) (597–658), courtesy name Dengshan (登善), formally Duke of Henan (河南公), was a chancellor of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, during the reigns of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong. He became increasingly trusted by Emperor Taizong toward the end of his reign and was charged with the responsibilities of serving as the imperial historian and providing honest advice. At Emperor Taizong's death, Chu was entrusted with the responsibilities of assisting Emperor Gaozong, along with Emperor Gaozong's uncle Zhangsun Wuji. In 655, over his strenuous opposition to Emperor Gaozong's removal of his first wife Empress Wang and replacing her with Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), Chu was demoted, and that began a series of demotions, eventually to be the prefect of the extremely distant Ai Prefecture (愛州, roughly modern Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam). He died in exile in 658.
Chu Suiliang was born in 597, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui. His father Chu Liang (褚亮) had been a mid-level official during both Chen Dynasty and Sui Dynasty, and was known for his literary abilities. After Emperor Wen's death in 604, Chu Liang continued to serve Emperor Wen's son Emperor Yang, but Emperor Yang was jealous of his abilities, and when the general Yang Xuangan rebelled in 613 and was quickly defeated, he accused Chu Liang of being friendly with Yang Xuangan and demoted him to be the census official for the distant Xihai Commandery (西海, in modern Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai). Chu Suiliang followed his father there.
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Cui Rong
Cui Rong (Chinese: 崔融; pinyin: Cuī Róng, 653-706) was a poet during the era of the Tang Dynasty, which includes the short-lived dynasty of Wu Zetian. His poetry style was typical of Tang poetry. He is famous for editing an anthology of poetry of the court of Wu Zetian: a work known as the Collection of Precious Glories (Zhuying ji), which contained poems by himself, Li Jiao (644-713), Zhang Yue (677-731), and others. The original work was long thought to be completely lost, however fragments constituting about one-fifth of the original were found among the manuscripts found at Dunhuang, with fifty-five poems by thirteen men. One notable feature of this anthology is that Cui Rong arranged the work in descending order of official rank of the included poets; which, among other things, highlights the nature of early Tang poetry as a type of court poetry.
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Cui Xuanwei
Cui Xuanwei (崔玄暐) (638–706), né Cui Ye (崔曄), formally Prince Wenxian of Boling (博陵文獻王), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong. He was a key figure in the coup that overthrew Wu Zetian and restored Emperor Zhongzong in 705, but was later exiled due to false accusations instigated by Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and died in exile.
Cui Chu was born late in the reign of Emperor Taizong. His family came from a prominent clan of Boling (博陵, in modern Hengshui, Hebei), and his ancestors served as officials, starting during Northern Wei. His father Cui Xingjin (崔行謹) served as the magistrate of Husu County (胡蘇, in modern Dezhou, Shandong), and his uncle Cui Xinggong (崔行功) was the head of the archival bureau of government (秘書省, Mishu Sheng). During the Longshuo era of Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong, he passed the imperial examinations and became a low level official at the ministry of treasury (庫部, Kubu). His mother Lady Lu often encouraged him to be an honest and clean official. He heeded his mother's teachings and became known for his honesty and carefulness. At some point, because the character of his name Ye (曄) apparently had a similar appearance to the name of one of the ancestors of Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), he changed his name to Xuanwei. He eventually served as a Fengge Sheren (鳳閣舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, Fengge).
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Daman Hongren
Daman Hongren (Chinese: 弘忍) (Wade-Giles:Shih Hung-jen; Japanese: Daiman Konin) (601–674) was the 5th Chan Chán (Buddhist) Patriarch in the traditional lineage of Chinese Chan.
Hongren is said to have received Dharma transmission from Daoxin and passed on the symbolic bowl and robe of transmission to Huineng, the Sixth and last Chan Patriarch.
As with all the early Chan patriarchs, many of the details of Hongren’s life are uncertain and much of his biography is layered with legend added well after his death. The following biography is based on Chan traditional sources.
Hongren was born in Huangmei with the family name Chou. His father abandoned the family but Hongren displayed exemplary filial duty in supporting his mother.
Although the Records of the Teachers and Disciples of the Lankavatara claim that Hongren’s father abandoned the family, Chan scholar John McRae points out that Hongren’s residence was converted to a monastery, implying that Hongren’s family was probably wealthy and prominent locally. Furthermore, mention of Hongren doing menial labour would only be of significance if this were unusual, indicating that Hongren was of upper-class birth.
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Di Renjie
Dí Rénjié (Chinese: 狄仁傑; pinyin: Dí Rénjié) (630 – August 15, 700), courtesy name Huaiying (懷英), formally Duke Wenhui of Liang (梁文惠公), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during her reign. He was one of the most celebrated officials of Wu Zetian's reign and was credited with moderating her reign from being considered one of terror to one of greater efficiency and honesty.
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Dongshan Shouchu
Dongshan Shouchu (Chinese: 洞山守初; Wade–Giles: Tung-shan Shou-ch'u; Japanese: Tozan Shusho) (died 900) was a Chinese Zen teacher and an heir to Yunmen Wenyan. Dongshan is the subject of Case 18 "Three Pounds of Flax" in the Mumonkan, a collection of koans authored by Mumon Ekai in 1228.
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Doulu Qinwang
Doulu Qinwang (豆盧欽望) (630? – December 27, 709), né Lu Qinwang (盧欽望), formally Duke Yuan of Rui (芮元公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving several terms as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong.
Doulu Qinwang might have been born in 630, and it is known that his family was from the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an. His family traced its ancestry to Murong Yun (慕容運), a younger brother of Former Yan's founder Murong Huang (Prince Wenming), and after Murong Yun's descendants became subjects of Northern Wei, they were known as the family that surrendered in righteousness—a concept that, in the Xianbei language, was called "Doulu," and therefore had their family name changed to Doulu. Doulu Qinwang's great-grandfather Doulu Tong (豆盧通) served as a provincial governor and carried the title of Duke of Nanchen during Tang's predecessor Sui Dynasty, as he had married one of the sisters of Emperor Wen of Sui. His son and Doulu Qinwang's grandfather, Doulu Kuan (豆盧寬), was thus a nephew of Emperor Wen, and served as a county magistrate. When Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu rebelled against Sui rule in 617 and conquered the Guanzhong region (i.e., the region around Chang'an), Doulu Kuan surrendered, and Emperor Gaozu gave a daughter to Doulu Kuan's son (Doulu Qinwang's uncle) Doulu Huairang (豆盧懷讓) in marriage, and changed the family's name to Lu, pursuant to the edict that Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei had issued in 496 to have Xianbei names changed to Han names. Doulu Qinwang therefore would have been born with the family name of Lu. However, in 640, when Doulu Kuan died, Emperor Gaozu's grandson Emperor Gaozong changed the family's name back to Doulu. Doulu Qinwang's father Doulu Chengye (豆盧承葉) had a general title, but his acts are otherwise unrecorded in history.
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Du Jingjian
Du Jingjian (杜景儉) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
It is not known when Du was born, but it is known that his family was from Ji Prefecture (冀州, roughly modern Hengshui, Hebei). He passed the imperial examination when he was young and eventually became an assistant imperial censor. At a later point, he was made a secretary in charge of military matters at Yi Prefecture (益州, roughly modern Chengdu). At that time, Fang Siye (房嗣業), the military advisor to the prefect of nearby Long Prefecture (隆州, roughly modern Nanchong, Sichuan) had just received an order of promotion to be the military advisor to the prefect of Yi Prefecture (considered a promotion since Yi Prefecture was larger and more important) and had arrived at Yi Prefecture. However, paperwork of Fang's commission had not yet arrived at Yi Prefecture, yet he wanted to take his post immediately. He was also beginning to subject the military staff, whom he commanded, to physical punishments. Du, who was under his command, responded, "Although you, Lord, have been ordered to be this prefecture's military advisor, the prefectural government has not yet received orders of your commission. Why do you care about your salary for a few days and not want to wait for the imperial edict. Is it not that you are in too much of a hurry to be in command?" Fang became angry, but Du then continued:
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Duan Wenchang
Duan Wenchang (段文昌) (773 – April 1, 835), courtesy name Moqing (墨卿), alternative name Jingchu (景初), formally the Duke of Zouping (鄒平公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Muzong.
Duan Wenchang was born in 773, during the reign of Emperor Daizong. His great-great-grandfather Duan Zhixuan (段志玄) was one of the major contributors to the establishment of Tang rule, and thus received two great honors — being buried near the tomb of Emperor Taizong and having his portrait being one of the 24 Portraits at Lingyan Pavilion. His great-grandfather Duan Guan (段瓘) served as a county magistrate; his grandfather Duan Huaichang (段懷昶) served as a prefectural military advisor; and his father Duan E (段諤) served as a prefectural prefect.
By Duan Wenchang's time, his family, although originally from Qi Prefecture (齊州, in modern Zibo, Shandong), had been living at Jing Prefecture (荊州, in modern Jingzhou, Hubei). Duan Wenchang, in his youth, became known for his integrity and righteousness, and while this was known by the military governor (Jiedushi) of the region, Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou), Pei Zhou (裴冑) and Pei respected him for this, Pei did not invite him to serve on staff. However, Wei Gao the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan) heard about him and invited him to serve on staff. While the future chancellor Li Jifu was serving as the prefect of Zhong Prefecture (忠州, in modern Chongqing), a part of Xichuan Circuit, he and Duan had correspondences.
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Dushun
Dushun (Chinese: 杜順; pinyin: Tuxun; Wade–Giles: Tu-shun) (557–640) was the First Patriarch in Hua-yen school of Chinese Buddhism. The Indian Avatamsaka Sutra is its central scripture. This school originated in China. It is known as Kegon in Japan. The Avatamsaka's seminal chapter once circulated separately and is known as The Gandavyhua Sutra. Each designation is roughly equivalent to "Flower Garland."
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Emperor of China
The Emperor of China (Chinese: 皇帝; pinyin: Huángdì, pronounced [xu̯ɑ̌ŋ tî]) refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven (Chinese: 天子; pinyin: tiānzǐ, pronounced [ti̯ɛ́n tsɨ̀]), a title that predates the Qin unification, the Emperor was recognized as the ruler of "All under heaven" (i.e., the world). In practice not every Emperor held supreme power, though this was most often the case.[citation needed]
Emperors from the same family are generally classified in historical periods known as Dynasties. Most of China's imperial rulers have commonly been considered members of the Han ethnicity, although recent scholarship tends to be wary of applying current ethnic categories to historical situations. During the Yuan and Qing dynasties China was ruled by ethnic Mongols and Manchus respectively after being conquered by them. The orthodox historical view over the years sees these as non-native dynasties that were sinicized over time, though some more recent scholars argue that the interaction between politics and ethnicity was far more complex. Nevertheless, in both cases these rulers had claimed the Mandate of Heaven to assume the role of traditional emperors in order to rule over China proper.
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Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝, 569 - April 11, 618), personal name Yang Guang (楊廣), alternative name Ying (英), nickname Amo (阿摩), known as Emperor Ming (明帝) during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.
Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but was renamed by his father, after consulting with oracles, to Yang Guang. Yang Guang was made the Prince of Jin after Emperor Wen established Sui Dynasty in 581. In 588 he was put in charge of the overall command of the five armies that invaded the southern Chen Dynasty, and was widely praised for the success of this campaign. These military achievements, as well as his machinations in finding faults with his older brother Yang Yong, allowed him to become crown prince in 600 after Emperor Wen believed in the accusations against Yang Yong. After the death of his father in 604—a death that most traditional historians believed to be a murder ordered by Yang Guang, although they admit a lack of direct evidence—Yang Guang ascended the throne as Emperor Yang.
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Empress Chen Yueyi
Empress Chen Yueyi (陳月儀) (565?-650?), later Buddhist nun name Huaguang (華光), was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou, an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou.
Chen Yueyi's father was Chen Shanti (陳山提), and she was his eighth daughter. Chen Shanti was initially a servant of the Northern Wei general Erzhu Zhao, and after Erzhu's defeat by Gao Huan became a servant to Gao. He served as a general in several administrations of Northern Qi, founded by Gao's son Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi, eventually achieving the title of Prince of Xieyang. After Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou destroyed Northern Qi in 577, Chen Shanti became a Northern Zhou general and carried the title of Duke of Xiyang. In 579, Chen Yueyi was selected to be an imperial consort for Emperor Xuan, with the title of Defei (德妃). A month later, Emperor Xuan passed the throne to his son Emperor Jing and took an atypical title for a retired emperor, "Emperor Tianyuan" (天元皇帝, Tianyuan Huangdi). He subsequently decided that in addition to his wife Empress Yang Lihua, he would create three more empresses, and Consort Chen was selected as one -- with the title of Empress Tianzuo (天左皇后, Tianzuo Huanghou), subsequently changed in spring 580 to Tianzuo Da Huanghou (天左大皇后). Subsequently, as he wanted to create one more empress, he changed her title to Tianzhong Da Huanghou (天中大皇后) so that her Tianzuo Da Huanghou title could be given to Empress Weichi Chifan. Among the empresses, she was said to be closest to Empress Yuan Leshang, as they entered the palace at the same time and were the same age, and they were also both favored by Emperor Xuan.
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Empress Lü Zhi
Lü Zhi (241 BC - 180 BC), style name E'xu (Chinese: 娥姁; pinyin: É'xǔ), commonly known as Empress Lü (simplified Chinese: 吕后; traditional Chinese: 呂后; pinyin: Lǚ Hòu) and Empress Dowager Lü (simplified Chinese: 吕太后; traditional Chinese: 呂太后; pinyin: Lǚ Tàihòu), or formally Empress Gao of Han (simplified Chinese: 汉高后; traditional Chinese: 漢高后; pinyin: Hàn Gāo Hòu), was the Empress Consort of Emperor Gaozu (or Emperor Gao), the founder and first ruler of the Han Dynasty. They had two known children, Liu Ying (later Emperor Hui of Han) and Princess Yuan of Lu (魯元公主). After Emperor Gaozu's death, she was honoured as Empress Dowager (皇太后) and later as Grand Empress Dowager (太皇太后) respectively during the short reigns of Emperor Hui and his successors Liu Gong (Emperor Qianshao) and Liu Hong (Emperor Houshao).
Less than a year after Emperor Hui's ascension to the throne in 194 BC, Lü Zhi had Concubine Qi (one of the late Emperor Gaozu's consorts), whom she deeply hated, put to death in a torturous manner. She also had Concubine Qi's son Liu Ruyi poisoned to death. Emperor Hui was shocked by his mother's cruelty and fell sick for a year, and thereafter no longer became involved in state affairs. Lü Zhi dominated the political scene for 15 years until her death in 180 BC.
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Empress Yuan Leshang
Empress Yuan Leshang (元樂尚) (born 565), later Buddhist nun name Huasheng (華勝), was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou, an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou.
Yuan Leshang's father was Yuan Sheng (元晟), a Northern Zhou official and a descendant of Northern Wei's imperial Yuan clan. In 579, Yuan Leshang was selected to be an imperial consort for Emperor Xuan, with the title of Guifei (貴妃). A month later, Emperor Xuan passed the throne to his son Emperor Jing and took an atypical title for a retired emperor, "Emperor Tianyuan" (天元皇帝, Tianyuan Huangdi). He subsequently decided that in addition to his wife Empress Yang Lihua, he would create three more empresses, and Consort Yuan was selected as one—with the title of Empress Tianyou (天右皇后, Tianyou Huanghou), subsequently changed in spring 580 to Tianyou Da Huanghou (天右大皇后). Among the empresses, she was said to be closest to Empress Chen Yueyi, as they entered the palace at the same time and were the same age, and they were also both favored by Emperor Xuan.
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Fan Lübing
Fan Lübing (范履冰) (died March 26, 690) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the first reign of Emperor Ruizong.
It is not known when Fan Lübing was born. In 623, Fan passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class and served as Hucao Canjun(戶曹參軍) under Prince of Zhou. During Emperor Gaozong's Shangyuan era (674-676), Fan and several colleagues also known for literary talent -- Liu Yizhi, Yuan Wanqing (元萬頃), Miao Chuke (苗楚客), Zhou Simao (周思茂), and Han Chubin (韓楚賓) -- were asked to serve as advisors to Emperor Gaozong's powerful wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), and they wrote a number of works on her behalf, including the Biographies of Notable Women (列女傳), Guidelines for Imperial Subjects (臣軌), and New Teachings for Official Staff Members (百僚新誡). Collectively, they became known as the "North Gate Scholars" (北門學士), because they served inside the palace, which was to the north of the imperial government buildings, and Empress Wu sought advice from them to divert the powers of the chancellors.
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Fang Rong
Fang Rong (房融) (died 705) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor.
Despite Fang's high status, little is firmly established about his career except for the time that he served as chancellor -- as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the Book of Tang or the New Book of Tang. It is known that his clan traced its ancestry to the early Jin Dynasty (265-420) official Fang Qian (房乾), who was sent as an emissary to the Xianbei but was detained and not allowed to return to Jin, whose descendants then took the Xianbei surname Wuyin (屋引) and followed the rulers of Northern Wei back south. They then changed their name back to Fang when Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei changed Xianbei names to Han names in 496 and settled in the Northern Wei capital Luoyang. Fang Rong's ancestors served as officials in Northern Wei and succeeding dynasties Northern Qi, Sui Dynasty, and Tang Dynasty, with Fang Rong's father Fang Xuanji (房玄基) serving as a low level official at the department of the treasury.
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Fazang
Fazang (Chinese: 法藏; pinyin: Fāzàng; Wade–Giles: Fa-tsang) (643–712) was the third of the five patriarchs of the Huayan school. He is said to have authored over a hundred volumes of essays and commentaries. He is famed for his empirical demonstrations in the court of Empress Wu Zetian. His essays "On a Golden Lion" and "On a Mote of Dust" are among the most celebrated ruminations from the Hua-yen school. His works were mainly influenced by Wonhyo's works.
Scholars have observed the influence of Taoism on Chinese Buddhism, and Fazang is believed to have drawn on a mode of thought derived from the I Ching.
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Fu Youyi
Fu Yauwei (傅遊藝) (died August 24, 691), known as Wu Youyi (武遊藝) during the reign of Wu Zetian, was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor briefly after she took the throne in 690. He was known for being the first official to publicly petition her to take the throne and establish her own dynasty, and was awarded for his public stance by being promoted within a year from a low level official to the upper echelon of the imperial administration. In 691, however, he was accused of having even greater ambitions and arrested; he committed suicide.
It is not known when Fu Youyi was born, but it is known that he was from Ji County (汲縣, in modern Xinxiang, Henan). As of 690, when Wu Zetian was serving as empress dowager and regent over her son Emperor Ruizong, he was serving as an assistant imperial censor (侍御史), when he led a group of some 900 people from the Guanzhong region to publicly petition, outside the palace, the abolition of Tang Dynasty and the establishment of a new Zhou Dynasty with her as "emperor." Empress Dowager Wu initially publicly declined, but promoted him. As a result, waves of petitions requesting the same thing came, and eventually Emperor Ruizong also submitted such a petition. Empress Dowager Wu eventually accepted and took the throne as emperor, establishing Zhou and interrupting Tang. After she took the throne, she made Fu Luantai Shilang (鸞臺侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (鸞臺, Luantai). She also gave him the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. She further bestowed him the imperial family name of Wu. As, within the same year, he had gone through the four colors of official uniforms -- blue, green, red, and purple, from the lowest grade to nearly the highest grade, he was referred to semi-derogatorily as "the seasonal official."
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Gao Zhizhou
Gao Zhizhou (高智周) (602–683) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong.
Gao Zhizhou was born in 602, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, the founding emperor of Tang's predecessor Sui Dynasty. His family was from what would become Chang Prefecture (常州, roughly modern Changzhou, Jiangsu). He was said to have been studious in his youth and, after passing the imperial examination, served as the county magistrate of Fei County (費縣, in modern Linyi, Shandong). As his salary was higher than those of the sheriff and the secretary general of the county, he shared his salary evenly with them. He was also said to be a capable county magistrate, and the people and subordinate officials carved a stone monument in his honor. Eventually, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, he was made an imperial scholar and participated in the creation of the literary works Yaoshan Yucai (瑤山玉彩) and Wenguan Cilin (文館辭林), headed by Emperor Gaozong's crown prince Li Hong. Further, he and two other officials, He Kai (賀凱) and Wang Zhenru (王真儒), assisted in Li Hong's studies. In 668, he took a vacation home to bury his parents, and when he reached home, he commented to his relatives, "Knowing how to advance but not how to retreat is the way to disaster." He thereafter, claiming an illness, resigned.
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Ge Fuyuan
Ge Fuyuan (格輔元) (died November 7, 691) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
It is not known when Ge Fuyuan was born, but it is known that he was from Bian Prefecture (汴州, roughly modern Kaifeng, Henan). Nothing is known about his father Ge Churen (格處仁), but his uncle Ge Deren (格德仁) was known for scholarship during Tang's predecessor Sui Dynasty. Ge Fuyuan's brother Ge Xiyuan (格希元) served on the staff of Wu Zetian's son Li Xian and participated in Li Xian's project to write commentaries for the Book of Later Han.
Ge Fuyuan passed the imperial examination when he was young, and served in successively higher offices. As of 691, when Wu Zetian had already claimed the title of "emperor," establishing Zhou and interrupting Tang, Ge was serving as the imperial censor in charge of reviewing central government affairs (左肅政大夫, Zuo Suzheng Daifu) when Wu Zetian made him the minister of finance (地官尚書, Diguan Shangshu) and gave him the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto.
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Gillian Chung
Gillian Chung (born 21 January 1981) is a Hong Kong singer and actress. She is a member of Cantopop group Twins, along with Charlene Choi.
Chung was born in Hong Kong as Chung Dik-saan (traditional Chinese: 鍾狄珊; simplified Chinese: 钟狄珊; Mandarin Pinyin: Zhōng Díshān; Jyutping: Zung1 Dik6-saan1). It was later changed since the Chinese character Dik (狄) was believed to be too strong. When she was 2, her family renamed her Chung Ka-lai (traditional Chinese: 鍾嘉勵; simplified Chinese: 钟嘉励; Mandarin Pinyin: Zhōng Jiālì; Jyutping: Zung1 Gaa1-lai6). Her father died when she was one year old. She initially grew up in a single parent family until her mother remarried when Chung was in high school. Chung graduated from Kowloon True Light Middle School and briefly attended the William Angliss Institute of TAFE in Melbourne, Australia. She was given the English name "Gillian" while in high school.
In 2000, Chung was contacted by one of the model agencies she worked part-time with when she was in Hong Kong. She was offered a job opportunity by Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG), which she accepted in that year. She became a contracted artist and underwent training before making her debut. She was advised by her manager Mani Fok (霍汶希) to adopt the "Chung Yan-tung" as her stage name, after consulting fortune tellers. The name was supposed to enhance her business skills. On May 18, 2001, the management company assigned her to form a singing duo, Twins, with Charlene Choi. Chung and Choi released their first album three months later.
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Gu Cong
Gu Cong (顧琮) (died November 4, 702) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, China, briefly serving as chancellor.
Despite Gu's high status, little is firmly established about his career except for the time that he served as chancellor -- as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the Book of Tang or the New Book of Tang. It is known that his clan traced its ancestry to the Eastern Wu prime minister Gu Yong. Gu Cong's great-grandfather Gu Yue (顧越) claimed to be a 10th generation descendant of Gu Yong's, and served as a mid-level official during Chen Dynasty. Gu Cong's father Gu Yin (顧胤) served as an imperial scholar during Tang Dynasty and was created the Duke of Yuhang.
As of 701, Gu Cong was serving as the deputy minister of civil service affairs (天官侍郎, Tianguan Shilang), when he was given the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. Historical accounts do not give any details about his acts as chancellor, however, and he died in winter 702. His sons Gu Run (顧潤) and Gu Jun (顧浚) later served as officials as well.
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Guan Bo
Guan Bo (關播) (719 – February 4, 797), courtesy name Wuyuan (務元), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.
Guan Bo was born in 719, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His family was from Wei Prefecture (衛州, in modern Puyang, Henan) and claimed ancestry from the late Han Dynasty general Guan Yu. Late in Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742-756), Guan Bo passed the imperial examinations. During the subsequent reign of Emperor Xuanzong's son Emperor Suzong, when the general Deng Jingshan (鄧景山) served as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), Deng invited Guan to serve as a secretary under him. Guan subsequently returned to the capital Chang'an to serve in the imperial guard corps, and then as You Bujue (右補闕), a low-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). He was said to be well-versed in philosophy and metaphysics, particularly Buddhist philosophy.
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Han Yuan
Han Yuan (韓瑗) (606–659), courtesy name Boyu (伯玉), formally Duke of Yingchuan (潁川公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. He drew the ire of Emperor Gaozong by opposing the removal of Emperor Gaozong's first wife Empress Wang and replacement by his favorite concubine, Consort Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) and was exiled. He died in 659, just in advance of a wave of reprisals initiated by the new Empress Wu and her allies that would have included his execution had he not died.
Han Yuan was born in 606, during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui. His family was from the region of Sui's (and later its successor Tang's) capital Chang'an. His grandfather Han Shao (韓紹) served as deputy minister of husbandry during Sui Dynasty, and his father Han Zhongliang (韓仲良) served as deputy minister of justice during the reign of Tang Dynasty's founder Emperor Gaozu. For Han Zhongliang's contributions in revising the laws during Emperor Gaozu's reign, he was later promoted during the reign of Emperor Gaozu's son and successor Emperor Taizong to be minister of justice and was created the Duke of Yingchuan, a title that Han Yuan later inherited.
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Hao Chujun
Hao Chujun (郝處俊) (607–681), formally Duke of Zengshan (甑山公), was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. He was known for his honesty and willingness to advise Emperor Gaozong against actions he considered unwise. One advice he gave, however (against Emperor Gaozong's plan to let his powerful wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) serving as regent due to Emperor Gaozong's illness), drew Empress Wu's resentment, and later, after she became regent over her son Emperor Ruizong after Emperor Gaozong and Hao had both died, she had Hao's clan slaughtered.
Hao Chujun was born in 607, during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui. His family was from what would eventually become An Prefecture (安州, roughly modern Xiaogan, Hubei). Late in Emperor Yang's reign, the Sui state was engulfed in agrarian rebellions, and Hao Chujun's father Hao Xianggui (郝相貴) and maternal grandfather Xu Shao (許紹), who was a Sui official, seized and controlled a significant amount of territory in modern Hubei and Chongqing. After they submitted to Tang Dynasty's founding emperor Emperor Gaozu, Hao Xianggui was created the Duke of Zengshan and made the prefect of Chu Prefecture (滁州, roughly modern Chuzhou, Anhui). When Hao Chujun was a teenager, Hao Xianggui died while still serving as prefect of Chu Prefecture, and Hao Xianggui's subordinates, pitying Hao Chujun, gathered silk and wanted to give the silk to him for his upkeep, but he declined it, an act praised by historians. Hao Chujun was said to be studious in his youth; he particularly favored studying the Book of Han (the official history of the Western Han Dynasty) and was said to be able to recite it from memory.
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Huaiyi
Huaiyi (懷義) (died December 25, 694), né Feng Xiaobao (馮小寶), sometimes referred to as Xue Huaiyi (薛懷義), was a Buddhist monk who was known for being the lover of Wu Zetian, the only woman to be commonly recognized as "emperor" in the history of China.
Huaiyi, whose birth name was Feng Xiaobao, was from Hu County (鄠縣, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi). He was making a living by selling medicines on the streets of Tang Dynasty's eastern capital Luoyang, when he was spotted by Princess Qianjin, a daughter of Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu, and in or before 685, she recommended him to Empress Dowager Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), then regent over her son Emperor Ruizong. Empress Dowager Wu favored him greatly, and in order to facilitate his being able to come in and out of the palace, had him undertake tonsure to become a Buddhist monk with the name Huaiyi. Because Huaiyi came from a lowly household, in order to elevate his status, Empress Dowager Wu had him adopted into the clan of her son-in-law Xue Shao (薛紹) (the husband of her daughter Princess Taiping) and had Xue Shao treat Huaiyi as an uncle.
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Huan Yanfan
Huan Yanfan (桓彥範) (653–706), courtesy name Shize (士則), formally Prince Zhonglie of Fuyang (扶陽忠烈王), briefly known during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang as Wei Yanfan (韋彥範), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong. He was a key figure in the coup that overthrew Wu Zetian and restored Emperor Zhongzong in 705, but was later exiled due to false accusations instigated by Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and killed in exile in a cruel manner.
Huan Yanfan was born in 653. His family was from Run Prefecture (潤州, roughly modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) and traced its ancestry to the Jin Dynasty (265-420) general Huan Chong. His grandfather Huan Fasi (桓法嗣) and father Huan Simin (桓思敏) both served as officials during Tang Dynasty, and on account of this heritage, Huan Yanfan was made an officer of the imperial guards when he was young. It was said that he was generous and expressive.
Early in the Shengli era (697-700) -- when the ruling sovereign was Wu Zetian, the wife of Emperor Gaozong, who had seized the throne in 690 and taken the title of "emperor" of a new Zhou Dynasty, interrupting Tang -- Huan Yanfan became Sixingsi Zhubu (司刑寺主簿), the secretary general at the supreme court (司刑寺, Sixingsi). The chancellor Di Renjie was impressed by his talent and showed him respect. Huan was eventually made an imperial censor.
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Huang Shengyi
Huang Shengyi (born February 11, 1983), also known as Eva Huang, is a Chinese actress and singer.
Huang was born and raised in Shanghai. Her father was educated in the United States and lived there in the early 1990s, while her mother worked as an editor in a newspaper agency in Shanghai. She graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 2001.
In 2004, Huang signed a contract with Stephen Chow to play the female lead character, Fong, in his action comedy film Kung Fu Hustle. In August the following year, she ended her contract with Chow's company after appearing in a magazine photo shoot without their consent. Both sides became involved in legal suits in Hong Kong and Shanghai until 2007.[citation needed]
Starting in 2006, Huang worked with China Juli Group on a number of television series, including Tianxian Pei (2007), The Shadow of Empress Wu (2007) and Guangfu Taiji Chuanqi (2010). She joined Emperor Entertainment Group in 2008. In 2009, Huang became the CEO of China Juli Group's Entertainment Media Co., Ltd, drawing a six-figure salary annually.
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Huineng
Dajian Huineng (大鑒惠能; Pinyin: Dàjiàn Huìnéng; Japanese: Daikan Enō; Korean: Hyeneung, 638–713) was a Chinese Chán (Zen) monastic who is one of the most important figures in the entire tradition, according to standard Zen hagiographies. Huineng has been traditionally viewed as the Sixth and Last Patriarch of Chán Buddhism.
Most modern scholars doubt the historicity of traditional biographies and works written about Huineng. The two primary sources for Huineng's life are the preface to the Platform Sutra and the Transmission of the Lamp.
Huineng was born into the Lu family in 638 A.D. in Xinzhou (present-day Xinxing County) in Guangdong province. His father died when he was young and his family was poor. As a consequence, Huineng had no opportunity to learn to read or write and is said to have remained illiterate his entire life.
The Platform Sūtra of the Sixth Patriarch is attributed to Huineng. It was constructed over a longer period of time, and contains different layers of writing. It is...
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Ji Xu
Ji Xu (吉頊) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor.
It is not known when Ji Xu was born, but it is known that he was from the Zhou capital Luoyang. He was said to be tall, good at hiding his emotions, but daring to speak. After passing the imperial examination, he was made the sheriff of Mingtang County (明堂), one of the counties making up the western capital Chang'an. At that time, his father Ji Zhe (吉哲) was serving as the prefect of Yi Prefecture (易州, in modern Baoding, Hebei) and was accused of receiving bribes, a capital offense. Ji Xu went to see Wu Zetian's powerful nephew Wu Chengsi and offered to have his two younger sisters become Wu Chengsi's servant girls. Ji Xu's sisters, after being delivered to Wu Chengsi's mansion, however, would not speak for three days, and he asked them why -- and they responded, "Our father has violated the law and is set to be sentenced to death, and therefore we are worried." Wu Chengsi interceded on Ji Zhe's behalf, and Ji Zhe was spared.
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Jiang Qing
Jiang Qing (pinyin: Jiāng Qīng; Wade–Giles: Chiang Ch'ing; IPA: [tɕjɑ́ŋ tɕʰíŋ]; 20 March 1914 – 14 May 1991) was the pseudonym that was used by Chinese leader Mao Zedong's last wife and major Communist Party of China power figure. She went by the stage name Lan Ping (Chinese: 蓝苹) during her acting career, and was known by various other names during her life. She married Mao in Yan'an in November 1938, and is sometimes referred to as Madame Mao in Western literature, serving as Communist China's first first lady. Jiang Qing was most well known for playing a major role in the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) and for forming the radical political alliance known as the "Gang of Four". She was named the "Great Flag-carrier of the Proletarian Culture" (无产阶级文艺伟大旗手/無產階級文藝偉大旗手).
Jiang Qing served as Mao's personal secretary in the 1940s and was head of the Film Section of the CPC Propaganda Department in the 1950s. In the early 1960s, she made a bid for power during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), which resulted in widespread chaos within the communist party. In 1966 she was appointed deputy director of the Central Cultural Revolution Group and claimed real power over Chinese politics for the first time. She became one of the masterminds of the Cultural Revolution, and along with three others, held absolute control over all of the national institutions.
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Jing Hui
JIng Hui (敬暉) (died 706), courtesy name Zhongye (仲瞱), formally Prince Sumin of Pingyang (平陽肅愍王), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong. He was a key figure in the coup that overthrew Wu Zetian and restored Emperor Zhongzong in 705, but was later exiled due to false accusations instigated by Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and killed in exile in a cruel manner.
It is not known when Jing Hui was born, but it is known that his family was from Jiang Prefecture (絳州, part of modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). He had several ancestors who served as officials for Tang Dynasty and its predecessor Sui Dynasty as well as the earlier dynasty Northern Qi, and it is known that his father Jing Shansong (敬山松) served as a county magistrate during Tang. All that is known about the early part of Jing Hui's career is that he passed the imperial examination when he was young.
In 698—during the reign of Wu Zetian, the wife of Emperor Gaozong, who had declared herself "emperor" of a new Zhou Dynasty, interrupting Tang—Jing Hui was made the prefect of Wei Prefecture (衛州, roughly modern Xinxiang, Henan). When he arrived at Wei Prefecture, it was in the aftermaths of a major Eastern Tujue incursion earlier in the year, and the local officials were all busy conscripting labor to build the city walls, despite the fact that it was also harvest season. Jing stated to his subordinates: "Even a city that is fortified with gold and water cannot be defended without food. Why abandon the harvest to build the defenses?" He released the laborers from their duty and allowed them to return to their field, and the people were very thankful.
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Jonathan Clements
Jonathan Clements (born 9 July 1971) is a British author and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Koxinga and Qin Shi Huangdi (the First Emperor of China), as well as monthly opinion columns for Neo magazine. He is also the co-author of encyclopedias of anime and Japanese television dramas.
Clements speaks both Chinese and Japanese, and many of his works relate to East Asia. He wrote his 1995 Master's degree at the University of Stirling on manga and anime exports, predicting the rise of several trends in the international industry including back-to-front printing, direct American investment in anime, and the proliferation of attempts to substitute non-Japanese products. Subsequently he translated over 70 anime and manga works for British distributors, and worked as a voice director and actor.
He served two years at Titan Books in London as the editor of Manga Max magazine, an experience he would later fictionalise as the Judge Dredd adventure Trapped on Titan. In 2000, he received the Japan Festival Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Understanding of Japanese Culture, specifically for his work on Manga Max magazine.
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Kara Hui
Kara Hui Ying-hung (born 3 February 1960) is a Hong Kong-based Chinese actress of Manchu descent.
Hui's family moved to Hong Kong in 1966 and she started working at night clubs at fourteen. In her interview on Be My Guest, Hui revealed her family lost their savings from her father's business acquaintances. Left penniless, Hui's mother, herself and her siblings were forced to peddle goods on the streets of Hong Kong. In the early years, Hui's family resided in the poor shanty town of Rennie's Mill.
After working at nightclubs, Hui was discovered by film director Lau Kar-leung and cast in Lau's Challenge of the Masters (1976). After that, she participated in various films of Lau with whom she also was rumoured to have had an affair.
Hui reached her career apex in My Young Auntie (1982), for which she was awarded the Best Actress Award in the 1st Hong Kong Film Awards. She won the Best Actress Award for the second time at the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards.
Hui is the sister of actor Austin Wai.
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Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately 3.5 million.
The city covers an area of 15 km². The altitude averages 1,289 m/4,282 ft. above sea level. The city is located in the western extremity of China, near the border with Tajikistan.
The modern Chinese name is 喀什 (Kāshí), a shortened form of the longer and less-frequently used (simplified Chinese: 喀什噶尔; traditional Chinese: 喀什噶爾; pinyin: Kāshígé’ěr). Ptolemy (AD 90-168), in his Geography, Chapter 15.3A, refers to Kashgar as “Kasia”. The name is Middle Iranic in its origin, meaning "Kush Mountains" (from gar/ghar, "mountain", and Kush/Kâsh, being the same as the ethnonym of the Kushan Empire and the Hindukush mountains in the neighboring Afghanistan.
An early Chinese name was 疏勒 (now Shule County), variously romanized as Su-leh, Sulei, Shule, Shu-le', She-le, Shu-lo or Sha-le, which perhaps represents either an original Solek or Sorak.[citation needed]
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King Huai of Chu
King Huai of Chu (traditional Chinese: 楚懷王; simplified Chinese: 楚怀王; pinyin: Chǔ Huái Wáng, died 296 BC) was from 328 to 299 BC the king of the state of Chu during the Warring States Period of ancient China. He was born Xiong Huai (Chinese: 熊槐) and King Huai (懷, a different Chinese character) was his posthumous title.
King Huai succeeded his father King Wei of Chu, who died in 329 BC. In 299 BC King Huai was held hostage by King Zhao of Qin when he went to the state of Qin for negotiation, and his son King Qingxiang of Chu ascended the throne. King Huai managed to escape but was recaptured by Qin. Three years later he died in captivity.
The historical fame of Huai is in part through the poetry of Qu Yuan as it has been preserved in the Chu ci. Especially the poem "Li Sao" (sometimes translated as "Encountering Sorrow" is thought to reflect the relationships between the poet and king Huai. The poem's main themes include Qu Yuan's falling victim to intrigues in the court of Chu, and subsequent exile; his desire to remain pure and untainted by the corruption that was rife in the court; and also his lamentation at the gradual decline of the once-powerful state of Chu. At the very end he, resigned, states his resolve to die.
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King Ling of Zhou
King Ling of Zhou (ch.: 周靈王, pinyin zhōu líng wáng) or King Ling of Chou (wg) was the twenty-third sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty and the eleventh of Eastern Zhou Dynasty.
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Lai Ji
Lai Ji (來濟) (610–662) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. He later offended Emperor Gaozong by opposing the ascension of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) and was exiled to be a prefect in the extreme western part of the state. In 662, he died in battle while defending his prefecture against a Western Tujue attack. His brother Lai Heng also served as a chancellor during Emperor Gaozong's reign.
Lai Ji's family was from Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu). His father Lai Hu'er (來護兒) was a major general during Sui Dynasty and carried the title of Duke of Rong. In 618, while Emperor Yang of Sui was at Jiangdu with the Sui state engulfed in agrarian rebellions, the general Yuwen Huaji led a coup and overthrew Emperor Yang. Yuwen executed a large number of high level officials, and Lai Hu'er, along with most of his family, was killed. Only Lai Ji and his older brother Lai Heng escaped death.
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Lai Junchen
Lai Junchen (Chinese: 來俊臣) (died April 28, 697) was a secret police official during the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, whose ability to interrogate and falsely implicate officials of crimes made him a subject of fear and hatred. In 697, he was accused of plotting to falsely accuse Wu Zetian's sons and other family members of treason, and he was executed.
It is not known when Lai Junchen was born, but it is known that he was from Wannian County (萬年), one of the two counties making up the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an. His father was one Lai Cao (來操) -- who was said to have won Lai Junchen's mother, then the wife of his friend Cai Ben (蔡本), after winning in gambling with Cai. Lai Junchen was said to be a thug who did not work, who was investigated for thievery while he was at He Prefecture (和州, roughly modern Chaohu, Anhui) and who then made false accusations against others to the prefect, Li Xu (李續) the Prince of Dongping, a cousin of then-reigning Emperor Ruizong. Li Xu had him caned 100 times and thrown out.
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Laozi
Laozi (Chinese: 老子; pinyin: Lǎozi; Wade–Giles: Lao Tzu; also romanized as Lao Tse, Lao Tu, Lao-Tsu, Laotze, Laosi, Laocius, and other variations) was a philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching (often simply referred to as Laozi). His association with the Tao Te Ching has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of philosophical Taoism (pronounced as "Daoism"). He is also revered as a deity in most religious forms of Taoist philosophy, which often refers to Laozi as Taishang Laojun, or "One of the Three Pure Ones".
According to Chinese traditions, Laozi lived in the 6th century BCE. Historians variously contend that Laozi is a synthesis of multiple historical figures, that he is a mythical figure, or that he actually lived in the 5th–4th century BCE, concurrent with the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Period.
A central figure in Chinese culture, both nobility and common people claim Laozi in their lineage. He was honored as an ancestor of the Tang imperial family, and was granted the title Taishang xuanyuan huangdi, meaning "Supreme Mysterious and Primordial Emperor". Throughout history, Laozi's work has been embraced by various anti-authoritarian movements.
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Layman Pang
Layman Pang (Chinese: 龐居士 Páng Jūshì, Pang is his family name and Jushi is the title in Chinese for the Sanskrit Upasaka; his rarely used personal name is 蘊 Yùn, so his full name would be 龐蘊居士 Páng Yùn Jūshì but is almost never used； Japanese: Hōkoji) (740–808) was a celebrated lay Buddhist in the Chinese Chán (Zen) tradition. Much like Vimalakīrti, who is said to have lived around the time of the Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama) in the 6th to 4th centuries BCE, Layman Pang is considered a model of the potential of the non-monastic Buddhist follower to live an exemplary Buddhist life.
Originally from Hengyang in the southern Chinese province of Hunan, Pang was a successful merchant with a wife, son, and daughter. The family's wealth allowed them to devote their time to study of the Buddhist sūtras, in which they all became well-versed. Pang's daughter Ling Zhao was particularly adept, and at one point even seems to be have been more advanced and wise than her father, as the following story illustrates:
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Le Sihui
Le Sihui (樂思晦) (died 691) was an official during Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor.
It is not known when Le Sihui was born. His father Le Yanwei served as chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian's husband Emperor Gaozong of Tang. In 691, after Wu Zetian had herself assumed the title of "emperor" in 690, Le Sihui was Luantai Shilang (鸞臺侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (鸞臺, Luantai), when Wu Zetian gave him the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. About four months later, however, for reasons lost to history, he was executed. (His son, who was not yet 10 years old and whose name is lost to history, was made a servant at the ministry of agriculture, and in 692 was instrumental in submitting a petition to persuade Wu Zetian to release the officials Ren Zhigu, Di Renjie, Pei Xingben, Cui Xuanli (崔宣禮), Lu Xian (盧獻), Wei Yuanzhong, and Li Sizhen (李嗣真) after they had been arrested on suspicion of treason.)
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Li Chongrun
Li Chongrun (李重潤) (682 – October 8, 701), né Li Chongzhao (李重照), formally Crown Prince Yide (懿德太子), was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasties Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. He was the only son of Emperor Zhongzong (Li Zhe/Li Xian) and Emperor Zhongzong's second wife Empress Wei. In 701, he offended his grandmother Wu Zetian by discussing about Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong with his sister Li Xianhui (李仙蕙) the Lady Yongtai and her husband Wu Yanji (武延基) the Prince of Wei, and he, along with Li Xianhui and Wu Yanji, were forced to commit suicide. He was posthumously honored as crown prince after his father Emperor Zhongzong was restored to the throne in 705 and in 706, Emperor Zhongzong provided Li Chongrun with an honorable burial by interring his remains at the Qianling Mausoleum.
Li Chongrun, then named Li Chongzhao, was born in 682, to then-Crown Prince Li Zhe and Li Zhe's wife Crown Princess Wei. Shortly after Li Chongzhao's birth, Li Zhe's father Emperor Gaozong created Li Chongzhao the unprecedented title of Deputy Crown Prince (皇太孫, Huang Taisun) and gave him a staff. When Emperor Gaozong became ill at the eastern capital Luoyang late in 683, Emperor Gaozong summoned Li Zhe to Luoyang and left the capital Chang'an, where Li Zhe was previously in charge, nominally under Li Chongzhao, but with the chancellor Liu Rengui actually in charge. Later that year, Emperor Gaozong died, and Li Zhe succeeded him (as Emperor Zhongzong), although Li Zhe's mother Empress Wu wielded actual power, as empress dowager.
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Li Duozuo
Li Duozuo (Chinese: 李多祚; pinyin: Lǐ Duōzuò, Hangul: 이다조) (died August 7, 707), formally the Prince of Liaoyang (遼陽王), was an ethnically Mohe general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. He is mostly known for his participation in the successful coup of 705 that overthrew Wu Zetian and returned her son Emperor Zhongzong to the throne, and the failed coup of 707 in which Emperor Zhongzong's son Li Chongjun tried to overthrow Emperor Zhongzong's wife Empress Wei.
It is not known when Li Duozuo was born. His ancestors were said to be Mohe chieftains with the title "Yellow-headed Commandant" (黃頭都督, Huangtou Dudu), but had, long before Li Duozuo's time, submitted to Chinese rule, and the family history was not well-preserved. He was said to be brave and strong, capable at archery, and for his military achievements was made You Yingyang Da Jiangjun (右鷹揚大將軍), one of the generals commanding the imperial guards, at the recommendation of the general Pei Xingjian (裴行儉). In one of the campaigns against the Heishui Mohe, he induced the chieftains of the Heishui Mohe to feast with him and got them drunk, and then slaughtered them.
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Li Fuguo
Li Fuguo (李輔國; 704 – November 8, 762), né Li Jingzhong (李靜忠), known from 757 to 758 as Li Huguo (李護國), formally Prince Chou of Bolu (博陸醜王), was a eunuch official during the reign of Emperor Suzong (Li Heng) of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He had served Li Heng while Li Heng was crown prince under Li Heng's father Emperor Xuanzong and later supported Li Heng in ascending the throne during Anshi Rebellion, when Emperor Xuanzong's realm was thrown into confusion. He later became exceedingly powerful, in alliance with Emperor Suzong's wife Empress Zhang, but broke with her and killed her in 762 when Emperor Suzong died. He briefly became the paramount figure in the administration of Emperor Suzong's son and successor Emperor Daizong, but was removed and then killed by assassins sent by Emperor Daizong later that year.
Li Jingzhong was born in 704, during the reign of Wu Zetian. He was castrated early in his childhood, and became a servant at the imperial stables. He was said to be ugly in appearance, but knew how to read and write, and eventually became a servant of the powerful eunuch Gao Lishi. When he was in his 40s, he became in charge of the imperial stables' financial accounts. During the Tianbao era (742–756) of Wu Zetian's grandson Emperor Xuanzong, the official Wang Hong (王鉷), who oversaw the imperial stables, was impressed with Li Jingzhong's management of the stables and recommended him to serve on the staff of Emperor Xuanzong's crown prince Li Heng. He soon became a trusted servant of Li Heng's.
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Li Hong
Li Hong (Chinese: 李弘) (652 – 25 May 675), formally Emperor Xiaojing (孝敬皇帝, literally, "the filial and respectful emperor") with the temple name of Yizong (義宗), was a crown prince (not emperor, despite his formal title) of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the fifth son of Emperor Gaozong and the oldest son of his second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), and he was made the crown prince in 656. As he grew older, he often came in conflict with his ambitious mother Empress Wu, and it is commonly believed by traditional historians that she poisoned him to death in 675. His father Emperor Gaozong, then still reigning, posthumously honored him with an imperial title.
Li Hong's mother Consort Wu had been a concubine of Emperor Taizong, and after Emperor Taizong's death in 649 she, like all of his surviving concubines who did not bear children, was sent to Ganye Temple (感業寺) to be a Buddhist nun. However, in 650 or 651, when Emperor Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong visited Ganye Temple to offer incense, he saw her and remembered how he had been impressed by her beauty, and both of them wept. Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wang, who was sonless and had felt threatened by his favorite concubine Consort Xiao, who had given birth to a son (Li Sujie), found out about the situation, and decided to welcome Consort Wu back to the palace to be a concubine of Emperor Gaozong to divert his favors from Consort Xiao. Consort Wu soon became his favorite (so much so that Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, threatened by her, soon became allies against her), and she gave birth to Li Hong in 652. Li Hong was Emperor Gaozong's fifth son and her first son. In 653, he was made the Prince of Dai.
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Li Huaiyuan
Li Huaiyuan (李懷遠) (died 706), courtesy name Guangde (廣德), formally Duke Cheng of Zhao Commandery (趙郡成公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving twice as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong.
It is not known when Li Huaiyuan was born, but it is known that he was from Xing Prefecture (邢州, roughly modern Xingtai, Hebei). He lost his parents early in his life and was poor, but was diligent in his studies and capable in literary matters. There was a clansman of his who had high status who wished to adopt him so that he could receive the benefit of that high status when seeking to advance in civil service, but Li Huaiyuan declined, believing doing so would be dishonorable. He eventually passed the imperial examination and entered civil service, and was eventually promoted to be the deputy minister of ceremonies (司禮少卿, Sili Shaoqing).
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Li Jingye
Li Jingye (李敬業) (died December 29, 684), also known as Xu Jingye (徐敬業), was a grandson of the great Tang Dynasty general Li Shiji who, after Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) had seized power after Emperor Gaozong's death, rose in rebellion against her, but who was quickly defeated and killed in flight.
It is not known when Li Jingye was born. He was probably the oldest son of Li Shiji's oldest son Li Zhen (李震), who had predeceased Li Shiji (who then had changed his name to Li Ji to observe naming taboo for Emperor Taizong). After Li Ji's death in 669 during the reign of Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong, Li Jingye, as Li Ji's oldest grandson, inherited Li Ji's title as the Duke of Ying.
Emperor Gaozong died in 683 and was succeeded by his son Li Zhe (as Emperor Zhongzong), but actual power was in the hands of Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), as empress dowager. In spring 684, after Emperor Zhongzong showed signs of independence, she deposed him and reduced him to the title of Prince of Luling, replacing him with his brother Li Dan the Prince of Yu (as Emperor Ruizong). Thereafter, she wielded power even more tightly, and she, not Emperor Ruizong, was the one that officials reported to, with Emperor Ruizong not even nominally approving official actions.
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Li Jinzhong
Li Jinzhong (李盡忠) (died September 23, 696), titled Wushang Khan (無上可汗, literally "the khan that had no superior"), was a khan of the Khitan who, along with his brother-in-law Sun Wanrong, rose against Chinese hegemony in 696 and further invaded Chinese territory then under the rule of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. He died late in 696 and was succeeded by Sun.
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Li Shangjin
Li Shangjin (李上金) (? - 690) was the third son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. His mother was a palace maid surnamed Yang (楊). When Gaozong ascended the throne, Shangjin was created Prince of Qi (杞王). In 652, he was appointed grand governor of Yizhou (益州) in titular. In 666, he was appointed prefect of Shou (寿州), then prefect of Lu (漉州). But as his mother was disliked by Empress Wu, some officers found some excuses to get Shangjin dismissed to please her. Shangjin was then put in Li (澧州).
In 682, Empress Wu pretended to be so friendly that she recalled Shangjin and allowed him to know political affairs, along with his younger half-brother Li Sujie Prince of Poyang (鄱陽王) born by the late Consort Xiao. But soon she appointed Shangjin as prefect of Mian (沔州), Sujie as prefect of Yue (岳州), and never allow them to participate in political affairs. In 684, Shangjin returned to the capital for the funeral along with Sujie, Princess Yiyang (義陽公主) and Princess Xuancheng (宣城公主). Both the two princesses were also born by Consort Xiao. In the same year Shangjin was created Prince of Bi (畢王), later Prince of Ze (澤王) and appointed as prefect of Suzhou (蘇州). In the following ear he was appointed as prefect of Chen (陳州). In 689, he was appointed as Taizi Zuoweishuai (太子左卫率) and prefect of Suizhou (隨州).
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Li Shiji
Li Shiji (李世勣) (594 – December 31, 669), né Xu Shiji (徐世勣), later known in the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang as Li Ji (李勣), courtesy name Maogong (懋功), formally Duke Zhenwu of Ying (英貞武公), was one of the most celebrated generals early in the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was initially a follower of Li Mi, one of the rebel rulers rebelling against the preceding Sui Dynasty, and he submitted to Tang after Li Mi did so, upon which Emperor Gaozu, impressed with his loyalty to Li Mi, bestowed on him the imperial clan name of Li. He later participated in destroying Xu Yuanlang and Fu Gongshi, two of Tang's competitors on Tang's campaign to reunify China. During the reign of Emperor Gaozu's son Emperor Taizong, he participated in the successful campaigns destroying Eastern Tujue and Xueyantuo, allowing Tang to become the dominant power in eastern Asia, and also served as a chancellor. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, he served as chancellor and the commander of the army against Goguryeo, destroying Goguryeo in 668. He died the next year. He and Li Jing were considered the two most prominent early Tang generals.
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Li Sujie
Li Sujie (李素節) (646 – June 24, 690), formally the Prince of Xu (許王), was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the fourth son of Emperor Gaozong, born of his one-time favorite Consort Xiao. After Consort Xiao and Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wang were deposed and executed due to the machinations of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), Li Sujie was under the watchful eyes of Empress Wu, and was several times demoted on accusations of misbehavior. In 690, with Empress Wu serving as empress dowager and regent over her son Emperor Ruizong, she began to massacre Tang imperial clan members in preparation of seizing the throne herself, and she summoned Li Sujie and his older brother Li Shangjin (李上金) to the then-capital Luoyang. When they arrived near Luoyang, Empress Dowager Wu had him strangled, while Li Shangjin committed suicide.
Li Sujie was born in 646, when his father Li Zhi was crown prince under his grandfather Emperor Taizong. He was Li Zhi's fourth son, and he was born of Li Zhi's then-favorite concubine, Consort Xiao. After Emperor Taizong's death in 649, Li Zhi succeeded him (as Emperor Gaozong), and in 651 created Li Sujie the Prince of Yong and gave him titularly the important post of prefect of the capital prefecture, Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an, Shaanxi). It was said that Li Sujie could recite 500-word ancient poems, and was studious in studying under the scholar Xu Qidan (徐齊聃). He was said to be much loved by Emperor Gaozong. When he grew older, he was made the prefect of Qi Prefecture (岐州, roughly modern Baoji, Shaanxi).
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Li Yifu
Li Yifu (李義府) (614–666) was a chancellor of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. He became particularly powerful because of his support for Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) when her ascension was opposed by then-chancellors, and he had a reputation for treachery. In 663, on account of corruption, he was removed from his post and exiled, and in 666, after Emperor Gaozong had declared a general pardon but excepted the long-term exiles from the pardon, Li Yifu died in anger.
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Li Yiyan
Li Yiyan (李義琰) (died 688) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong.
It is not known when Li Yiyan was born. His family was from Wei Prefecture (魏州, part of modern Handan, Hebei), but his ancestors were said to be originally from Longxi (隴西, in modern Tianshui, Gansu), thus sharing an origin with Tang Dynasty's imperial Li clan, but he was considered sufficiently distant not to be considered an imperial clan member. His father Li Xuande (李玄德) served as the county magistrate of Yingtao County (癭陶, in modern Xingtai, Hebei).
Li Yiyan himself passed the imperial examinations when he was young, and subsequently served as the sheriff of Taiyuan County. At that time, he served under the famed general Li Shiji, who served as the commandant at Bing Prefecture (并州, i.e., Taiyuan). Because of Li Shiji's accomplishments and reputation, the other subordinate officials were all fearful of him and dared not to speak on important matters with him, but Li Yiyan was said to be unafraid of the commandant and was willing to discuss matters of importance. As a result, Li Shiji respected him.
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Li Yuansu
Li Yuansu (李元素) (died October 26, 696) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving twice as chancellor.
Li Yuansu was the younger brother of Li Jingxuan, who served as chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian's husband Emperor Gaozong of Tang. It was said that he, like Li Jingxuan, showed abilities as an official. He was, at one point, the magistrate of Wude County (武德, in modern Jiaozuo, Henan), when his superior, Li Wenjian (李文暕) the prefect of Huai Prefecture (roughly modern Jiaozuo) was set to collect gold and silver from the people to make barrels to offer to the emperor, and the people resented it. Other subordinates of Li Wenjian did not dare to speak about it, but Li Yuansu opposed it vehemently. Li Wenjian stopped collecting gold and silver from the people and, as he believed that Li Yuansu needed financial support, paid Li Yuansu out of his own pocket.
As of 692, during Wu Zetian's reign, Li Yuansu was acting deputy minister of treasury (地官侍郎, Diguan Shilang), when she promoted him to be Wenchang You Cheng (文昌右丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau of government (文昌臺, Wenchang Tai) and gave him the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. Just slightly more than a month later, however, he, along with other chancellors Li Youdao, Wang Xuan, Yuan Zhihong, and Cui Shenji, and other officials Kong Siyuan (孔思元), and Ren Linghui (任令輝), were falsely accused of crimes by Wu Zetian's secret police official Wang Hongyi. They were relieved from their posts and exiled to the Lingnan region.
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Li Zhaode
Li Zhaode (李昭德) (died April 28, 697) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty and at one point served as chancellor. He was known for his abilities and strong will, which eventually led to a conflict with Wu Zetian's secret police official Lai Junchen. He was executed on the same day as Lai, who was in turn accused by others of treason.
It is not known when Li Zhaode was born, but it is known that his family was from the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an. His father Li Qianyou (李乾佑) served as an imperial censor during the reign of Tang's second emperor Emperor Taizong and later as minister of justice during the reign of Emperor Taizong's son and Wu Zetian's husband Emperor Gaozong, and was known for his honesty but carelessness with words. Li Zhaode was the son of a concubine of Li Qianyou, and was said to be capable and strong-willed like his father, and he passed the imperial examination when he was young. He was eventually promoted to be an assistant censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng), but in 689, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong's son Emperor Ruizong, he was accused of improprieties unspecified in history and briefly exiled to be the sheriff of Lingshui County (陵水, modern Lingshui, Hainan), but was eventually recalled to be one of the three deputy ministers of defense (夏官侍郎, Xiaguan Shilang), along with Lou Shide and Hou Zhiyi (侯知一).
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Li Zhong
Li Zhong (李忠) (643 – January 6, 665), courtesy name Zhengben (正本), formally Prince of Yan (燕王), was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) and was created crown prince in 652 even though he was not the son of his then-wife Empress Wang. After Empress Wang was displaced by Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) in 655, however, Li Zhong was caught in Empress Wu's crosshairs and was forced the yield the crown prince position to his younger brother Li Hong, born of Empress Wu, in 656. He was later further reduced to commoner rank and put under house arrest, and when the chancellor Shangguan Yi failed in his attempt to persuade Emperor Gaozong to depose Empress Wu in 664 and was executed, Empress Wu took the opportunity to accuse Li Zhong of being complicit in Shangguan's plans. Around the new year 665, Emperor Gaozong ordered Li Zhong to commit suicide. He was posthumously honored an imperial prince, but not a crown prince, during the second reign of his brother Emperor Zhongzong.
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Liu Xiaoqing
Liu Xiaoqing (born 30 October 1955) is a Chinese actress and businesswoman. She was one of the leading actresses in China in the 1980s.
In her early days Liu worked as a farm labourer, then as a propagandist for the People's Liberation Army and later a stage actor for the Chengdu Military Drama Group.
Liu acted in mainland Chinese films before she turned 30 — The Great Wall of the South China Sea (1976),What a Family (1979) and The Little Flower (1980). Her breakthrough role was the ruthless Qing Dynasty Empress Dowager Cixi in The Burning of the Imperial Palace (1983) and Reign Behind the Curtain (1984). Her portrayal of Cixi won her numerous awards in Chinese film festivals[citation needed] and she later reprised the role in two unrelated films, including Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch (1991). She won Best Actress at the Hundred Flowers Award for her role as Hua Jinzhi in The Savage Land, filmed in 1981 but not released until 1987, and again for her role in Hibiscus Town (1986). She holds a record for having won the most number of awards in the actress categories of the Hundred Flowers Award, with three Best Actress and one Best Supporting Actress.
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Liu Yizhi
Liu Yizhi (劉禕之) (631 – June 22, 687), courtesy name Ximei (希美), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the first reign of Emperor Ruizong. He was initially a trusted advisor of Emperor Ruizong's powerful mother Empress Dowager Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), but later offended her by suggesting privately that she should return imperial powers to Emperor Ruizong, and in 687, she ordered him to commit suicide.
Liu Yizhi was born in 631, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang. His grandfather Liu Xingzong (劉興宗) had served as an army officer during Chen Dynasty, and his father Liu Ziyi (劉子翼) was an official and scholar of renown during Sui Dynasty and the early Tang Dynasty, dying early in the reign of Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong.
Liu Yizhi himself was said to be literarily talented, and his reputation was compared to contemporaries Meng Lizhen (孟利貞), Gao Zhizhou, and Guo Zhengyi. Eventually, all four were retained to be imperial scholars at the Zhaowen Pavilion (昭文館).
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Liza Wang
Elizabeth Wang Ming-chun, SBS, commonly known as Liza Wang, is an accomplished diva, actress and MC in Hong Kong. She is a well-known personality in Chinese-speaking communities. She has been nicknamed "The Big Sister" in the HK entertainment circle. Wang was formerly a delegate in the National People's Congress from 1988 to 1997, she is currently a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Liza moved to Hong Kong in the autumn of 1956 and her passion for performing arts drove her to sign up for Rediffusion Hong Kong's first Artist Academy class in 1967. Out of the thousands of applicants, the 20-year-old Liza was one of the lucky 9 that were handpicked to attend acting classes. Liza was also the first to graduate from the academy and Liza holds the graduation certificate with the serial number: 001.
As one of the most prolific television actors in Hong Kong, her career has spanned four decades, since 1967. She began working for a different television station until she joined TVB in 1971. She was one of the members of the all-girl music group Four Golden Flowers. Wang initially made her mark in the entertainment industry in drama series. Her success in front of the camera allowed her to work behind the scenes with television productions.
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Lou Shide
Lou Shide (婁師德) (630-699), courtesy name Zongren (宗仁), formally Viscount Zhen of Qiao (譙貞子), was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
Lou Shide was born in 630, during the reign of Emperor Taizong. He was from Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, roughly modern Zhengzhou, Henan). When he was young, he passed the imperial examination and was made the sheriff of Jiangdu County (江都, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) – a formally low post that was, however, regarded as important as Jiangdu was one of the largest cities of the empire. While serving there, his superior Lu Chengye (盧承業) the secretary general of Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou), was greatly impressed by him, and stated, "You are material to be an emperor's assistant. I should entrust my descendants to you, and how can I treat you as a subordinate?"
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Luo Binwang
Luo Binwang (simplified Chinese: 骆宾王; traditional Chinese: 駱賓王; pinyin: Luò Bīnwáng; Wade–Giles: Lo Pinwang, ca. 640–December 29, 684), courtesy name Guanguang (觀光/观光), was a Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty. His family was from modern Wuzhou, Zhejiang, but he was raised in Shandong. Luo is grouped with Wang Bo, Yang Jiong (楊炯/杨炯) and Lu Zhaolin (盧照鄰/卢照邻) as one of the Four Greats of the Early Tang as the most outstanding writers of their time.
It was said that Luo Binwang could recite poetry when he was six years old. In adulthood, after a period serving on the staff of Li Yuanqing (李元慶) Prince of Dao, an uncle of then-ruling Emperor Gaozong, Luo worked in the central government in Chang'an from 665. In 670, he was exiled to Xinjiang, after which he travelled to Yunnan with the army.[citation needed] He later served on staff of the prominent general Pei Xingjian (裴行儉) while Pei was serving as the commandant at Tao Prefecture (洮州, roughly modern Haidong Prefecture, Qinghai), and was in charge of the military correspondences, but he did not have a good relationship with Pei, who also disapproved of the other three greater writers grouped with Luo — Wang, Yang, and Lu, instead favoring the talents of Wang Bo's brother Wang Ju (王勮) and Su Weidao. Eventually, Luo became a secretary at the county government of Chang'an County — one of the two counties making up the capital Chang'an — a low position that was however considered fairly prestigious due to its location at the capital.
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Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung listen (help·info), and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution. He was the architect and founding father of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from its establishment in 1949, and held authoritarian control over the nation until his death in 1976. His theoretical contribution to Marxism–Leninism, along with his military strategies and brand of policies, are collectively known as Maoism.
Mao rose to power by commanding the Long March, forming a Second United Front with Kuomintang (KMT) during the Second Sino-Japanese War to repel a Japanese invasion, and leading the Communist Party of China (CPC) to victory against Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang (KMT) in the Chinese Civil War. After solidifying the reunification of China through his Campaign to Suppress Counterrevolutionaries, Mao enacted sweeping land reform, by using violence and terror to overthrow the feudal landlords before seizing their large estates and dividing the land into people's communes. During the years when Mao was China’s 'Great Helmsman', a range of positive changes came to China. These included promoting the status of women, improving popular literacy, doubling the school population, providing universal housing, abolishing unemployment and inflation, increasing health care access, and dramatically raising life expectancy. In addition, China's population almost doubled during the period of Mao's leadership (from around 550 to over 900 million). As a result, Mao is still officially held in high regard by many in China as a great political strategist, military mastermind, and savior of the nation. Maoists further promote his role as a theorist, statesman, poet, and visionary, while anti-revisionists continue to defend most of his policies.
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Mazu Daoyi
Mǎzŭ Dàoyī (709–788) (Chn: 馬祖道一, WG: Ma-tsu Kiangsi Tao-yi, Jpn: Baso Dö-itsu) was an influential abbot of the Chinese Ch'an School (Chn: Ch'an-tsung) of Buddhism during the Tang Dynasty. His teaching style of "strange words and extraordinary actions" became paradigmatic Zen lore.
Mazu family name was Ma (Ma-tsu meaning Ma the Father or Master Ma). He was born in 709 in Sichuan province (northwest of Chengdu). During his years as master Mazu lived in Kiangsi province, from which he derived his Chinese name Kiangsi Tao-i).
In the Transmission of the Lamp (Ching-te Ch'uan-teng-lu, compiled in 1004) Mazu is described as follows:
According to the Transmission of the Lamp (1004) Mazu was a student of Nanyue Huairang (677-744), in Hunan province by Hengshan
Traditionally a story in the entry on Nanyue Huairang in the Transmission of the Lamp is regarded as Mazu's enlightenment-account, though the text does not claim it as such. An earlier and more primitive version of this story appears in the Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall (transcribed in 952):
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Nanyue Huairang
Nányuè Huáiràng (南嶽懐譲, Japanese: Nangaku Ejõ) (677–744) was the foremost student of Dajian Huineng, the 6th Patriarch of Ch'an (Zen) and teacher of one of his Dharma heirs, Mazu Daoyi. The ancestor of two of the Five Houses of Ch'an, Huairang studied with a Vinaya master and became ordained. Dissatisfied with his own progress, Huairang found Dajian Huineng in Shaozhou and became his disciple. One can read of their first meeting in the Wudeng Huiyuan. Huairang gave Dharma transmission to six individuals, the most prominent being Mazu Daoyi.
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Ouyang Tong
Ouyang Tong (歐陽通) (died November 7, 691), formally the Viscount of Bohai (渤海子), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
It is not known when Ouyang Tong was born, but it is known that his family was from Tan Prefecture (潭州, roughly modern Changsha, Hunan). His father Ouyang Xun was a famed calligrapher and served as an official during Tang's predecessor Sui Dynasty and early Tang, receiving the title of Baron of Bohai, dying in his 80s.
Ouyang Tong was said to be still young when Ouyang Xun died. His mother Lady Xu taught him the calligraphic techniques of Ouyang Xun and gave him money when he wrote well. Eventually, Ouyang Tong was nearly as good at calligraphy as his father.
By Emperor Gaozong's Yifeng era (676-679), Ge had become Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). When his mother died, he was recalled to the imperial administration after observing a brief mourning period, but throughout the next four years, whenever he went home, he would change into mourning clothes and live in a small hut. During the Chuigong era of Emperor Gaozong's son Emperor Ruizong, he served as the director of palace affairs and was created the Viscount of Bohai.
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Pei Xingben
Pei Xingben (裴行本) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor.
Despite Pei's high status, little is firmly established about his background or career except for the time that he served as chancellor—as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the Book of Tang or the New Book of Tang. It is known that his grandfather Pei Xian (裴獻) served as a provincial governor during Tang Dynasty's predecessor dynasty Sui Dynasty and carried the title of Duke of Linfen, but nothing is known about his father Pei Yishan (裴義山) except the name.
As of 691, Pei Xingben was serving as the deputy minister of public works (冬官侍郎, Donguan Shilang), when Wu Zetian gave him the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. In 692, he, along with fellow chancellors Ren Zhigu and Di Renjie and other officials Cui Xuanli (崔宣禮), Lu Xian (盧獻), Wei Yuanzhong, and Li Sizhen (李嗣真), were accused of treason by Wu Zetian's secret police official Lai Junchen. Eventually, they escaped death when Di was able to hide a secret petition inside clothes that his family members took back home and was able to persuade Wu Zetian that they were not plotting treason. However, they were still exiled—in Pei's case, stripped of official status and exiled to the Lingnan region. There was no further reference in history about him, and it is not known when he died. (Lai tried to specifically argue that Pei's alleged crimes were particularly severe and if the other six were not to be executed, at least Pei should, but Wu Zetian, following the recommendation of Xu Yougong (徐有功), did not kill Pei.)
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Pei Yan
Pei Yan (裴炎) (died November 30, 684), courtesy name Zilong (子隆), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, as well as regency by his wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) over their sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong. He was well-trusted by Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu late in Emperor Gaozong's reign, but drew Empress Wu's ire after he advised her, then empress dowager, to end her regency and return power to Emperor Ruizong. In 684, she accused him of treason and executed him.
Pei Yan was from Jiang Prefecture (絳州, part of modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), and it is not known when he was born. When he was young, he became a student at the imperial university, and it was said that during vacations, the other students would often go out to travel, but Pei kept studying. After he studied at the university for more than a year, he was due to be recommended for an official post, but he declined the recommendation on the basis that he felt that his studies were not done, and he ended up studying for more than 10 years at the university, particularly gaining expertise in the Zuo Zhuan and the Book of Han.
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Princess Taiping
Princess Taiping (Chinese: 太平公主; pinyin: Tàipíng Gōngzhǔ, lit. "Princess of Peace", personal name unknown) (died 2 August 713) was a princess of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and her mother Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. She was the youngest daughter of Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong and was powerful during the reigns of her mother and her elder brothers Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong (both of whom reigned twice), particularly during Emperor Ruizong's second reign.
Eventually, however, a rivalry developed between her and her nephew, Emperor Ruizong's crown prince Li Longji, and after Emperor Ruizong yielded the throne to Li Longji (as Emperor Xuanzong) in 712, the conflict came to the political forefront, and in 713, Emperor Xuanzong, according to historical records, believing that she was planning to overthrow him, acted first, executing a large number of her allies and forcing her to commit suicide.
It is not known when Princess Taiping was born, but it is known that she was the youngest of six known children of Emperor Gaozong and his second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian). In 670, when Empress Wu's mother Lady Yang died, Empress Wu had Princess Taiping become a Taoist nun to gain divine favor on behalf of her grandmother Lady Yang. At a later point, when Emperor Gaozong was negotiating a peace treaty with Tufan, the king of Tufan requested to marry Princess Taiping, and Emperor Gaozong declined — and, as an excuse, built a Taoist temple named Taiping Temple (太平觀) and commissioned her as the abbess of the temple.
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Qin Lan
Qin Lan (born 17 July 1981) is a Chinese actress, model and singer.
In 1999 she won a Golden Award in the Advertisement Model category of the 1999 National Nominate Newcomer Competition (全国推新人大赛). In February 2003, when Taiwanese writer Chiung Yao and her team were holding auditions in Beijing, Qin was selected from a pool of 200 candidates to play a new character Chen Zhihua in the third season of the television series Princess Pearl.
Qin graduated from the Shenyang University of Technology. She was in a relationship with actor Huang Xiaoming but they separated in 2006. In August 2009, Qin was seen dating Lu Chuan, who directed the 2009 film City of Life and Death that she acted in.
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Rebecca Chan
Rebecca Chan Sau Chu (born October 20, 1958; Hong Kong) is a TVB actress. She joined TVB in 1979, when she competed at the Miss Hong Kong 1979 pageant. She finished as a top 10 semifinalist.
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Shan Sa
Shan Sa is the pseudonym of Yan Ni (born October 26, 1972 in Beijing, China), a French author and painter. The Girl Who Played Go was the first of her novels to be published outside of France, and won the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens (a prize voted by secondary school students). Her second novel to appear in English translation was Empress (2006). She was awarded chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in July 2009 and chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite in May 2011.
Shan Sa is also a painter with exhibitions in Paris, New York, and Shanghai.
Shan Sa was born as Yan Ni in Beijing, China, to a scholarly family. She adopted the pseudonym Shan Sa from a poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi. At age 8, she published her first poetry collection, and went on to obtain the first prize in the national poetry contest for children under 12 years, an event that created a public upheaval. After graduating from secondary school in Beijing, she moved to Paris in August 1990 thanks to a grant by the French government. Settling there with her father, a professor at the Sorbonne University, she quickly adopted the French language. In 1994, she finished her studies of philosophy. From 1994 to 1996 she worked as a secretary of painter Balthus. Thereafter she published her first two novels and a collection of poetry, meeting with great critical acclaim including the 1998 Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman (Prix Goncourt for first novel) for Porte de la paix céleste. In 2001 she reached the top of her success with the publication of her most famous book so far, The Girl Who Played Go (La Joueuse de Go in French). The book received good feedback from readers and was awarded a number of prizes, including the 2001 Prix Goncourt des Lycéens (Prix Goncourt of the High-school students) and has been translated to 32 languages.
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Shangguan Yi
Shangguan Yi (Chinese: 上官儀; 608 – 4 January 665), courtesy name Youshao (游韶), formally Duke of Chu (楚公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. In 664, with Emperor Gaozong displeased with his wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) for her controlling behavior, Shangguan proposed that Empress Wu be deposed, a proposal that Emperor Gaozong was initially receptive to but disavowed once Empress Wu discovered it. Empress Wu then had Shangguan accused of plotting treason with Emperor Gaozong's oldest son, the former crown prince Li Zhong (who had been displaced by Empress Wu's son Li Hong), and Shangguan was executed. His granddaughter Shangguan Wan'er later served as a key secretary to Empress Wu and a concubine to her son Emperor Zhongzong.
Shangguan Yi was born in 608. His family was initially from what would eventually become Shan Prefecture (陝州, roughly modern Sanmenxia, Henan), but as his father Shangguan Hong (上官弘) served as the deputy director of Emperor Yang of Sui's palace at the secondary capital Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), the Shangguan household relocated to Jiangdu and settled there.
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Shen Quanqi
Shen Quanqi (Chinese: 沈佺期; Wade–Giles: Shên Ch'üan-ch'i) (c. 650 – 729), also known as Yunqing (Chinese: 雲卿), was a Chinese poet active during the Tang Dynasty. He was born in the prefecture of Neihuang in the province of Xiangzhou, which is known today as the province of Henan.
In 675, Shen Quanqi obtained a magistrate degree. He then served several positions as a scholar at the imperial court, and was appointed by the government official Zhang Yizhi. However, the Wuzhou Dynasty was overthrown, and Zhang Yizhi was executed. As a result, Shen Quanqi was arrested and imprisoned on charges of bribery and corruption. He was then released, but sent in exile to Huanzhou, which is known today as Hoan Châu in Vietnam. Eventually he was called back to resume his duties at the imperial court.
He made numerous contributions to Chinese poetry, including the Five-verse poems (五言律詩). He was also known to write together with poet Song Zhiwen, and the two were known as the "Shen-Song" (沈宋) pair.
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Shi Wuzi
Shi Wuzi (史務滋) (died January 2, 691) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
It is not known when Shi Wuzi was born, but it is known that he was from Liyang (溧陽, in modern Changzhou, Jiangsu). As of 690, when Wu Zetian had just taken over the throne from her son Emperor Ruizong, establishing Zhou and interrupting Tang, Shi was serving as the minister of vassal affairs (司賓卿, Sibin Qin), when she promoted him to be Nayan (納言), the head of the examination bureau of government (鸞臺, Luantai) -- a post considered one for a chancellor. She subsequently commissioned him and nine other officials to tour the 10 circuits that the empire was divided into.
In 691, the assistant imperial censor Lai Zixun (來子珣) falsely accused the official Liu Xinggan (劉行感), his brothers Liu Xingshi (劉行實) and Liu Xingyu (劉行瑜), and nephew Liu Qiantong (劉虔通) of treason. Wu Zetian put Shi and her secret police official Lai Junchen in charge of the investigations. Shi was friendly with Liu Xinggan and tried to find ways to absolve him and his family members, but could not, and Liu Xinggan and his brothers and nephew were all executed. Afterwards, Lai Junchen reported to Wu Zetian that Shi was trying to absolve the Lius. Wu Zetian ordered Lai Junchen to investigate Shi as well. Shi, in fear, committed suicide.
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Sima Guang
Sīmǎ Guāng (simplified Chinese: 司马光; traditional Chinese: 司馬光; pinyin: Sīmǎ Guāng; Wade–Giles: Ssu-ma Kuang) (1019–1086) was a Chinese historian, scholar, and high chancellor of the Song Dynasty, jinshi 1038.
Sima Guang was born in 1019 in present-day Yuncheng, Shanxi to a wealthy family, and obtained early success as a scholar and officer. When he was barely twenty, he passed the Imperial examination with the highest rank of jìnshì (進士 "metropolitan graduate"), and spent the next several years in official positions.
In 1064, Sima presented to Emperor Yingzong of Song a book of five volumes (巻), the Liniantu (歷年圖 "Chart of Successive Years"). It chronologically summarized events in Chinese history from 403 BCE to 959 CE, and was something like a prospectus for sponsorship of his ambitious project in historiography. These dates were chosen because 403 BCE was the beginning of the Warring States period, when the ancient State of Jin was subdivided, which eventually led to the establishment of the Qin Dynasty; and because 959 CE was the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period and the beginning of the Song Dynasty.
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Siqin Gaowa
Sechen Guwa (Chinese: 斯琴高娃; pinyin: Sīqín Gāowá) is a Chinese-Swiss actress of Mongol ethnicity. Her name "Sečen Goyo" (ᠰᠡᠴᠡᠨ ᠭᠣᠶᠣ) means in Mongolian: The Wise Beautiful.
She first came into prominence in the 1982 film adaptation of Lao She's novel, Rickshaw Boy, where she played "Tigress" (虎妞) opposite Zhang Fengyi's Xiangzi. She won the Golden Rooster Award and Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress that year.
In 1995, she was a member of the jury at the 45th Berlin International Film Festival.
Her works include Kangxi Dynasty and Full Moon in New York. She won the award for Best Actress at the 4th Hong Kong Film Awards for Homecoming. In 2008, she won her second Best Actress in the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards for her role in The Postmodern Life of My Aunt.
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Song Jing
Song Jing (宋璟) (663 – November 21, 737), formally Duke Wenzhen of Guangping (廣平文貞公), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as the chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Ruizong and Emperor Xuanzong. He was praised by historians for his insistence on being morally upright, and for being a just administrator of the law during his time as Xuanzong's senior chancellor.
Song Jing was born in 663, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. His clan was originally from Guangping (廣平, in modern Handan, Hebei), but by the time of Song Jing's birth, his family had relocated to Xing Prefecture (邢州, roughly modern Xingtai, Hebei). The clan traced its ancestor to the Northern Wei official Song Bian (宋弁), although Song Jing's grandfather Song Wuben (宋務本) and father Song Xuanfu (宋玄撫) served only as local officials. Song Jing was said to be upright in his character from youth. He was also said to be learned and capable in writing, and passed the imperial examinations when he was young.
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Song Zhiwen
Song Zhiwen (simplified Chinese: 宋之问; traditional Chinese: 宋之問; c. 660–710) was a Chinese poet considered to be of the Tang poetry tradition of the Tang Dynasty, although technically his poetic career was largely within the anomalous dynastic interregnum of Wu Zetian. Together with Shen Quanqi, Song Zhiwen is considered to have the "credit for the final perfection" of the jintishi, or the "new style" poetry of regulated verse, which was one of the most critical poetic developments of the early Tang poets, and much followed as a style which inspired future generations of poets.
Song Zhiwen was particularly known for his five-character-regular-verse, or wujue, one of which is included in the famous poetry anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems.
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Su Tong
Su Tong (simplified Chinese: 苏童; traditional Chinese: 蘇童; pinyin: Sū Tóng, b. 1963) is the pen name of Chinese writer Tong Zhonggui (童忠贵 Tóng Zhōngguì). He was born in Suzhou and is now based in Nanjing.
He entered into the Department of Chinese of Beijing Normal University in 1980 and started to publish novels in 1983. He is now the vice president of Jiangsu Writers Association. Known for his controversial writing style, Su is regarded as one of the pioneering novelists in China.
He has written seven full-length novels and over 200 short stories, some of which had been translated into English, German, Italian and French.
He is best known for his book Wives and Concubines in the West, published in 1990. The book was adapted into the film, Raise the Red Lantern by director Zhang Yimou. The book has since been published under the name given to the film. His other works available in English translation are Rice, My Life as Emperor, Binu and the Great Wall (tr. Howard Goldblatt), Madwoman on the Bridge and Other Stories and Tattoo: Three Novellas.
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Su Weidao
Su Weidao (蘇味道) (648?-705?), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
Su Weidao might have been born in 648, at the end of the reign of Emperor Taizong. His family was from Zhao Prefecture (趙州, roughly modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei). In his youth, he was well known in the locale for his literary talent, along with Li Jiao, also from Zhao Prefecture. After he passed the imperial examination, he was made the sheriff of Xianyang County (咸陽, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi). Pei Xingjian (裴行儉), then the deputy minister of civil service affairs, was impressed by his talent, and in 679, when Pei was set to command an army against Western Tujue's Shixing Khan Ashina Duzhi (阿史那都支), who had just rebelled against Tang Dynasty, Pei invited Su to serve as his secretary. Around that time, the official Pei Judao had just been made a general commanding the imperial guards, and, after searching for a talented person to write a thanksgiving submission to then-reigning Emperor Gaozong (Emperor Taizong's son), found Su. The submission that Su wrote on Pei Judao's behalf was said to be well-written in an intricate manner, and he became famous.
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Sun Wanrong
Sun Wanrong (孫萬榮) (died 697) was a khan of the Khitan people who, along with his brother-in-law Li Jinzhong, rose against Chinese hegemony in 696, with Li Jinzhong as khan, and they further invaded Chinese territory then under the rule of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. After Li Jinzhong's death later in 696, Sun succeeded him and continued to be successful against the forces sent against him by Wu Zetian, but in 697, after the Eastern Tujue khan Ashina Mochuo successfully launched a surprise attack against Sun's headquarters, Sun's forces collapsed, and he was killed, ending the Khitan rebellion.
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Sun Yuanheng
Sun Yuanheng (孫元亨) (died October 26, 696) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor.
Despite Sun's high status, little is firmly established about his career except for the time that he served as chancellor—as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the Book of Tang or the New Book of Tang. He was not even listed in the table of the chancellors' family trees in the New Book of Tang for the Sun clan, and therefore, nothing is known about his family tree.
In spring 696, Sun was serving as the acting minister of defense (夏官尚書, Xiaguan Shangshu), when Wu Zetian gave him the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto.
In late 696, there was a treasonous plot by the officials Liu Sili (劉思禮), Qilian Yao (綦連耀), and Wang Ju (王勮) -- as the conspirators believed that Qilian was fated to be emperor one day. The official Ji Xu heard of the plot and relayed it to the secret police official Lai Junchen, who in turn reported it to Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian had Wu Yizong (武懿宗) the Prince of Henan (the grandson of her uncle Wu Shiyi (武士逸)) investigate, and Wu Yizong, promising Liu that he would be spared, had him implicate as many officials as he could, and Liu implicated some 36 officials, including Sun, fellow chancellor Li Yuansu, and other officials Shi Baozhong (石抱忠), Liu Qi (劉奇), Zhou Bo (周譒), and Wang Ju's brothers Wang Mian (王勔) and Wang Zhu (王助). All 36 households were slaughtered on the same day, and some 1,000 related persons were exiled.
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Suo Yuanli
Suo Yuanli (traditional Chinese: 索元禮; simplified Chinese: 索元礼; pinyin: Sǔo Yuánlǐ; Cantonese Yale: su4 yun3 le) (died 691) was a secret police official during the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, who came to prominence due to his cruelty in acting against officials that Wu Zetian was suspicious toward. However, when he became increasingly hated by the people, she executed him in order to placate the people.
Suo Yuanli was said to be non-Han in origin. In 684, when Wu Zetian, then empress dowager and regent over her son Emperor Ruizong, had just suppressed a rebellion against her led by Li Jingye the Duke of Ying, she began to encourage the people to submit secret report against others. When Suo heard about this, he submitted a secret report, and when he had the chance to meet her, she was impressed by him and gave him a general title, but put him in charge of investigating officials suspected of opposing her. It was said that Suo was cruel and, whenever he investigated one person, he would find ways to get that person to implicate tens or hundreds of others. It was said that thousands of people died at Suo's hands. In 691, however, it was said that he was so despised that she, deciding to placate the people, executed him.
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Tang Xiujing
Tang Xiujing (唐休璟) (627–712), formal name Tang Xuan (唐璿) but went by the courtesy name of Xiujing, formally Duke Zhong of Song (宋忠公), was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian, her sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong and her grandson Emperor Shang.
Tang Xiujing was born in 627, during the reign of Emperor Taizong. His family was from the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an, and for generations had served as officials of Tang's predecessor dynasties Northern Zhou and Sui Dynasty. Tang Xiujing's great-grandfather Tang Gui (唐規) served as a general during Northern Zhou and carried the title of Duke of Anyi. Tang Xiujing's grandfather Tang Zong (唐宗) served as the secretary general of Shuofang Commandery (朔方, roughly modern Yulin, Shaanxi) late in the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, and was killed when Liang Shidu rose against Emperor Yang and captured Shuofang, as he refused to submit to Liang. Tang Xiujing's father Tang Xie (唐諧) served as the magistrate of Xianyang County (咸陽, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi).
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Tridu Songtsen
Tridu Songtsen (Wylie: Khri 'dus-srong btsan), Tridu Songtsän or Dusong Mangban, 670–704; r. 676–704 CE) was an emperor of the Tibetan Empire from 676 to 704.
'Dus-rong ascended the Tibetan throne after the death of his father, Mangsong Mangtsen, in 676. The Tang annals say that 'Dus-srong was eight years old in 679 — nine years old by Western reckoning. He was, therefore, presumably born in 670 and was six or seven years old when he began his reign. Due to his youth, he was enthroned with the minister Gar Tongtsen's second son, Khri-'bring, to act as regent.
In 676 the Tibetans made raids on Shanzhou, Kuozhou, Hezhou (now Linxia), Diezhou, Migong and Danling in the province of Gansu. The Chinese counterattacked, defeating the Tibetans at Longzhi. The Chinese army led by Li Jingxuan were soundly defeated near Kokonor, however, and by the end of 677 Tibet controlled the whole of the Tarim Basin and the mountainous regions to the southwest.
The western kingdom of Zhang Zhung revolted soon after the death of King Mangsong Mangtsen or Trimang Löntsän (Khri-mang-slon-rtsan, r. 650-677), the son of Songtsän Gampo, but was brought back under Tibetan control by the "firm governance of the great leaders of the Mgar clan" the following year.
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Wang Fangqing
Wang Fangqing (王方慶) (died 702), formal name Wang Lin (王綝) but went by the courtesy name of Fangqing, formally Duke Zhen of Shiquan (石泉貞公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
It is not known when Wang Fangqing was born, but it is known that his family was from Tang Dynasty's capital prefecture Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an, Shaanxi). He came from a line of officials who had served during Jin Dynasty (265-420) and the subsequent Southern Dynasties Liu Song, Southern Qi, and Liang Dynasty, until his great-grandfather Wang Bao (王褒) surrendered to Northern Zhou when Northern Zhou forces captured the then-Liang capital Jiangling in 554. Wang Bao and his descendants thereafter served as officials of Northern Zhou and its successors Sui Dynasty and Tang. Wang Fangqing's father Wang Hongzhi (王弘直) successively served as advisor to Li Yuanchang (李元昌) the Prince of Han and Li Yuanjing (李元景) the Prince of Jing, sons of Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu.
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Wang Jin
Wang Jin (traditional Chinese: 王縉; simplified Chinese: 王缙; pinyin: Wáng Jìn; Wade-Giles: Wang Chin) (700–782), courtesy name Xiaqing (夏卿), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Daizong. He was a devout Buddhist who encouraged the emperor to become a devout Buddhist as well, but eventually, the corruption by him and the even more powerful chancellor Yuan Zai, with whom he had a long association, drew Emperor Daizong's ire. In 777, Yuan was executed, and Wang was demoted, never to return to the capital Chang'an.
Wang Jin was born in 700, during the reign of Wu Zetian. His family was originally from Taiyuan, but by the time of Wang Jin was living at Hezhong (河中, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). His great-great-grandfather Wang Ruxian (王儒賢), great-grandfather Wang Zhijie (王知節), and father Wang Chulian (王處廉) all served as military advisors to prefectural prefects, while his grandfather Wang Zhou (王冑) served as a low-level official at the ministry of worship. He had at least four brothers — older brother Wang Wei and younger brothers Wang Chan (王繟), Wang Hong (王紘), and Wang Dan (王紞).
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Wang Jishan
Wang Jishan (王及善) (618 – August 28, 699), formally Duke Zhen of Xing (邢貞公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
Wang Jishan was born in 618, around the time of the founding of Tang Dynasty. His family was from Ming Prefecture (洺州, in modern Handan, Hebei). His father Wang Jun'e (王君愕) had, at the end of Tang's predecessor Sui Dynasty, served under the agrarian rebel leader Wang Junkuo (王君廓), and after Tang was founded, surrendered to Tang with Wang Junkuo and subsequently served as a Tang general. Wang Jun'e participated in Emperor Taizong's campaign against Goguryeo, and died in 645 during the Battle of Mount Zhubi (駐驆山). Emperor Taizong posthumously created him the Duke of Xing. After Wang Jun'e's death, Wang Jishan inherited the title of Duke of Xing and was given the additional honorific title of Chaosan Daifu (朝散大夫).
During the reign of Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong, Wang Jishan served on the staff of his son and crown prince Li Hong. Once, Li Hong gathered his staff members for a gave of zhidao (擲倒, probably traversing on one's hands with feet in the air). When Wang's turn was up, he opined that there were people whose responsibilities were to entertain the crown prince, and that it was inappropriate for staff members to be participating in the game. Li Hong thanked him and excused him. When Emperor Gaozong heard this, he awarded Wang with silk and made him a commanding general of the imperial guards, commenting, "I know that you are faithful and diligent, and that is why I give you an office of the third rank. Other people need to be searched before they could enter the palace, but you are allowed to holster a large sword to be by my side. Do you understand the honor that this is?" Soon thereafter, however, Wang was dismissed on account of illness, but later on was made the minister of military supplies (衛尉卿, Weiwei Qing).
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Wang Xiaojie
Wang Xiaojie (王孝傑) (died February 8, 697), formally the Duke of Geng (耿公), was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving in campaigns against Tufan, Eastern Tujue, and Khitan and briefly serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign. He was killed in 697 in a battle against Khitan's khan Sun Wanrong.
It is not known when Wang Xiaojie was born, but it is known that his family was from the vicinity of Tang Dynasty's capital Chang'an. He was said to have had a successful military career during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. In 678, he served under the general Liu Shenli (劉審禮), the assistant to the chancellor Li Jingxuan in a campaign against Tufan. Li's army suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Tufan general Lun Qinling (論欽陵), and both Liu and Wang were captured by Lun Qinling. When Wang was presented to the Mangsong Mangtsen, the king of Tufan, Mangsong Mangtsen was surprised by Wang's appearance and stated, "Your appearance is like my father's," and began to weep. As a result, he spared Wang and treated him well, finally returning him to Tang. After returning to Tang, Wang continued to serve as a general.
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Wei Anshi
Wei Anshi (韋安石) (651–714), formally Duke Wenzhen of Xun (郇文貞公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor several times, during the reigns of Wu Zetian, her sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong, and her grandson Emperor Shang.
Wei Anshi was born in 651, early in the reign of Emperor Gaozong. His family was from the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an, and his great-grandfather Wei Xiaokuan was a renowned general for Western Wei and Northern Zhou. His grandfather Wei Jin (韋津) was an official for Northern Zhou's successor and Tang's predecessor Sui Dynasty and, after Sui's destruction in 619, served one of the competing claimants for the throne, Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng, before eventually surrendering to and serving Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu. Wei Anshi's father Wei Wan (韋琬) and uncles Wei Kun (韋琨) and Wei Sui (韋璲) also served as officials during Tang.
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Wei Chengqing
Wei Chengqing (韋承慶) (640?-706?), courtesy name Yanxiu (延休), formally Viscount Wen of Fuyang (扶陽溫子), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
Wei Chengqing might have been born in 640, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. His father Wei Siqian was a mid-level official at the time (and would eventually serve as chancellor from 685 to 687, during the first reign of Emperor Gaozong's son Emperor Ruizong). He had at least one younger half-brother, Wei Chengqing, born of Lady Wang, a later wife of Wei Siqian. It was said that Lady Wang was very strict in her discipline of Wei Chengqing because he was not born of her, and whenever she punished Wei Chengqing, Wei Sili would ask to be punished in Wei Chengqing's stead—and when she refused, he would have the household servants punish him in the same manner Lady Wang was punishing Wei Chengqing. Lady Wang saw this and realized that she needed to give Wei Chengqing better treatment. When others heard of this, they compared the Wei brothers to the Jin Dynasty (265-420) officials Wang Xiang and Wang Lan (王覽) -- half-brothers in a situation similar to the Wei brothers.
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Wei Chuhou
Wei Chuhou (韋處厚) (773 – January 29, 829), né Wei Chun (韋淳), courtesy name Dezai (德載), formally the Duke of Lingchang (靈昌公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong.
Wei Chun was born in 773, during the reign of Emperor Daizong. His family was from the Tang Dynasty capital municipality Jingzhao (京兆, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi) — i.e., the Chang'an region. His family claimed original ancestry from a line of officials of Han Dynasty, Cao Wei, Jin Dynasty (265-420), Later Yan, Northern Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui Dynasty, and Tang, although Wei Chun's male-line ancestors, for several generations prior to his father Wei Wan (韋萬), were not listed to have any official titles. Wei Wan served as a staff member for a military governor (Jiedushi) of Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei).
At some point, Wei Chun changed his name to Wei Chuhou due to naming taboo for Emperor Daizong's great-grandson Emperor Xianzong (Li Chun) — although it is not clear whether Emperor Xianzong was then emperor. It was said that Wei Chuhou was an expressive child, and he was filially pious toward his stepmother. When observing mourning periods when his father and stepmother died, he lived at their tomb. After the mourning period was over, he travelled throughout the Chang'an region. It was said that he was well-learned in the Five Classics and the histories, and that he was talented in writing.
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Wei Juyuan
Wei Juyuan (韋巨源) (631 – July 22, 710), formally Duke Zhao of Shu (舒昭公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving multiple times as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian, her son Emperor Zhongzong, and her grandson Emperor Shang. During Emperor Zhongzong's reign, he became aligned with Emperor Zhongzong's powerful wife Empress Wei, and after Emperor Zhongzong's death in 710 and a coup led by Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping and Emperor Zhongzong's nephew Li Longji the Prince of Linzi killed Empress Wei, Wei Juyuan was also killed.
Wei Juyuan was born in 630, during the reign of Emperor Taizong. He was a fifth generation descendant of the great Western Wei and Northern Zhou general Wei Xiaokuan, and his grandfather Wei Kuangbo (韋匡伯) was a duke during Tang Dynasty's predecessor and Northern Zhou's successor Sui Dynasty, based on Wei Xiaokuan's achievements. Wei Juyuan's father Wei Siren (韋思仁) was an imperial attendant during Tang.
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Wei Shifang
Wei Shifang (韋什方) (died 695), also known as Wu Shifang (武什方), was briefly a chancellor during Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty.
Wei Shifang had a highly unusual rise to his position. As of 694, Wu Zetian was said to be attracted to the teaching of three individuals involved in mystic teachings. The first was an old Buddhist nun from Henei (河內, in modern Jiaozuo, Henan), who was staying at Linzhi Temple (麟趾寺) in the capital Luoyang, who self-claimed the title of "Pure Light Rulai (Tathagata) Buddha" (淨光如來佛) and claimed to be able to predict the future. The second was Wei, who was an associate of the old nun, and who was from Mount Song, who claimed to be born in 238, during the reign of the emperor Sun Quan of Eastern Wu -- which would make him 456 years old at the time. The third was a non-Han old man who claimed to be 500 years old and who had met Wu Zetian's lover Huaiyi 200 years earlier. Wu Zetian respected them greatly and bestowed the imperial clan name of Wu on Wei Shifang. In fall 694, she even made him Zhengjian Daifu (正諫大夫), a senior consultant at the examination bureau of government (鸞臺, Luantai) and gave him the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto.
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Wei Sili
Wei Sili (韋嗣立) (654–719), courtesy name Yan'gou (延構), formally Duke Xiao of Xiaoyao (逍遙孝公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian, her sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong, and her grandson Emperor Shang.
Wei Sili was born in 654, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. His father Wei Siqian was a mid-level official at the time (and would eventually serve as chancellor from 685 to 687, during the first reign of Emperor Gaozong's son Emperor Ruizong), and he was born of Wei Siqian's then-wife Lady Wang. He had at least one older half-brother, Wei Chengqing, born of a previous wife of Wei Siqian. It was said that Lady Wang was very strict in her discipline of Wei Chengqing because he was not born of her, and whenever she punished Wei Chengqing, Wei Sili would ask to be punished in Wei Chengqing's stead—and when she refused, he would have the household servants punish him in the same manner Lady Wang was punishing Wei Chengqing. Lady Wang saw this and realized that she needed to give Wei Chengqing better treatment. When others heard of this, they compared the Wei brothers to the Jin Dynasty (265-420) officials Wang Xiang and Wang Lan (王覽) -- half-brothers in a situation similar to the Wei brothers.
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Wei Yuanzhong
Wei Yuanzhong (魏元忠) (died 707), né Wei Zhenzai (魏真宰), formally Duke Zhen of Qi (齊貞公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong.
It is not known which year Wei Yuanzhong was born, but it is known that his family was from Song Prefecture (宋州, roughly modern Shangqiu, Henan). He was originally named Wei Zhenzai, but later changed his name to observe naming taboo for Lady Yang, the mother of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian). He was a student at the imperial university in his youth, and was said to be unrestrained in his behavior, and did not receive a commission as an official for a long time. During that time, he also learned various military strategies from one Jiang Rong (江融) from Zhouzhi (盩厔, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi).
Around 678, there were repeated Tufan attacks, and Emperor Gaozong was concerned about them. Wei Yuanzhong went to the eastern capital Luoyang, where Emperor Gaozong was at the time, and submitted a secret petition, making suggestions as to what to do with the Tufan threat—pointing out that at the time, the generals were largely past generals' sons who were not necessarily militarily talented; the reward and punishment system was not being utilized properly; and that the army was being crippled by a then-existent regulation prohibiting the people from keeping horses. Emperor Gaozong was impressed by Wei's petition and made him a secretary at the archival bureau of government (秘書省, Mishu Sheng), but gave him an office at the more important legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) and permitted him to meet the emperor periodically with officials of higher ranks.
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Wikipedia Persondata
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Wu Chengsi
Wu Chengsi (Chinese: 武承嗣; Pinyin: Wǔ Chéngsì) (died July 22, 698), formally Prince Xuan of Wei (魏宣王), was a nephew of Chinese sovereign Wu Zetian and an imperial prince during her Zhou Dynasty. He participated in her planning in taking the throne and had wanted to become crown prince after she claimed the throne in 690, but his attempts were repeatedly rebuffed, and after she showed her intent to eventually return the throne to her son Li Zhe by recalling Li Zhe from exile in 698, Wu Chengsi died in disappointment.
It is not known when Wu Chengsi was born. His father Wu Yuanshuang (武元爽) was a half-brother of Wu Zetian -- both had, as father, the early Tang Dynasty general Wu Shihuo (武士彠), but Wu Yuanshuang and his brother Wu Yuanqing (武元慶) were born of Wu Shihuo's first wife Lady Xiangli, while Wu Zetian and her two sisters were born of Wu Shihuo's second wife Lady Yang. After Wu Zetian became empress to Emperor Gaozong in 655, despite previous intrafamily unpleasantries—Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang, as well as Wu Shihuo's nephews Wu Weiliang (武惟良) and Wu Huaiyun (武懷運) were often disrespectful of Lady Yang previously—Empress Wu's brothers and cousins were often promoted by Emperor Gaozong, with Wu Yuanshuang promoted to Shaofu Shaojian (少府少監), the deputy director of the office of palace supplies. However, sometime before 666, Empress Wu, angry that her brothers and cousins did not appreciate the promotions, had them all demoted, with Wu Yuanshuang demoted to be the prefect of Hao Prefecture (濠州, roughly modern Chuzhou, Anhui). Eventually, after further accusations, Wu Yuanshuang was exiled to Zhen Prefecture (振州, roughly modern Sanya, Hainan) and died there in exile. When Wu Yuanshuang was exiled, Wu Chengsi went to Zhen Prefecture with his father.
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Wu Sansi
Wu Sansi (武三思) (died August 7, 707), formally Prince Xuan of Liang (梁宣王), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and his aunt Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, becoming an imperial prince and chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian and subsequently, while only briefly chancellor during the second reign of Wu Zetian's son and his cousin Emperor Zhongzong, becoming very powerful due to both the trust Emperor Zhongzong had in him and his affair with Emperor Zhongzong's powerful wife Empress Wei. He was killed in a rebellion by Emperor Zhongzong's son Li Chongjun the Crown Prince in 707.
It is not known when Wu Sansi was born. His father Wu Yuanqing (武元慶) was a half-brother of Wu Zetian -- both had, as father, the early Tang Dynasty general Wu Shihuo (武士彠), but Wu Yuanshuang and his brother Wu Yuanshuang (武元爽) were born of Wu Shihuo's first wife Lady Xiangli, while Wu Zetian and her two sisters were born of Wu Shihuo's second wife Lady Yang. After Wu Zetian became empress to Emperor Gaozong in 655, despite previous intrafamily unpleasantries—Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang, as well as Wu Shihuo's nephews Wu Weiliang (武惟良) and Wu Huaiyun (武懷運) were often disrespectful of Lady Yang previously—Empress Wu's brothers and cousins were often promoted by Emperor Gaozong, with Wu Yuanqing promoted to Zongzheng Shaoqing (宗正少卿), the deputy minister of imperial clan affairs. However, sometime before 666, Empress Wu, angry that her brothers and cousins did not appreciate the promotions, had them all demoted, with Wu Yuanqing demoted to be the prefect of Long Prefecture (龍州, roughly modern Mianyang, Sichuan). After he arrived at Long Prefecture, he, in fear that Empress Wu had further retaliation in the works, died. It is not completely clear, but it was likely that Wu Sansi went to Long Prefecture with his father Wu Yuanqing. He was later made a commanding general of the imperial guards.
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Wu Shihuo
Wǔ Shìhuò (simplified Chinese: 武士彟; traditional Chinese: 武士彠; 559-635 CE), was the father of Wu Zetian, the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant. Posthumously honored with the title of King Zhongxiao, Wu was the son of Wu Hua and became a timber merchant. He was also known as the Duke of Ying and King of Wei serving as army commander of Yingyang Prefecture during the final years of Emperor Yang of Sui (r. 605-618 CE) and subsequently as Minister of Revenue and superintendent of Jingzhou City, Hubei during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang (r. 627-649 CE).
Initially, Wu married a woman from the Xiangli family, who gave birth to two sons named Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang. Later he remarried a woman from the noble Yang family of the Hong Nong region. She was daughter, niece, and sister to several ministers and a close relation of the imperial family. By her, Wu had three daughters: Wu Shun (later the Lady of Han), Wu Zhao (Empress Wu Zetian) and the Lady of Guo.
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Wu Youji
Wu Youji (武攸暨) (died July 17, 712), formally Prince Zhongjian of Ding (定忠簡王), was an imperial prince of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty and an official of Tang Dynasty. He is best known as the second husband of Wu Zetian's powerful daughter Princess Taiping.
It is not known when Wu Youji was born. What is known is that his grandfather Wu Shileng (武士讓) was an uncle of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), and that he, like Wu Zetian's father Wu Shihuo (武士彠), had supported Tang Dynasty's founder Emperor Gaozu and had been, for his accomplishments, created the Duke of Xuancheng and buried with honor near Emperor Gaozu's tomb.
As of 690, Empress Wu was serving as empress dowager and regent over her son Emperor Ruizong, and Wu Youji was serving as a military officer. Empress Dowager Wu's only daughter Princess Taiping had been widowed since 688, when her husband Xue Shao (薛紹) was executed for participating in the rebellion of her cousin Li Chong the Prince of Langye against Empress Dowager Wu's authority. Empress Dowager Wu wanted to marry Princess Taiping to Wu Youji, who was however already married. Empress Dowager Wu therefore secretly had Wu Youji's wife assassinated, and then married Princess Taiping to him.
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Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian (simplified Chinese: 武则天; traditional Chinese: 武則天; pinyin: Wǔ Zétiān, Mandarin pronunciation: [ù tsɯ̯ʌ̌ tʰi̯ɛ́n]) (17 February 624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao (武曌), often referred to as Tian Hou (天后) during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu (武后, Wǔ Hòu) in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant (Huangdi). As de facto ruler of China first through her husband and her sons from 665 to 690, not unprecedented in Chinese history, she then broke all precedents when she founded her own dynasty in 690, the Zhou (周) (interrupting the Tang Dynasty), and ruled personally under the name Sacred and Divine Empress Regnant (聖神皇帝) and variations thereof from 690 to 705. Her rise and reign has been criticized harshly by Confucian historians but has been viewed in a different light after the 1950s.
Wu was born in Lizhou (利州) (modern day Guangyuan City in Sichuan Province) in 624, the seventh year of Emperor Gaozu of Tang’s reign. In the same year, a total eclipse of the Sun was visible across China. Her father Wu Shihuo was engaged in the timber business and the family was relatively well off. During the final years of Emperor Yang of Sui, Li Yuan (李淵) (who would go on to become Emperor Gaozu of Tang), whilst holding appointments in both Hedong and Taiyuan, Li stayed in the Wu household many times and became close to the Wu family. After Li Yuan overthrew Emperor Yang, he was generous to the Wu family, providing them with money, grain, land and clothing. Once the Tang Dynasty became established, Wu Shihou held a succession of senior ministerial posts including governor of Yangzhou, Lizhou and Jingzhou (荊州) (modern day Jiangling County, Hubei Province).
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Xiao Yu
Xiao Yu (蕭瑀) (574–647), courtesy name Shiwen (時文), formally Duke Zhenbian of Song (宋貞褊公), was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Liang Dynasty who later became an official for Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor at times during the reigns of Emperor Gaozu of Tang and Emperor Taizong of Tang.
Xiao Yu was born in 574, during the reign of his father Emperor Ming of Western Liang, who claimed the throne of Liang Dynasty but whose territory was limited to a small amount of territory around his capital Jiangling. Emperor Ming was at that time also a vassal of the much larger Northern Zhou, and received protection from Northern Zhou forces against rival Chen Dynasty. (As Emperor Ming and his father Emperor Xuan had little territory and relied on protection by Northern Zhou and its predecessor state Western Wei and successor state Sui Dynasty (which took over Northern Zhou in 581), traditional historians often did not consider them true emperors of Liang Dynasty.) In 582, Xiao Yu was created the Prince of Xin'an. He was known for his filial piety.
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Xing Wenwei
Xing Wenwei (邢文偉) (died 690?) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the first reign of Emperor Ruizong and his mother Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty.
It is not known when Xing Wenwei was born, but it was known that his family was from Chu Prefecture (滁州, roughly modern Chuzhou, Anhui), and that he, along with two other men from nearby prefectures, Gao Zigong (高子貢) and Pei Huaigui (裴懷貴), were known for their knowledge throughout the region. About 672, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, Xing was serving as a secretary in charge of food supplies for the palace of Emperor Gaozong's crown prince Li Hong. At that time, Li Hong rarely met with his staff members, and Xing reduced the food supplies to Li Hong and submitted petitions to him, arguing that it was inappropriate for him not to meet staff members. Li Hong wrote a humble letter back to Xing, explaining that he did not meet with staff members because he was often ill and because he was often attending to Emperor Gaozong, but thanking Xing for his suggestions. Soon thereafter, Emperor Gaozong needed an imperial chronicler, and he commented, "Xing Wenwei, while serving my son, was able to use the reduction of food to get my son to correct his ways; this shows that he is an upright man." He promoted Xing to the imperial chronicler post.
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Xu Jingzong
Xu Jingzong (許敬宗) (592 – September 20, 672), courtesy name Yanzu (延族), formally Duke Gong of Gaoyang (高陽恭公), was a chancellor of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. Allied with Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), Xu Jingzong was exceedingly powerful during most of Emperor Gaozong's reign.
Xu Jingzong was born in 592, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui. His ancestors had served as officials of the Southern Dynasties during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period for generations and claimed to be originally from Gaoyang Commandery (高陽, roughly modern Baoding) before moving south of the Yangtze River in light of Jin Dynasty's loss of the north. Xu Jingzong's father Xu Shanxin (許善心) was serving as an emissary of Chen Shubao, the last emperor of Chen Dynasty, to Emperor Wen, whose Sui Dynasty then ruled the north, in 589, when Sui destroyed Chen to end the Southern and Northern Dynasties period and reunify China. Emperor Wen was impressed with Xu Shanxin's profound sadness (rather than abject submission) at the fall of his state, and made him an official in his own administration.
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Xue Yuanchao
Xue Yuanchao (薛元超) (622–683), formal name Xue Zhen (薛振) but went by the courtesy name of Yuanchao, formally Baron of Fenyin (汾陰男), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong.
Xue Yuanchao was born in 622. His family was from what would eventually become Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). His grandfather Xue Daoheng (薛道衡) was a high level official of Sui Dynasty before being executed in 609 due to jealousy that Emperor Yang of Sui had for his literary talent, and as a result, Xue Yuanchao's father Xue Shou (薛收) declined to serve under Sui Dynasty, and eventually joined the rebellion by the general Li Yuan in 617, serving under Li Yuan's son Li Shimin. After Li Yuan founded Tang Dynasty in 618 as its Emperor Gaozu, Xue Shou continued to serve Li Shimin as a secretary and advisor, but died fairly early in 624, still during Emperor Gaozu's reign at age 32. He was bestowed various honors in 633, after Li Shimin became emperor in 626 (as Emperor Taizong).
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Yang Gongren
Yang Gongren (楊恭仁) (died 639), formal name Yang Guan (楊綸) but went by the courtesy name of Gongren, formally Duke Xiao of Guan (觀孝公), was an official and general during the Chinese dynasties Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, at one point serving as a chancellor during Tang.
It is not known when Yang Gongren was born. He was the oldest son of Yang Xiong (楊雄), a distant nephew of Sui Dynasty's founder Emperor Wen, who was considered one of the four most powerful officials at one point early in Sui, with Gao Jiong, Yu Qingze (虞慶則), and Su Wei and who was created an imperial prince with various titles, eventually the title of Prince of Guan.
Late in the reign of Emperor Wen (some time between 601 and 604), Yang Gongren became the governor of Gan Province (甘州, roughly modern Zhangye, Gansu). It was said that he had a good grasp on general governance and intentionally refused to dwell on details, and that in doing so comforted the non-Han residents of the province. It was said that Emperor Wen told his father Yang Xiong, "Gongren governs the province well. It is not only that I selected the right person, but because you have taught him in the ways of righteousness."
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Yang Shidao
Yang Shidao (楊師道) (died 647), courtesy name Jingyou (景猷), formally Duke Yi of Ande (安德懿公), was a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang.
It is not known when Yang Shidao was born. He was a son of Yang Xiong (楊雄), a distant nephew of Sui Dynasty and one of the four most powerful officials at one point early in Sui, with Gao Jiong, Yu Qingze (虞慶則), and Su Wei and who was created an imperial prince with various titles, eventually the title of Prince of Guan. His older brother Yang Gongren served as an official during both Sui and Tang Dynasty and who briefly served as chancellor during the reign of Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu.
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Yang Shou
Yang Shou (楊收) (died April 11, 868), courtesy name Cangzhi (藏之), formally Baron of Jinyang (晉陽男), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Yizong. He was known for his literary talent as a young man, but subsequently, as chancellor, was accused of corruption. He was thereafter exiled and forced to commit suicide in exile.
It is not known exactly when Yang Shou was born — but he was said to be 25 when he passed the imperial examinations late in Emperor Wenzong's Kaicheng era (836-840), and thus there is some reference to his birth date. His family was originally from Tong Prefecture (同州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), and claimed ancestry from the Sui Dynasty general Yang Su. His immediate male-line ancestors were said to be Confucian scholars, and his father Yang Yizhi (楊遺直) served as a personnel officer at Hao Prefecture (濠州, in modern Chuzhou, Anhui). At one point, Yang Yizhi became a teaching scholar at Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern Suzhou, Jiangsu), and therefore settled there, making it Yang Shou's childhood home. Yang Shou was born of Yang Yizhi's second wife Lady Zhangsun, who, in addition to Yang Shou, at least one other son, Yang Shou's younger brother Yang Yan (楊嚴), while Yang Yizhi's first wife Lady Yuan bore two sons, Yang Fa (楊發) and Yang Jia (楊假), both older than Yang Shou. (All four brothers would eventually serve in the imperial government.)
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Yang Wan
Yang Wan (楊綰) (died August 27, 777), courtesy name Gongquan (公權), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Daizong. He was known for his frugality, and it was said that his becoming chancellor caused a number of other officials to change their wasteful ways.
It is not known when Yang Wan was born, but it is known that his family was from Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi). His family traced its ancestry to the Han Dynasty official Yang Zhen (楊震) and a line that included a number of officials of Northern Wei. His granduncle Yang Zaisi served as a chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian, and his grandfather Yang Wenyu (楊溫玉) was a prominent official at the time, receiving the title of Duke of Hucheng. His father Yang Kan (楊侃) served as a county magistrate during the Kaiyuan era (713–741) of Wu Zetian's grandson Emperor Xuanzong, and both Yang Wenyu and Yang Kan were known for their knowledge of Confucianism. Yang Wan lost his father early, and he served his mother with great filial piety. He was said to be quiet and studious, often spending his time in a small room with history books and maps.
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Yang Zaisi
Yang Zaisi (楊再思) (died 709), formally Duke Gong of Zheng (鄭恭公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving several times as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong. Yang was criticized by traditional historians for his flattery.
It is not known when Yang Zaisi was born, but it is known that his family was from Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, roughly modern Zhengzhou, Henan). He passed the imperial examination when he was young, and was made the sheriff of Xuanwu County (玄武, in modern Deyang, Sichuan). On one occasion, when he was in the capital Chang'an on official business and staying at an inn, there was a thief who stole his baggage. As the thief was leaving, Yang happened to encounter him, and the thief begged for forgiveness. He told the thief, "You, sir, must be committing this crime only out of poverty. Please go and not make a sound, as to not alert anyone else. Just leave me my official papers; the money you can have." The thief left, and Yang borrowed money for the remainder of his trip. He was eventually promoted to serve as a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs, and then as imperial censor.
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Yang Zhirou
Yang Zhirou (楊執柔) (died 692?) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor.
It is not known when Yang Zhirou was born. What is known is that his grandfather Yang Xu (楊續), a member of Tang Dynasty's predecessor Sui Dynasty's imperial clan, was a brother of the early Tang chancellors Yang Gongren and Yang Shidao. As Wu Zetian's mother Lady Yang was a cousin of Yang Xu, she viewed him as a member of her mother's household and treated him well. As of 692, he was serving as the minister of defense (夏官尚書, Xiaguan Shangsu), when she gave him the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. When doing so, she commented that she wanted the members of both her father's and mother's clans to be chancellors (and by that time, her nephews Wu Chengsi and Wu Youning were chancellors). Seven months later, as part of a major reorganization of her administration, he was removed from his chancellor position along with Wu Chengsi and Wu Youning, and made the minister of public works (地官尚書). He appeared to have died soon thereafter.
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Yantou Quanhuo
Yantou Quanhuo (Chinese: 巖頭全豁; pinyin: Yántóu Quánhuō; Japanese Gānto Zenkatsu) (828–887) was an ancient Ch'an master of Yantou Monastery in Ezhou, China. A dharma heir of Deshan Xuanjin, Quanho was born in Quanzhou and became a novice monk at Baoshu Temple in Changan, China. Known to be an avid traveler, Yantou eventually began studying Ch'an under Deshan and received Dharma transmission from him. he then became master of Yantou Monastery, where he led a congregation of students. In 887 on the "eighth day of the fourth month" his temple was raided by bandits. When the bandits realized the temple had nothing of value to take, one of them stabbed Yantou—murdering him. it is said that his scream at death could be heard for ten miles. He was given the title Ch'an Master Clear Severity following his death. Yantou is the subject of several koan cases that appear in the Mumonkan such as case number 13, titled "Tokusan carries his bowls".
[[Category:Tang Dynasty Buddhists
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Yao Chong
Yao Chong (姚崇) (650 – September 28, 721), né Yao Yuanchong (姚元崇), known 700s-713 by the courtesy name of Yuanzhi (元之), formally Duke Wenxian of Liang (梁文獻公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor under four sovereigns—Wu Zetian, her sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong, and her grandson Emperor Xuanzong. After his resignation in 716, he still had great influence inside the imperial government, and his opinions often influenced the decisions of Emperor Xuanzong and the succeeding chancellors.
Yao Chong was born in 650, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. His father Yao Shanyi (姚善意) served Emperor Gaozong's father Emperor Taizong as the commandant at Xi Prefecture (巂州, roughly modern Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan).
Yao Chong himself started his civil service career serving as an attendant to Emperor Gaozong's son and crown prince Li Hong, and was known for being able to write quickly. He later served as the food supply officer at Pu Prefecture (濮州, roughly modern Heze, Shandong). He was then moved in his office five times and eventually became Xiaguan Langzhong (夏官郎中), a low-level official at the ministry of defense.
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Yao Shu
Yao Shu (姚璹) (632–705), courtesy name Lingzhang (令璋), formally Count Cheng of Wuxing (吳興成伯), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving twice as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
Yao Shu was born in 632, during the reign of Emperor Taizong. His grandfather was the historian Yao Silian, the lead author of the Book of Liang and Book of Chen, the official histories of Liang Dynasty and Chen Dynasty. His father Yao Chuping (姚處平) served as a military census officer and died early. Yao Shu raised his brothers and sisters and was said to be kind to them. He was also said to be well-studied and good at rhetoric.
During the middle part of the Yonghui era of Emperor Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong (650-656), Yao Shu passed the imperial examination and was made a secretary at the mansion of Emperor Gaozong's crown prince Li Hong. While serving there, he participated in a compilation work commissioned by Li Hong, the Yaoshan Yucai (瑤山玉彩), and after the work was completed, he was made Mishu Lang (秘書郎), a secretary at the archival bureau (秘書省, Mishu Sheng). During Emperor Gaozong's Tiaolu era (679-680), he was promoted to be Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) and created the Viscount of Wuxing.
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Yu Zhining
Yu Zhining (于志寧) (588–665), courtesy name Zhongmi (仲謐), formally Duke Ding of Yan (燕定公), was a chancellor of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, during the reigns of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong. He had served on the staff of Emperor Taizong's oldest son and crown prince Li Chengqian and, after Li Chengqian was removed for plotting to overthrow Emperor Taizong in 643, received approval for having tried to correct Li Chengqian in his ways. Emperor Taizong promoted him, and he subsequently played prominent roles in the imperial government late in Emperor Taizong's reign and early in Emperor Gaozong's reign. In 659, however, because he had previously not supported the ascension of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), he was removed from his office based on accusations by her ally Xu Jingzong that he had conspired with Emperor Gaozong's uncle Zhangsun Wuji, who had opposed Empress Wu's ascension.
Yu Zhining was born in 588, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui. He was from Sui's capital province Yong Province (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an, Shaanxi), and his ancestors, ethnically Xianbei, were of a prominent line of generals during Sui's predecessor dynasty Northern Zhou. His great-grandfather Yu Jin (于謹), in particular, was a renowned general during the latter years of Northern Zhou's predecessor Western Wei and Northern Zhou. His father Yu Xuandao (于宣道) was a mid-level official in the legislative bureau of government, the Neishi Sheng (內史省).
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Yuan Shuji
Yuan Shuji (袁恕己) (died 706), formally Prince Zhenlie of Nanyang (南陽貞烈王), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong. He was a key figure in the coup that overthrew Wu Zetian and restored Emperor Zhongzong in 705, but was later exiled due to false accusations instigated by Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and killed in exile in a cruel manner.
It is not known when Yuan Shuji was born. His family was from Cang Prefecture (滄州, roughly modern Cangzhou, Hebei) and traced its ancestry to the late Han Dynasty warlord Yuan Shao. Both Yuan Shuji's grandfather Yuan Lingxi (袁令喜) and father Yuan Yihong (袁異弘) served as prefectural officials.
Sometime during Wu Zetian's Chang'an era (701-704), Yuan Shuji served as assistant chief judge of the supreme court (司刑少卿, Sixing Shaoqing) and military advisor to Wu Zetian's son Li Dan the Prince of Xiang. As of 704, he was serving as Youtai Zhongcheng (右臺中丞), an imperial censor.
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Yuan Zhao
Yuan Zhao (元釗) (526 – May 17, 528), also known in history as Youzhu (幼主, literally "the young lord"), was briefly an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei.
Yuan Zhao was a son of Yuan Baohui (元寶暉) the Prince of Lintao, who was a grandson of Emperor Xiaowen and therefore cousin to Emperor Xiaoming, the reigning emperor at the time of Yuan Zhao's birth in 526. In 528, Emperor Xiaoming was poisoned to death by his mother Empress Dowager Hu after trying to curb her power and trying to kill her lover Zheng Yan (鄭儼). Emperor Xiaoming was sonless, and while Empress Dowager Hu initially tried to pretend that Emperor Xiaoming's daughter, by his concubine Consort Pan, was actually a son, she soon realized that she could not carry on the deception, and she named Yuan Zhao emperor—selecting him due to his young age so that she could control him. The general Erzhu Rong, with whom Emperor Xiaoming had conspired against Empress Dowager Hu, refused to recognize Yuan Zhao as emperor, quickly descending on the capital Luoyang with his troops and declaring a son of Emperor Xiaowen's brother Yuan Xie, Yuan Ziyou, emperor (as Emperor Xiaozhuang). Less than two months after Yuan Zhao was declared emperor, Erzhu had captured Luoyang and put Empress Dowager Hu and Yuan Zhao under arrest. After Empress Dowager Hu tried, unsuccessfully, to defend her actions before Erzhu, Erzhu had her and Yuan Zhao thrown into the Yellow River to drown.
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Zhang Changzong
Zhang Changzong (張昌宗) (died February 20, 705), formally the Duke of Ye (鄴公), nickname Liulang (六郎), was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty who, along with his brother Zhang Yizhi, became a lover of Wu Zetian and became very powerful late in her reign. Both he and his brother were killed in a coup that overthrew Wu Zetian in 705.
It is not known when Zhang Changzong was born. It is known that his father Zhang Xizang (張希臧) had, at one point, served as the census officer of Tang Dynasty's capital prefecture Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an, Shaanxi) and was a distant nephew of the chancellor Zhang Xingcheng. His mother might be Lady Wei or Lady Zang.
In 697, Zhang Changzong was referred to Wu Zetian, then ruling with the title of emperor -- the only woman in the history of China recognized for doing so -- by Wu Zetian's daughter Princess Taiping, to be Wu Zetian's lover. Zhang Changzong further told Wu Zetian that his older brother Zhang Yizhi was even more skillful than he was, and so Wu Zetian took Zhang Yizhi as a lover as well. Both were repeatedly promoted -- Zhang Yizhi as senior consultant (散騎常侍, Sanqi Changshi) at the examination bureau of government (鸞臺, Luantai) -- and both were said to often put makeup on their faces and dressing in a beautiful manner. Their mother or mothers were given titles as grand ladies, and Wu Zetian further ordered the chancellor Li Jiongxiu to serve as the lover for one of them. Even the most powerful officials flattered them, and referred them by endearing nicknames -- Zhang Yizhi as Wulang and Zhang Changzong as Liulang (implying that Zhang Yizhi was the fifth-born son and Zhang Changzong was the sixth-born son of Zhang Xizang).
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Zhang Jiafu
Zhang Jiafu (張嘉福) (died July 25, 710) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Shang.
Despite Zhang's high status, little is firmly established about his career except for the time that he served as chancellor -- as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the Book of Tang or the New Book of Tang. He was not even included among the chancellors of the Zhang clan in the table of the chancellors' family trees in the New Book of Tang.
As of 691, during Wu Zetian's reign, Zhang Jiafu was serving as Fengge Sheren (鳳閣舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, Fengge), when he was involved in instigating a petition drive led by Wang Qingzhi (王慶之) to persuade Wu Zetian to make her nephew Wu Chengsi the Prince of Wei crown prince to displace her son Li Dan, who was emperor from 684 to 690 until Wu Zetian took the throne herself. The petition drive initially got Wu Zetian's attention, and the chancellors Cen Changqian and Ge Fuyuan were executed for vehemently opposing it. However, she never made Wu Chengsi crown prince, and after Wang was killed by the official Li Zhaode later in the year, the petition drive dissipated.
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Zhang Jianzhi
Zhang Jianzhi (張柬之) (625-706), courtesy name Mengjiang (孟將), formally Prince Wenzhen of Hanyang (漢陽文貞王), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong. He was a key figure in the coup that overthrew Wu Zetian and restored Emperor Zhongzong in 705, but was later exiled due to false accusations instigated by Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and died in exile.
Zhang Jianzhi was born in 625, during the reign of Emperor Gaozu. His family was from Xiang Prefecture (襄州, roughly modern Xiangfan, Hubei). In his youth, he was a student at the imperial university, and he was said to have a broad study in the Confucian classics and history, but particularly favored studying the Three Rites (i.e., the Classic of Rites, the Rites of Zhou, and the Yili "Etiquette and Rites"). He was respected by the principal of the imperial university Linghu Defen. After he passed the imperial examinations, he was made the magistrate of Qingcheng County (青城, in modern Chengdu, Sichuan). However, little further is known about his career until 689, other than that in or before 676, he was serving as the cashier for Li Sujie the Prince of Xun, a son of Emperor Gaozong (Emperor Taizong's son) and Emperor Gaozong's concubine Consort Xiao, who was killed in 655 due to machinations by Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian). Li Sujie, denied the privilege of seeing his father after his mother's death, had written an essay entitled Commentary on Faithfulness and Filial Piety (忠孝論), and Zhang secretly submitted the essay to Emperor Gaozong. After Empress Wu read it, it drew her ire, and she falsely accused Li Sujie of corruption and had him demoted and put under house arrest.
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Zhang Jiazhen
Zhang Jiazhen (張嘉貞) (666 – September 19, 729), formally Marquess Gongsu of Hedong (河東恭肅侯), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. During Emperor Xuanzong's reign, he also served as a general. He was known for being capable but also being self-important during his term as chancellor.
Zhang Jiazhen was born in 665, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. His family was from Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), and traced its ancestry to the Jin Dynasty (265-420) chancellor Zhang Hua and was originally from Fanyang (范陽, in modern Beijing), but his great-great-grandfather Zhang Zizha (張子吒) served as the secretary general of Hedong Commandery (河東, roughly modern Yuncheng, later converted into Pu Prefecture) for Tang Dynasty's predecessor Sui Dynasty, and therefore relocated his family to Hedong. Zhang Jiazhen's great-grandfather Zhang Changdu (張長度), grandfather Zhang Junxing (張俊興), and father Zhang Siyi (張思義) all served as minor officials for Tang. He had at least one younger brother, Zhang Jiayou (張嘉祐), and as Zhang Siyi died early, Zhang Jiazhen and Zhang Jiayou supported each other in their youths.
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Zhang Yizhi
Zhang Yizhi (張易之) (died February 20, 705), formally the Duke of Heng (恆公), nickname Wulang (五郎), was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty who, along with his brother Zhang Changzong, became a lover of Wu Zetian and became very powerful late in her reign. Both he and his brother were killed in a coup that overthrew Wu Zetian in 705.
It is not known when Zhang Yizhi was born. It is known that his father Zhang Xizang (張希臧) had, at one point, served as the census officer of Tang Dynasty's capital prefecture Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an, Shaanxi) and was a distant nephew of the chancellor Zhang Xingcheng. His mother might be Lady Wei or Lady Zang. As per Tang regulations, Zhang Yizhi, as the son of an official, was able to get into a civil service career himself in his 20s, serving as the imperial director of horses (尚乘奉御, Shangcheng Fengyu). It was said that his skin at that time was white and beautiful, and that he was good at singing.
In 697, Zhang Yizhi's younger brother Zhang Changzong was referred to Wu Zetian, then ruling with the title of emperor -- the only woman in the history of China recognized for doing so—by Wu Zetian's daughter Princess Taiping, to be Wu Zetian's lover. Zhang Changzong further told Wu Zetian that Zhang Yizhi was even more skillful than he was, and so Wu Zetian took Zhang Yizhi as a lover as well. Both were repeatedly promoted—Zhang Yizhi as the deputy minister of military supplies (司衛少卿, Siwei Shaoqing) -- and both were said to often put makeup on their faces and dressing in a beautiful manner. Their mother or mothers were given titles as grand ladies, and Wu Zetian further ordered the chancellor Li Jiongxiu to serve as the lover for one of them. Even the most powerful officials flattered them, and referred them by endearing nicknames—Zhang Yizhi as Wulang and Zhang Changzong as Liulang (implying that Zhang Yizhi was the fifth-born son and Zhang Changzong was the sixth-born son of Zhang Xizang).
wn.com/Zhang_Yizhi -
Zhangsun Wuji
Zhangsun Wuji (長孫無忌) (died 659), courtesy name Fuji (輔機), formally Duke of Zhao (趙公), was a chancellor of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty during the reigns of his brother-in-law Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin) (husband of his sister Empress Zhangsun) and nephew Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi). He was an important assistant of Li Shimin when Li Shimin was the Prince of Qin under his father Emperor Gaozu and helped Li Shimin in killing his rivals and brothers Li Jiancheng the Crown Prince and Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi at the Xuanwu Gate Incident, eventually enabling Li Shimin to become emperor. He was also instrumental in Emperor Taizong's selection of Li Zhi as crown prince, and was exceedingly powerful after Li Zhi took the throne as Emperor Gaozong. However, he gradually lost his nephew's favor by failing to support Emperor Gaozong's decision to depose his first wife Empress Wang and replacing her with Empress Wu. In 659, Empress Wu's political ally Xu Jingzong falsely accused Zhangsun of treason, and Emperor Gaozong exiled Zhangsun. Xu subsequently sent the official Yuan Gongyu (袁公瑜) to force Zhangsun to commit suicide.
wn.com/Zhangsun_Wuji -
Zhou Yunyuan
Zhou Yunyuan (周允元) (died January 29, 695), courtesy name Ruliang (汝良), was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefing serving as chancellor.
It is not known when Zhou Yunyuan was born, but it is known that he was from Yu Prefecture (豫州, roughly modern Zhumadian, Henan). He passed the imperial examination in his youth. He became deputy imperial censor reviewing central government affairs (左肅政中丞, Zuo Suzheng Zhongcheng) in early 694, and in winter 694 Wu Zetian made him acting Fengge Shilang (鳳閣侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, Fengge). She also gave him the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. Soon thereafter, Zhou and the assistant chief judge of the supreme court Huangfu Wenbei (皇甫文備) submitted articles of impeachment against five chancellors -- Doulu Qinwang, Wei Juyuan, Du Jingjian, Su Weidao, and Lu Yuanfang, of being unable to curb the powerful chancellor Li Zhaode, whom Wu Zetian exiled in late 694. The five chancellors accused were demoted to be prefectural prefects.
wn.com/Zhou_Yunyuan -
Zhu Jingze
Zhu Jingze (朱敬則) (635–709), courtesy name Shaolian (少連), was an official of China's Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
Zhu Jingze was born in 635, during the reign of Emperor Taizong. His family was from Bo Prefecture (亳州, roughly modern Bozhou, Anhui) and had been known for generations, from Northern Zhou to Tang Dynasty, as a family that had filial piety and upright behavior. Zhu Jingze himself was said to value character and righteousness, and was known for his linguistic studies in his youth. He was also said to have lived with three cousins without any disputes between them about property and was friendly with Jiang Rong (江融) and Wei Yuanzhong, both of whom later became important officials as well. During the Xianheng era of Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong (670-674), Emperor Gaozong heard of his reputation and summoned him, preparing to make him an important imperial official. However, the official Li Jingxuan spoke against Zhu, and Zhu was instead made the sheriff of Huanshui County (洹水, in modern Handan, Hebei).
wn.com/Zhu_Jingze -
Zong Chuke
Zong Chuke (宗楚客) (died July 24, 710), courtesy name Shu'ao (叔敖), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian, her son Emperor Zhongzong, and her grandson Emperor Shang.
It is not known when Zong Chuke was born, but it is known that his family was from Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). His ancestors were originally from Nanyang, and his great-grandfather Zong Pi (宗丕) had served as an official during late Liang Dynasty (a period sometimes known as Western Liang). After Liang, then a vassal of Sui Dynasty, was terminated in 587 by Sui, which directly took control of its territory, Zong Pi resettled in what would eventually become Pu Prefecture. Zong Chuke's father Zong Ji (宗岌) served on the staff of Emperor Taizong's favorite son Li Tai the Prince of Wei and participated in a project that Li Tai commissioned—the writing of a work known as the Journal of Geography (括地志, Kuodi Zhi). Zhong Chuke's mother was a cousin of Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), the second wife of Emperor Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong. Zong Chuke had at least two brothers—an older brother named Zong Qinke, and a younger brother named Zong Jinqing (宗晉卿). Zong Chuke himself was described as tall, with a handsome beard. After passing the imperial examination, he served as an official, eventually serving as the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang) late in Emperor Gaozong's reign.
wn.com/Zong_Chuke -
Zong Qinke
Zong Qinke (宗秦客) (died 691?) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
It is not known when Zong Qinke was born, but it is known that he was from Hedong (河東, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), and that his mother was a cousin of Wu Zetian's. As of 689, when Wu Zetian was empress dowager and regent over her son Emperor Ruizong, Zong was Fengge Shilang (鳳閣侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, Fengge), and he submitted 12 new characters to substitute for common characters such as Tian (天, heaven) and Di (地, earth). Around the new year 690, she adopted and promulgated the new characters, which were used until at least 705.
Later in 690, Empress Dowager Wu had Emperor Ruizong yield the throne to her, establishing Zhou as its "emperor" and interrupting Tang. She made Zong acting Neishi (內史) -- the head of the legislative bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. About a month later, however, on September 28, 690, Zong was accused of corruption, and his younger brother Zong Chuke was accused of rape and corruption as well. Wu Zetian stripped Zong Qinke of his chancellor authorities and demoted him to be the sheriff of Zunhua County (遵化, in modern Qinzhou, Guangxi), and Zong Chuke and another brother, Zong Jinqing (宗晉卿), were also exiled to the same region. Zong Qinke died about a year after his exile.
wn.com/Zong_Qinke
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武則天WU ZETIAN (1995 VERSION) EP01
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 43:14
- Updated: 13 Dec 2012
AT the beginning, WU MEINIANG get the opportunity to spend a night with LI SHIMIN( the most great Emperor in the Tang Dynasty) as his concubine, one of his thousand wives, very low position. And one day, a seer told LI SHIMIN about Tang's futuer that would be ruined by a woman and her surname is WU. Therefore, LI SHIMIN have no any interest in WU MEINIANG. On the other hand, Tang palace will happen a big change due to the demerit of crime prince.
http://wn.com/武則天WU_ZETIAN_1995_VERSION_EP01
AT the beginning, WU MEINIANG get the opportunity to spend a night with LI SHIMIN( the most great Emperor in the Tang Dynasty) as his concubine, one of his thousand wives, very low position. And one day, a seer told LI SHIMIN about Tang's futuer that would be ruined by a woman and her surname is WU. Therefore, LI SHIMIN have no any interest in WU MEINIANG. On the other hand, Tang palace will happen a big change due to the demerit of crime prince.
The only Female Emperor in China, Wu Zetian
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:33
- Updated: 29 Dec 2012
Wordless Monument.
http://wn.com/The_only_Female_Emperor_in_China,_Wu_Zetian
武則天WU ZETIAN EP03
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 43:38
- Updated: 16 Sep 2012
http://wn.com/武則天WU_ZETIAN_EP03
Wu Zetian (1)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:03
- Updated: 26 Nov 2012
Wu Zetian, the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regent.
http://wn.com/Wu_Zetian_1
Wu Zetian, the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regent.
- published: 20 Jun 2012
- views: 241
- author: Judy Liu
Civilization V Soundtrack ~ Wu Zetian (Peace)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:41
- Updated: 16 Dec 2012
The peace theme for Wu Zetian. Composed by Geoff Knorr & Michael Curran.
http://wn.com/Civilization_V_Soundtrack_~_Wu_Zetian_Peace
The peace theme for Wu Zetian. Composed by Geoff Knorr & Michael Curran.
- published: 23 Sep 2010
- views: 21685
- author: Civ5Soundtrack
Civilization V OST | Wu Zetian Peace Theme | Gao Shan Liu Shui
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:41
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Civilization V OST by Geoff Knorr & Michael Curran: Wu Zetian Peace Theme
http://wn.com/Civilization_V_OST_|_Wu_Zetian_Peace_Theme_|_Gao_Shan_Liu_Shui
Civilization V OST by Geoff Knorr & Michael Curran: Wu Zetian Peace Theme
- published: 04 Apr 2011
- views: 18993
- author: skummelhustler
Wu Zetian in Civilization 5
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:18
- Updated: 18 Sep 2012
Wu Zetian is Chinese....
http://wn.com/Wu_Zetian_in_Civilization_5
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:1 - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 28:50
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_291_China_Wu_Zetian
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 09 Feb 2012
- views: 1894
- author: golffreak246
Civilization V Soundtrack ~ Wu Zetian (War)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:56
- Updated: 07 Aug 2012
The war theme for Wu Zetian. Composed by Geoff Knorr & Michael Curran.
http://wn.com/Civilization_V_Soundtrack_~_Wu_Zetian_War
The war theme for Wu Zetian. Composed by Geoff Knorr & Michael Curran.
- published: 22 Sep 2010
- views: 11322
- author: Civ5Soundtrack
Civilization V Leader | Wu Zetian of China
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:05
- Updated: 06 Dec 2012
Like most civilizations, China has been male-dominated throughout much of its history. Until very recently, women were afforded few rights, and direct power was all but totally denied to them. For a woman to attain the rank of Emperor, to become the most powerful person in China, was almost unheard of. Only one person in the entirety of Chinese history was able to do so. That person was Wu Zetian (c. 625 - 705 AD), one of the most remarkable rulers - female or male - the world has ever seen. - from Civilopedia
http://wn.com/Civilization_V_Leader_|_Wu_Zetian_of_China
Like most civilizations, China has been male-dominated throughout much of its history. Until very recently, women were afforded few rights, and direct power was all but totally denied to them. For a woman to attain the rank of Emperor, to become the most powerful person in China, was almost unheard of. Only one person in the entirety of Chinese history was able to do so. That person was Wu Zetian (c. 625 - 705 AD), one of the most remarkable rulers - female or male - the world has ever seen. - from Civilopedia
- published: 16 May 2012
- views: 3724
- author: DanielChe6
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:9 - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 41:16
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_299_China_Wu_Zetian
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 21 Feb 2012
- views: 423
- author: golffreak246
武则天武則天EP01 (Wu Zetian 武媚娘李世民刘晓庆陈宝国).flv
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 43:13
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Wu Zetian (simplified Chinese: 武则天; traditional Chinese: 武則天; pinyin: Wǔ Zétiān, Mandarin pronunciation: [ù tsɯ̯ʌ̌ tʰi̯ɛ́n]) (17 February 624[10][12] -- 16 December 705[11]), personal name Wu Zhao (武曌), often referred to as Tian Hou (天后) during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu (武后, Wǔ Hòu) in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant (Huangdi). As de facto ruler of China first through her husband and her sons from 665 to 690, not unprecedented in Chinese history, she then broke all precedents when she founded her own dynasty in 690, the Zhou (周) (interrupting the Tang Dynasty), and ruled personally under the name Sacred and Divine Empress Regnant (聖神皇帝) and variations thereof from 690 to 705. Her rise and reign has been criticized harshly by Confucian historians but has been viewed in a different light after the 1950s. (Wiki, 2012) 武曌（624年2月17日－705年12月16日），通称武则天或武后，中国历史上唯一得到普遍承认的女皇帝[註4]。唐高宗时为皇后（655年－683年）、唐中宗、唐睿宗时为皇太后（683年12月27日－690年10月16日），后自立为武周皇帝（690年10月16日－705年2月22日在位），705年退位以後，成為中國歷史上唯一一位女性太上皇。武氏为唐开国功臣武士彠次女，母亲杨氏，祖籍并州文水县（今山西省文水县），生于长安（今陕西省西安市）。本名不详，十四岁時因長得很美，豆蔻年华，美豔絕倫，光彩照人，而入后宫为唐太宗的才人，唐太宗赐号武媚[註5]。高宗时为昭仪，后封为皇后，又上尊号为"天后"。高宗崩，中宗即位，武氏为皇太后，临朝称 ...
http://wn.com/武则天武則天EP01_Wu_Zetian_武媚娘李世民刘晓庆陈宝国flv
Wu Zetian (simplified Chinese: 武则天; traditional Chinese: 武則天; pinyin: Wǔ Zétiān, Mandarin pronunciation: [ù tsɯ̯ʌ̌ tʰi̯ɛ́n]) (17 February 624[10][12] -- 16 December 705[11]), personal name Wu Zhao (武曌), often referred to as Tian Hou (天后) during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu (武后, Wǔ Hòu) in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant (Huangdi). As de facto ruler of China first through her husband and her sons from 665 to 690, not unprecedented in Chinese history, she then broke all precedents when she founded her own dynasty in 690, the Zhou (周) (interrupting the Tang Dynasty), and ruled personally under the name Sacred and Divine Empress Regnant (聖神皇帝) and variations thereof from 690 to 705. Her rise and reign has been criticized harshly by Confucian historians but has been viewed in a different light after the 1950s. (Wiki, 2012) 武曌（624年2月17日－705年12月16日），通称武则天或武后，中国历史上唯一得到普遍承认的女皇帝[註4]。唐高宗时为皇后（655年－683年）、唐中宗、唐睿宗时为皇太后（683年12月27日－690年10月16日），后自立为武周皇帝（690年10月16日－705年2月22日在位），705年退位以後，成為中國歷史上唯一一位女性太上皇。武氏为唐开国功臣武士彠次女，母亲杨氏，祖籍并州文水县（今山西省文水县），生于长安（今陕西省西安市）。本名不详，十四岁時因長得很美，豆蔻年华，美豔絕倫，光彩照人，而入后宫为唐太宗的才人，唐太宗赐号武媚[註5]。高宗时为昭仪，后封为皇后，又上尊号为"天后"。高宗崩，中宗即位，武氏为皇太后，临朝称 ...
- published: 13 May 2012
- views: 5965
- author: grey gu
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:22 - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 29:40
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_2922_China_Wu_Zetian
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 06 Mar 2012
- views: 286
- author: golffreak246
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:2 - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 27:05
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_292_China_Wu_Zetian
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 10 Feb 2012
- views: 990
- author: golffreak246
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:4 - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 37:48
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_294_China_Wu_Zetian
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 13 Feb 2012
- views: 737
- author: golffreak246
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:3 - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 29:18
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_293_China_Wu_Zetian
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 12 Feb 2012
- views: 789
- author: golffreak246
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:8 - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 29:49
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_298_China_Wu_Zetian
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 21 Feb 2012
- views: 438
- author: golffreak246
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:11 - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 41:41
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_2911_China_Wu_Zetian
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 22 Feb 2012
- views: 419
- author: golffreak246
Let's Play Civilization 5 6:1 Final - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 43:58
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My sixth let's play CIvilization 5. Playing as China going for a domination victory. Playlist: www.youtube.com Playlist all: www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_61_Final_China_Wu_Zetian
My sixth let's play CIvilization 5. Playing as China going for a domination victory. Playlist: www.youtube.com Playlist all: www.youtube.com
- published: 15 Apr 2011
- views: 2128
- author: golffreak246
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:6 - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 36:36
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_296_China_Wu_Zetian
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 18 Feb 2012
- views: 545
- author: golffreak246
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:39 - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 27:21
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_2939_China_Wu_Zetian
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 20 Mar 2012
- views: 273
- author: golffreak246
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:40 - China (Wu Zetian) FINAL
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 25:13
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_2940_China_Wu_Zetian_FINAL
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 25 Mar 2012
- views: 548
- author: golffreak246
Let's Play Civilization 5 29:14 - China (Wu Zetian)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 30:02
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Let's_Play_Civilization_5_2914_China_Wu_Zetian
My twenty-ninth let's play Civilization 5. Playing as China on Difficulty 5! going for any type of victory. Playing on an Large Earth Map! Playlist: www.youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
- published: 26 Feb 2012
- views: 337
- author: golffreak246
photo: US Navy / HMC Josh Ives
27 Dec 2012
Imperial adventures are nothing new in the Middle East. Neither is their glorification, as Peter O’Toole’s pained Lawrence of Arabia eternally reminds us. But for a decade or so now, things have been heating up, as if to coincide with climate change and fears of declining petroleum reserves ... The Belly for Belligerence? ... The question loomed over beltway intelligentsia like an ephemeral Gordian knot ... We’re All Hawks Now ... While George W ... ....(size: 9.3Kb)
photo: AP / Altaf Qadri
29 Dec 2012
Police in India have sealed off much of the capital, Delhi, and issued an appeal for calm after the death of a woman who was gang-raped in the city. The 23-year old woman, who has not been identified, died early on Saturday at a hospital in Singapore, where she had been taken for specialist treatment. Her body is to be flown back to India for burial ... Gatherings of more than five people have been banned in the city centre ... ....(size: 4.9Kb)
photo: WN / Janice Sabnal
27 Dec 2012
Washington. Six people, including two young children, were left dead in weather-related accidents, as winter snowstorms complicated travel for many Americans in the Midwest and Northeast on Wednesday. Snow totals in parts of Indiana ranged from 6 to 12 inches, CNN reported. About 350 snowploughs were clearing roads throughout the city. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told residents they should avoid nonessential travel ... IANS ... ....(size: 2.2Kb)
photo: AP / Ben Curtis
28 Dec 2012
The president of Central African Republic (CAR) has urgently called on France and other foreign powers to help his government fend off rebels who are quickly seizing territory and approaching the capital. Speaking to crowds in Bangui, a city of some 600,000, Francois Bozize on Thursday pleaded with foreign powers to do what they could. He pointed in particular to France, Central African Republic's former colonial ruler ... 516 Share ... News ... ....(size: 19.5Kb)
photo: AP / Itsuo Inouye
29 Dec 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. A millennium before the English statesmen Edmund Burke, regarded as the father of Western Conservatism and who wrote, "good order is the foundation of all things," Japan's Seventeen-Article Constitution began with this conservative principle. "Harmony is to be cherished, and opposition for opposition's sake must be avoided as a matter of principle." ... militarism, those protesting U.S....(size: 9.7Kb)
Chicago Tribune
25 Nov 2012
In recent decades, China has transformed its economy into a powerhouse. Yet the communist country has doubled down on repression of its citizens. Enter Xi Jinping, who took over this month as China's leader. Few are expecting immediate reforms from this party stalwart with interesting relatives. Xi's father fought with communist leader Mao Zedong and was purged before the Cultural Revolution ... 6/ Wu Zetian was China's only ruling empress ... ....(size: 5.8Kb)
BBC News
10 Nov 2012
China Congress Quiz. The Congress of China's ruling Communist Party is about to appoint a new generation of leaders, to govern the country for the next 10 years. Test your knowledge of the Party and China's new elite in our quiz ... .. ... ... A yurt ... There has been one Chinese woman in space, Major Liu Yang, and only one empress, Wu Zetian - though there was also a dowager empress, Cixi, who unofficially controlled the Manchu Qing dynasty ... ....(size: 6.5Kb)
New Straits/Business Times
18 Sep 2012
The cast of Dama Orchestra’s musical, Empress Wu ... A FRESH and modern take on the life of Empress Wu Zetian, China’s first and only female emperor, will be brought to vivid life through an original musical work by Dama Orchestra ... According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Wuhou, the empress, also known as Wu Zhao and Wu Zetian, entered the palace of the Tang emperor Taizong (ruled 626-649) in 638, at 14, as a junior concubine....(size: 8.3Kb)
The Hindu
06 Sep 2012
The Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation, in association with Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, New Delhi, presents a Chinese Film Festival from September 14 to 18 at the Russian Centre of Science & Culture, 74, Kasthuri Ranga Road ... The line-up ... Set in 689 A.D., Wu Zetian is building a 66m high statue of Buddha for her inauguration as the first Empress of China, despite objections and conspiracy of the other clans....(size: 2.9Kb)
New Straits/Business Times
27 Aug 2012
OF the slew of K-pop girl groups that recently debuted, the five-member Two-X is attracting attention for their vocals, reports allkpop.com. It also helps that they have the looks. Jeong Ryeo. 1 / 2 ... Tune Entertainment, which also houses MBLAQ and is founded by Rain ... Kim Bum’s next project ... In this prequel, Taiwanese actor Mark Chao will play the titular character while Carina Lau will reprise her role as Empress Wu Zetian ... ....(size: 6.4Kb)
Caixin Online
03 Aug 2012
Chinese leaders have long put poetry to use by reinforcing political notions without the use of exacting statements ... Had Mr ... Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing ... It was during the Tang, in the reign of China's only female emperor, Wu Zetian, that poetry was made an essential element of the state examination system; henceforth, until the exam system was abolished in 1905, to be an official one also had to be a passable poet ... ....(size: 3.4Kb)
The Examiner
13 Jul 2012
Related topics. PC Game ReviewsFiraxis Games2k GamesBest PC GamesRating for Sid Meier's Civilization V. Gods and Kings. 5 Advertisement. Civilization V. Gods and Kings is the first major expansion for Civilization V, adding an extensive array of new units, features, and gameplay improvements to an already deeply addictive game ... Sid Meier's Civilization V ... I started a medium-sized, Normal game as the Empress Wu Zetian ... Overall....(size: 11.9Kb)
Foreign Policy
27 Jun 2012
The press has called her China's Jackie Kennedy, Lady Macbeth, and the Empress. There's been no trial, except by the blogosphere; no real evidence, beyond rumor and innuendo ... COMMENTS (0) SHARE. Twitter Reddit More... It's an irresistible story ... We could go back a long way -- history tends to in China -- and recall Empress Wu Zetian, who ruled between 665 and 725 A.D ... She reputedly bedded 1940 U.S ... ....(size: 4.6Kb)
The Star
14 Jun 2012
As Malaysia rolls out the red carpet for the pandas, it is hoped that China's panda diplomacy can also help ease political tension in the country ... The practice reportedly existed as far back as the Tang Dynasty when Empress Wu Zetian (625-705) sent a pair of pandas to the Japanese emperor but in modern times, "panda diplomacy" really took off after US President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China ... The reverse is also true ... ....(size: 5.0Kb)
Mail Guardian South Africa
23 Apr 2012
The female of the species is more deadly than the male, cautioned English author Rudyard Kipling. Given Kipling's love of mythology and prehistory, he should perhaps have added "and smarter" ... Wait until you meet the premiere Asian matriarch Wu Zetian, who, in the seventh century, used the power of words and belief to win out. By rights, Wu should be a household name, her achievements were so remarkable ... Consider what Wu achieved ... ....(size: 3.1Kb)
The Star
11 Apr 2012
When the movie ended, the duo were so moved by the tale that they decided to stage a musical of China's Empress Wu Zetian, the embodiment of ultimate female defiance in Confucian China ... We must bear in mind that a lot of the stories on Empress Wu Zetian came predominantly from three major sources - the Old Tang History (OTH), the New Tang History (NTH) and the Comprehensive Mirror (CM)....(size: 7.6Kb)
Mail Guardian South Africa
11 Apr 2012
The female of the species is more deadly than the male, cautioned Rudyard Kiplingâ. Given Kipling's love of mythology and prehistoric studies, he should perhaps have added "and smarter" ... Flesh-and-blood women, it seems, have managed to draw strength from this fact ... 'Tiger mother' ... Wait till you meet the premiere Asian matriarch -- Wu Zetian, who in the seventh century used the power of words and belief to win out. CONTINUES BELOW. ....(size: 2.9Kb)
Toronto Sun
09 Feb 2012
BEIJING - . Brace yourself for a little Canadian Panda-monium ... The pair of pandas will spend five years each at the zoos in Calgary and Toronto ... The Chongzing Zoo is a Panda breeding and research centre ... China has used "panda diplomacy" to signify who its friends are as far back as the Tang Dynasty in 625 BC when Empress Wu Zetian sent a pair of pandas to the Japanese emperor ... . ....(size: 2.2Kb)
This article is about the person. For other uses, see Wu Ze Tian.
| Wu Zetian | |
|---|---|
| Empress Regnant of the Tang Dynasty | |
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| Reign | 16 October 690[1][2] – 22 February 705[3][4] (&1000000000000001400000014 years, &10000000000000129000000129 days) |
| Predecessor | none, Emperor Ruizong as Emperor of Tang Dynasty |
| Successor | dynasty abolished, Emperor Zhongzong as Emperor of Tang Dynasty |
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| Tenure | 655-683 |
| Predecessor | Empress Wang |
| Successor | Empress Wei |
| Spouse | Emperor Taizong of Tang Emperor Gaozong of Tang |
| Issue | |
| Li Hong, Emperor Yizong Li Xian, Crown Prince Zhanghuai Princess Si of Anding Li Xian, Emperor Zhongzong Li Dan, Emperor Ruizong Princess Taiping |
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| Full name | |
| Family name: Wu (武) Given name: Mei (媚),[5] later Zhao (曌/瞾), possibly originally Zhao (照)[6] |
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| Posthumous name | |
| Short: Empress Zetian (則天皇后)[7] Full: Empress Zetian Shunsheng (則天順聖皇后)[8] |
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| Temple name | |
| None[9] | |
| House | Wu (by birth) House of Li (by marriage) |
| Father | Wu Shihuo, Duke Ding of Ying |
| Mother | Lady Yang |
| Born | (624-02-17)17 February 624[10] Lizhou, Sichuan Province, Tang Dynasty |
| Died | 16 December 705(705-12-16) (aged 81)[11] Luoyang, Tang Dynasty |
| Burial | 706 Qianling Mausoleum |
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This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. |
Wu Zetian (simplified Chinese: 武则天; traditional Chinese: 武則天; pinyin: Wǔ Zétiān, Mandarin pronunciation: [ù tsɯ̯ʌ̌ tʰi̯ɛ́n]) (17 February 624[10][12] – 16 December 705[11]), personal name Wu Zhao (武曌), often referred to as Tian Hou (天后) during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu (武后, Wǔ Hòu) in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant (Huangdi). As de facto ruler of China first through her husband and her sons from 665 to 690, not unprecedented in Chinese history, she then broke all precedents when she founded her own dynasty in 690, the Zhou (周) (interrupting the Tang Dynasty), and ruled personally under the name Sacred and Divine Empress Regnant (聖神皇帝) and variations thereof from 690 to 705. Her rise and reign has been criticized harshly by Confucian historians but has been viewed in a different light after the 1950s.
Contents |
Biographical sketch[link]
Family background and birth[link]
Wu was born in Lizhou (利州) (modern day Guangyuan City in Sichuan Province) in 624,[10] the seventh year of Emperor Gaozu of Tang’s reign. In the same year, a total eclipse of the Sun was visible across China. Her father Wu Shihuo was engaged in the timber business and the family was relatively well off. During the final years of Emperor Yang of Sui, Li Yuan (李淵) (who would go on to become Emperor Gaozu of Tang), whilst holding appointments in both Hedong and Taiyuan, Li stayed in the Wu household many times and became close to the Wu family. After Li Yuan overthrew Emperor Yang, he was generous to the Wu family, providing them with money, grain, land and clothing. Once the Tang Dynasty became established, Wu Shihou held a succession of senior ministerial posts including governor of Yangzhou, Lizhou and Jingzhou (荊州) (modern day Jiangling County, Hubei Province).
Wu Zetian was a strong willed child who refused to study needlework like most girls of the time. Instead, she was only interested in reading, from which she gained a wide political awareness. During her childhood she traveled widely with her parents and thus developed a cultured and knowledgeable personality.
Initial concubinage[link]
Wu Zetian entered the Tang palace at 13 and became a concubine of Emperor Taizong of Tang. She did not become a favorite of Taizong's, and after his death in 649, she might have been expected to spend the rest of her life as a Buddhist nun, like his other childless concubines. She was fortunate in that Empress Wang, the wife and empress of Emperor Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong, wanted another beautiful concubine to divert Emperor Gaozong's favors from Consort Xiao, with whom Empress Wang was having a desperate struggle. Wang had Wu brought back to the palace and made her a concubine of Emperor Gaozong. Consort Wu as she became known proceeded to defeat both Empress Wang and Consort Xiao in the struggle for Emperor Gaozong's affection, and subsequently, both Empress Wang and Consort Xiao were killed, and she was made empress.
As Empress[link]
As Empress Wu progressively gained more and more influence over the governance of the empire throughout Emperor Gaozong's reign, and toward the end of Emperor Gaozong's reign, she was effectively making most of the major decisions. She was regarded as ruthless in her endeavors to grab power, and was believed by traditional historians to have even killed her own daughter to frame Empress Wang, and her own eldest son Li Hong in a power struggle. She subsequently had another son, Li Xián, deposed and exiled.
As Empress Dowager[link]
After Emperor Gaozong's death in 683, Empress Wu became the empress dowager and proceeded to depose a third son, Emperor Zhongzong, for displaying independence. She then had her youngest son Emperor Ruizong made emperor, but was ruler not only in substance but in appearance as well, as she presided over imperial gatherings and prevented Emperor Ruizong from taking an active role in governance. In 690, she had Emperor Ruizong yield the throne to her and established the Zhou Dynasty. The early part of her reign was characterized by secret police terror, which moderated as the years went by. She was, on the other hand, recognized as a capable and attentive ruler even by traditional historians who despised her, and her ability at selecting capable men to serve as officials was admired throughout the rest of the Tang Dynasty as well as in subsequent dynasties.[13] In 705, she was overthrown in a coup, and Emperor Zhongzong was returned to the throne. She continued to carry the title of "emperor" until her death later in the year.
As Emperor Taizong's concubine[link]
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| 3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors | |||||||
| Xia Dynasty 2100–1600 BCE | |||||||
| Shang Dynasty 1600–1046 BCE | |||||||
| Zhou Dynasty 1045–256 BCE | |||||||
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| Warring States Period | |||||||
| IMPERIAL | |||||||
| Qin Dynasty 221 BCE–206 BCE | |||||||
| Han Dynasty 206 BCE–220 CE | |||||||
| Western Han | |||||||
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| Eastern Han | |||||||
| Three Kingdoms 220–280 | |||||||
| Wei, Shu and Wu | |||||||
| Jin Dynasty 265–420 | |||||||
| Western Jin | 16 Kingdoms 304–439 |
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| Eastern Jin | |||||||
| Southern and Northern Dynasties 420–589 |
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| Sui Dynasty 581–618 | |||||||
| Tang Dynasty 618–907 | |||||||
| (Second Zhou 690–705) | |||||||
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| Qing Dynasty 1644–1911 | |||||||
| MODERN | |||||||
| Republic of China 1912–1949 | |||||||
| People's Republic of China 1949–present |
Republic of China (Taiwan) 1949–present |
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The future Wu Zetian entered Emperor Taizong's palace when she was 13 years old—i.e., sometime between 636 and 638—after Emperor Taizong heard of her beauty. She was given the title of cairen, title for one of the consorts with the fifth rank in Tang's nine-rank system for imperial officials, nobles, and consorts.[14][15] Emperor Taizong gave her the name Mei (媚), meaning "pretty."[15] (Thus, today Chinese people often refer to her as Wu Mei or Wu Meiniang (武媚娘) when they write about her youth, whereas they refer to her as Empress Wu (武后) when referring to her as empress and empress dowager and Wu Zetian (武則天) when referring to her reign as "emperor.")[citation needed] When she was summoned to the palace, her mother Lady Yang wept bitterly when saying farewell to her, but she responded, "How do you know that it is not my fortune to meet the Son of Heaven?" Lady Yang understood her ambitions, and therefore stopped crying.
Consort Wu, however, did not appear to be much favored by Emperor Taizong, although it appeared that she did have sexual relations with him at one point.[16] According to her own account during her reign later while rebuking the chancellor Ji Xu, there was an occasion during the time she was Emperor Taizong's concubine when she impressed Emperor Taizong with her fortitude:
Emperor Taizong had a horse with the name "Lion Stallion", and it was so large and strong that no one could get on its back. I was a lady in waiting attending Emperor Taizong, and I suggested to him, "I only need three things to subordinate it: an iron whip, an iron hammer, and a sharp dagger. I will whip it with the iron whip. If it does not submit, I will hammer its head with the iron hammer. If it still does not submit, I will cut its throat with the dagger." Emperor Taizong praised my bravery. Do you really believe that you are qualified to dirty my dagger? [17]
Consort Wu did not have any children with Emperor Taizong. It was said that on one occasion, when Emperor Taizong's crown prince Li Zhi saw her, he was shocked by her beauty. After Emperor Taizong died in 649, Li Zhi became emperor (as Emperor Gaozong), and she and the other imperial consorts who did not have children went to Ganye Temple (感業寺) and became Buddhist nuns.
As Emperor Gaozong's concubine[link]
On an anniversary of Emperor Taizong's death,[18] Emperor Gaozong went to Ganye Temple to offer incense, and when he and Consort Wu saw each other, both of them wept—and were seen by Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wang.[19] At that time, Emperor Gaozong did not favor Empress Wang, and much favored his concubine Consort Xiao; further, Empress Wang did not have any children, and Consort Xiao had one son (Li Sujie) and two daughters (Princesses Yiyang and Xuancheng). Empress Wang, seeing that Emperor Gaozong was still impressed by Consort Wu's beauty, hoped that the arrival of a new concubine would divert the emperor from Consort Xiao, and therefore secretly told Consort Wu to stop shaving her hair and, at a later point, welcomed her to the palace. (Some modern historians dispute this traditional account, and some think that Consort Wu never actually left the imperial palace and might have had an affair with Emperor Gaozong while Emperor Taizong was still alive.)[citation needed] Wherever the truth lies, by the early 650s Consort Wu was a concubine of Emperor Gaozong, and she was titled Zhaoyi (昭儀), i.e. the highest ranking of the nine concubines of the second rank. Consort Wu soon overtook Consort Xiao in her favor from Emperor Gaozong. (The taking of a father's concubine—one who was believed to have had sexual relations with the deceased Emperor Taizong—was considered incest by traditional Confucian principles.)[16][20] In 652, she gave birth to her first child, a son named Li Hong. In 653, she gave birth to another son, Li Xián. (Later, after she became empress, she would bear two more sons (Li Xiǎn (note different tone) and Li Dan), and one daughter (the later Princess Taiping). For the time being, however, neither of these sons were in contention to be Emperor Gaozong's heir, as Emperor Gaozong had, pursuant to requests of officials instigated by Empress Wang and her uncle, the chancellor Liu Shi, created his oldest son Li Zhong, whose mother Consort Liu was of lowly birth and whose gratitude Empress Wang expected. By 654, both Empress Wang and Consort Xiao had lost favor with Emperor Gaozong, and the former romantic rivals joined forces against Consort Wu, but to no avail, and as a sign of his love to Consort Wu, in 654 he conferred posthumous honors on her father Wu Shihuo.
Also in 654, shortly after Consort Wu gave birth to a daughter, the daughter died. Empress Wang was allegedly seen near the child's room by eyewitnesses, and Emperor Gaozong suspected that she killed the child out of jealousy. She was unable to clear herself in Emperor Gaozong's eyes. (Traditional historians believed that Consort Wu actually killed her own daughter to frame Empress Wang, although it was possible that this allegation was manufactured by historians.)[21] In anger, Emperor Gaozong considered deposing Empress Wang and replacing her with Consort Wu, but wanted to make sure that the chancellors would support this, and so visited the house of his uncle Zhangsun Wuji, the leader among chancellors, with Consort Wu, awarding him with much treasure, but when he brought up the topic that Empress Wang was sonless (as an excuse for deposing her), Zhangsun repeatedly found ways to divert the conversation, and subsequent visits by Consort Wu's mother Lady Yang and the official Xu Jingzong, who was allied with Consort Wu, to seek support from Zhangsun were also to no avail.[21]
In summer 655, Consort Wu accused Empress Wang and her mother Lady Liu of using witchcraft. In response, Emperor Gaozong barred Lady Liu from the palace and demoted Liu Shi.[21] Meanwhile, a faction of officials began to form around Consort Wu, including Li Yifu, Xu, Cui Yixuan (崔義玄), and Yuan Gongyu (袁公瑜). On an occasion in fall 655, Emperor Gaozong summoned the chancellors Zhangsun, Li Ji, Yu Zhining, and Chu Suiliang to the palace—which Chu deduced to be regarding the matter of changing the empress. Li Ji claimed an illness and refused to attend. At the meeting, Chu vehemently opposed deposing Empress Wang, while Zhangsun and Yu showed their disapproval by silence. Meanwhile, other chancellors Han Yuan and Lai Ji also opposed the move, but when Emperor Gaozong asked Li Ji again, Li Ji's response was, "This is your family matter, Your Imperial Majesty. Why ask anyone else?" Emperor Gaozong therefore became resolved. He demoted Chu to be a commandant at Tan Prefecture (潭州, roughly modern Changsha, Hunan),[21] and then deposed both Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, putting them under arrest and creating Consort Wu empress instead to replace Empress Wang. (Later that year, Empress Wang and Consort Xiao were killed on orders by the new Empress Wu after Emperor Gaozong showed signs of considering to release them. After their deaths, however, Empress Wu was often haunted by them in her dreams, for the rest of Emperor Gaozong's reign, Emperor Gaozong and she often took up residence at the eastern capital Luoyang and only infrequently spent time in Chang'an.)[22]
As empress consort[link]
In 656, per advice of Xu Jingzong, Emperor Gaozong deposed Li Zhong to be the Prince of Liang, while creating Li Hong, then carrying the title of Prince of Dai, to be crown prince.[22]
In 657, Empress Wu and her allies began reprisals against officials who had opposed her ascension. She first had Xu and Li Yifu, who were by now chancellors, falsely accuse Han Yuan and Lai Ji of being complicit with Chu Suiliang in planning treason. The three of them, along with Liu Shi, were demoted to be prefects of remote prefectures, with provisions that they would never be allowed to return to Chang'an. In 659, she further had Xu accuse Zhangsun Wuji of plotting treason with the low level officials Wei Jifang (韋季方) and Li Chao (李巢). Zhangsun was exiled and, later in the year, was forced to commit suicide in exile. Xu further implicated Chu, Liu, Han, and Yu Zhining in the plot as well. Chu, who had died in 658, was posthumously stripped of his titles, and his sons Chu Yanfu (褚彥甫) and Chu Yanchong (褚彥沖) were executed. Orders were also issued to execute Liu and Han, although Han died before the execution order reached his location. It was said that after this point, no official dared to criticize the emperor any longer. In 660, Li Zhong, who had been fearful that he would be next and had sought out advice of fortune tellers, was also exiled and put under house arrest.[22]
Also in 660, Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu toured Bian Prefecture (i.e., Taiyuan), and Empress Wu had the opportunity to invite her old neighbors and relatives to a feast.[22] Later that year, Emperor Gaozong began to suffer from an illness that carried the symptoms of painful headache and loss of vision, generally thought to be hypertension-related,[23] but which some historians thought might be slow-poisoning by Empress Wu,[24] and he began to have Empress Wu make rulings on the petitions by the officials. It was said that Empress Wu had quick reactions and understood both literature and history, and therefore was making correct rulings. Thereafter, her authority began to rival Emperor Gaozong's.[22]
By 664, however, Empress Wu was said to be so interfering in the imperial governance that she was angering Emperor Gaozong. Further, she had engaged the Taoist sorcerer Guo Xingzhen (郭行真) in using witchcraft — an act that was prohibited by regulations and which had led to Empress Wang's downfall — and the eunuch Wang Fusheng (王伏勝) reported this to Emperor Gaozong, further angering him. He consulted the chancellor Shangguan Yi, who suggested that he depose Empress Wu. He had Shangguan draft an edict, but as Shangguan was doing so, Empress Wu received news of what was happening, and she went to him to plead her case, as he was holding the edict that Shangguan had drafted. Emperor Gaozong could not bear to depose her, and therefore blamed the episode on Shangguan. As both Shangguan and Wang had served on Li Zhong's staff, Empress Wu had Xu falsely accuse Shangguan, Wang, and Li Zhong of planning treason. Shangguan, Wang, and Shangguan's son Shangguan Tingzhi (上官庭芝) were executed, while Li Zhong was forced to commit suicide.[25] (Shangguan Tingzhi's daughter Shangguan Wan'er, then an infant, and her mother Lady Zheng became slaves in the inner palace. After Shangguan Wan'er grew up, she eventually became a trusted secretary for Empress Wu.) Thereafter, at imperial meetings, she would sit behind a curtain behind Emperor Gaozong, and they became referred to by the public as the "Two Holy Ones" (二聖, Er Sheng).[25]
Meanwhile, on Empress Wu's account, her mother Lady Yang had been created the Lady of Rong, and her older sister, now widowed, the Lady of Han. Her brothers Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang and cousins Wu Weiliang and Wu Huaiyun, despite the poor relations that they had with Lady Yang, were promoted. However, at a feast that Lady Yang held for them, Wu Weiliang offended Lady Yang by stating that they did not find it honorable for them to be promoted on account of Empress Wu. Empress Wu therefore requested to have them demoted to remote prefectures—outwardly to show modesty, but in reality to avenge the offense to her mother. Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang died in effective exile. Meanwhile, in or before 666, Lady of Han died as well, and after her death, Emperor Gaozong created her daughter the Lady of Wei and considered keeping her in the palace—possibly as a concubine—but did not immediately do so as he feared that Empress Wu would be displeased. It was said that Empress Wu heard of this and was nevertheless displeased, and she had the Lady of Wei poisoned, by placing poison in food offerings that Wu Weiliang and Wu Huaiyun had made, and then blaming Wu Weiliang and Wu Huaiyun for the murder. Wu Weiliang and Wu Huaiyun were executed.[25][26]
Also in 666, when Emperor Gaozong offered sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth at Mount Tai, Empress Wu, in an unprecedented action, offered sacrifices after him, with Princess Dowager Yan, the mother of Emperor Gaozong's brother Li Zhen the Prince of Yue, offering sacrifices after her.[25]
In 670, Lady Yang died, and by Emperor Gaozong's orders, all of the imperial officials and their wives attended her wake and mourned her. Later that year, with the realm suffering from a major draught, Empress Wu offered to be deposed, an offer Emperor Gaozong rejected. He further posthumously honored Wu Shihuo (who had previously been posthumously honored the Duke of Zhou) and Lady Yang the Prince and Princess of Taiyuan.[25]
Meanwhile, the Lady of Han's son Helan Minzhi (賀蘭敏之) had been given the surname of Wu and allowed to inherit the title of Duke of Zhou. However, as it was becoming clear that he was suspecting Empress Wu of having murdered his sister, Empress Wu began to take precautions against him, who was also said to have had an incestuous relationship with his grandmother Lady Yang. In 671, Helan Minzhi was accused of having disobeyed regulations on mourning during Lady Yang's mourning period, and also of raping the daughter of the official Yang Sijian (楊思儉), whom Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu had previously selected to be the wife and crown princess for Li Hong. Helan Minzhi was exiled and either was executed in exile or committed suicide. In 674, Empress Wu had Wu Yuanshuang's son Wu Chengsi recalled from exile to inherit the title of Duke of Zhou.[27]
Around the new year 675, Empress Wu submitted 12 suggestions—the chief of which were that Laozi (whose name was Li Er), to whom the Tang imperial clan traced its ancestry), should have his work Tao Te Ching be added to the required reading for imperial university students, and that a three-year mourning period should be observed for a mother's death in all cases. (Previously, such a mourning period was not observed if the father were still alive, but was observed if the father was no longer alive.) Emperor Gaozong praised her for her suggestions and adopted them.[27]
In 675, with Emperor Gaozong's illness getting worse, he considered having Empress Wu formally rule as regent. The chancellor Hao Chujun and the official Li Yiyan both opposed, and he did not formally make her regent. However, she began engaging a number of mid-level officials who were literarily talented, including Yuan Wanqing (元萬頃), Liu Yizhi, Fan Lübing, Miao Chuke (苗楚客), Zhou Simao (周思茂), and Han Chubin (韓楚賓), to write a number of works on her behalf, including the Biographies of Notable Women (列女傳), Guidelines for Imperial Subjects (臣軌), and New Teachings for Official Staff Members (百僚新誡). Collectively, they became known as the "North Gate Scholars" (北門學士), because they served inside the palace, which was to the north of the imperial government buildings, and Empress Wu sought advice from them to divert the powers of the chancellors.[27]
Also in 675, a number of persons would fall victim to Empress Wu's ire. Empress Wu had been displeased at the favor that Emperor Gaozong had shown his aunt Princess Changle, who had married the general Zhao Gui (趙瓌) and whose daughter had become the wife and princess of her third son Li Xiǎn the Prince of Zhou. Princess Zhao was therefore accused of unspecified crimes and put under arrest, and was eventually starved to death. Zhao Gui and Princess Changle were exiled. Meanwhile, later that month, Li Hong the Crown Prince, who had been trying to urge Empress Wu not to exercise so much influence on Emperor Gaozong's governance and who had offended Empress Wu by requesting that his half-sisters, Consort Xiao's daughters Princess Yiyang and Xuancheng, who had been under house arrest, be allowed to marry, died suddenly. Traditional historians generally believed that Empress Wu poisoned Li Hong to death. Li Xián, then carrying the title of Prince of Yong, was created crown prince.[27] Meanwhile, Consort Xiao's son Li Sujie and another son of Emperor Gaozong's, Li Shangjin (李上金), were repeatedly accused by her of crimes and demoted.[27]
Empress Wu's relationship with Li Xián also soon deteriorated, as Li Xián had become unsettled after hearing rumors that he was not actually born of Empress Wu but of her sister the Lady of Han, and when Empress Wu heard of his fearfulness, she became angry at him. Further, the sorcerer Ming Chongyan (明崇儼), whom both she and Emperor Gaozong respected and who had stated that Li Xián was unsuitable to inherit the throne, was assassinated in 679, and the assassins were not caught—causing her to suspect Li Xián to be behind the assassination. In 680, Li Xián was accused of crimes, and during investigation by the officials Xue Yuanchao, Pei Yan, and Gao Zhizhou, a large amount of arms was found in Li Xián's palace, and Empress Wu formally accused Li Xián of treason and of assassinating Ming. Li Xián was deposed and exiled, and Li Xiǎn (who had by now been renamed Li Zhe) was created crown prince.[27]
In 681, Princess Taiping was married to Xue Shao (薛紹), the son of Emperor Gaozong's sister Princess Chengyang, in a grand ceremony. Empress Wu, initially unimpressed with the lineages of Xue Shao's brothers' wives, wanted to order his brothers to divorce their wives—stopping only after it was pointed out to her that Lady Xiao, the wife of Xue Shao's older brother Xue Yi (薛顗), was a grandniece of the deceased chancellor Xiao Yu.[27]
In late 683, Emperor Gaozong died while at Luoyang. Li Zhe took the throne (as Emperor Zhongzong), but Empress Wu retained actual authority as empress dowager and regent.[28]
As empress dowager[link]
See also: Emperor Zhongzong of Tang#First reign, Emperor Ruizong of Tang#First reign, Li Jingye, and Li Zhen (Tang Dynasty)
Immediately, Emperor Zhongzong showed signs of disobeying Empress Dowager Wu—including an insistence on making his father-in-law Wei Xuanzhen (韋玄貞) Shizhong (侍中, the head of the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng) and a post considered one for a chancellor) and giving a mid-level office to his wet nurse's son—despite stern opposition by the chancellor Pei Yan, at one point remarking to Pei:[28]
What would be wrong even if I gave the empire to Wei Xuanzhen? Why do you care about Shizhong so much?
Pei reported this to Empress Dowager Wu, and she, after planning with Pei, Liu Yizhi, and the generals Cheng Wuting (程務挺) and Zhang Qianxu (張虔勖), deposed him and replaced him with her youngest son Li Dan the Prince of Yu (as Emperor Ruizong). Emperor Zhongzong was reduced to the title of Prince of Luling and exiled. Empress Dowager Wu also sent the general Qiu Shenji (丘神勣) to Li Xián's place in exile and forced Li Xián to commit suicide. Although Emperor Ruizong held the title of emperor, Empress Dowager Wu held onto power even more firmly, and the officials were not allowed to meet with Emperor Ruizong, nor was he allowed to rule on matters of state. Rather, the matters of state were ruled on by Empress Dowager Wu. At the suggestion of her nephew Wu Chengsi, she also expanded the ancestral shrine of the Wu ancestors and gave them greater posthumous honors.[28]
Soon thereafter, Li Ji's grandson Li Jingye the Duke of Ying, who had been disaffected by his own exile, started a rebellion at Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) -- a rebellion that initially drew much popular support in the region. However, Li Jingye progressed slowly in his attack and did not take advantage of that popular support. Meanwhile, Pei suggested to Empress Dowager Wu that she return imperial authority to the Emperor and argued that doing so would cause the rebellion to collapse on its own. This offended her, and she accused him of being complicit with Li Jingye and had him executed; she also demoted, exiled, and killed a number of officials who, when Pei was arrested, tried to speak on his behalf. She sent the general Li Xiaoyi (李孝逸) to attack Li Jingye, and while Li Xiaoyi was initially unsuccessful, he pushed on at the urging of his assistant Wei Yuanzhong and was eventually able to crush Li Jingye's forces. Li Jingye fled and was killed in flight.[28]
By 685, Empress Dowager Wu began to carry on an affair with the Buddhist monk Huaiyi, and during the next few years, Huaiyi would be progressively bestowed with greater and greater honors.[28][29][30]
In 686, Empress Dowager Wu offered to return imperial authorities to Emperor Ruizong, but Emperor Ruizong, knowing that she did not truly intend to do so, declined, and she continued to exercise imperial authority. Meanwhile, she created copper mailboxes outside the imperial government to encourage the people of the realm to secretly report on others, as she suspected many officials of opposing her. Under these beliefs of hers, secret police officials, including Suo Yuanli, Zhou Xing, and Lai Junchen, began to rise in power and began to carry out systematic false accusations, tortures, and executions of individuals.[28]
In 688, when Empress Dowager Wu was set to make sacrifices to the god of the Luo River (洛水, flowing through Luoyang), she summoned senior members of Tang's Li imperial clan to Luoyang, and the imperial princes, already concerned that she was considering slaughtering them and taking the throne herself, plotted to resist her. However, before a rebellion could be comprehensively planned out, Li Zhen and his son Li Chong the Prince of Langye rose first, at their respective posts as prefects of Yu Prefecture (豫州, roughly modern Zhumadian, Henan) and Bo Prefecture (博州, roughly modern Liaocheng, Shandong). The other princes were not yet ready, however, and did not rise, and forces sent by Empress Dowager Wu and the local forces crushed Li Chong and Li Zhen's forces quickly. Empress Dowager Wu took this opportunity to arrest Emperor Gaozong's granduncles Li Yuanjia (李元嘉) the Prince of Han, Li Lingkui (李靈夔) the Prince of Lu, and Princess Changle, as well as many other members of the Li clan and forced them to commit suicide. Even Princess Taiping's husband Xue Shao was implicated and starved to death. In the subsequent years, there continued to be many politically motivated massacres of officials and Li clan members.[29]
Modified Chinese characters[link]
In 690, Empress Dowager Wu's cousin's son Zong Qinke submitted a number of modified Chinese characters intended to showcase Empress Dowager Wu's greatness. She adopted them, and she took one of the modified characters, Zhao (曌), to be her formal name (i.e., the name by which the people would exercise naming taboo on). 曌 was made from two other characters: Ming (明) on top, meaning "light" or "clarity", and Kong (空) on the bottom, meaning "sky." The implication appeared to be that she would be like the light shining from the sky. (Zhao (照), meaning "shine", from which 曌 was derived, might have been her original name, but evidence of that is inconclusive.)[6] Later that year, after successive petition drives, initially started by the low-level official Fu Youyi, began to occur in waves, asking her to take the throne herself, Emperor Ruizong offered to take the name of Wu as well. On 18 August, 690,[1] she approved of the requests. She changed the name of the state to Zhou, claiming ancestry from Zhou Dynasty, and took the throne herself as Empress Regnant (with the title of Empress Regnant Shengshen (聖神皇帝), literally "Divine and Sacred Emperor or Empress Regnant"). Emperor Ruizong was deposed and made crown prince with the atypical title of Huangsi (皇嗣).[29] This thus interrupted Tang Dynasty, and she became the first (and only) woman to reign over China as Empress Regnant.[31]
As Empress Regnant of the Zhou Dynasty[link]
Traditional Chinese order of succession (akin to the Salic law in Europe) did not allow a woman to ascend the throne, but Wu Zetian was determined to squash the opposition, and the use of the secret police did not subside, but continued, after her taking the throne. However, while her organization of the civil service system was criticized for its laxity of the promotion of officials, Wu Zetian was considered capable of evaluating the performance of the officials once they were in office. The Song Dynasty historian Sima Guang, in his Zizhi Tongjian, commented:[30]
Even though the Empress Dowager[32] excessively used official titles to cause people to submit to her, if she saw that someone was incompetent, she would immediately depose or even execute him. She grasped the powers of punishment and award, controlled the state, and made her own judgments as to policy decisions. She was observant and had good judgment, so the talented people of the time also were willing to be used by her.
Reign[link]
Early reign[link]
Shortly after Wu Zetian took the throne, she elevated the status of Buddhism to be above Taoism, officially sanctioning the religion by building temples named Dayun Temple (大雲寺) in each prefecture belonging to the capital regions of the two capitals Luoyang and Chang'an, and also created nine senior monks dukes. She also enshrined seven generations of Wu ancestors at the imperial ancestral temple, although she also continued to offer sacrifices to the three emperors of Tang (Emperors Gaozu, Taizong, and Gaozong).[29]
She faced the issue of succession. At the time she took the throne, she created Li Dan, the former Emperor Ruizong, crown prince, and bestowed the name of Wu on him.[29] However, the official Zhang Jiafu instigated the commoner Wang Qingzhi (王慶之) into starting a petition drive to make her nephew Wu Chengsi crown prince, arguing that an emperor named Wu should pass the throne to a member of the Wu clan. Wu Zetian was tempted to do so, and when the chancellors Cen Changqian and Ge Fuyuan opposed sternly, they, along with fellow chancellor Ouyang Tong, were executed. Nevertheless, she declined Wang's request to make Wu Chengsi crown prince, but for a time allowed Wang to freely enter the palace to see her. On one occasion, however, when Wang angered her by coming to the palace too much, she asked the official Li Zhaode to batter Wang—and Li Zhaode took the opportunity to batter Wang to death, and his group of petitioners scattered. Li Zhaode then persuaded Wu Zetian to keep Li Dan as crown prince—pointing out that a son was closer in relations than a nephew, and also that if Wu Chengsi became emperor, Emperor Gaozong would never again be worshipped. Wu Zetian agreed, and for some time did not again consider the matter.[29] Further, at Li Zhaode's warning that Wu Chengsi was becoming too powerful, Wu Zetian stripped Wu Chengsi of his chancellor authority and bestowed on him largely honorific titles without actual authority.[30]
Meanwhile, the powers of the secret police officials continued, but appeared to be curbed starting about 692, when Lai Junchen was foiled in his attempt to have the chancellors Ren Zhigu, Di Renjie, Pei Xingben, and other officials Cui Xuanli (崔宣禮), Lu Xian (盧獻), Wei Yuanzhong, and Li Sizhen (李嗣真) executed, as Di, under arrest, hid a secret petition inside a change of clothes and had it submitted by his son Di Guangyuan (狄光遠). The seven were still exiled, but after this incident, particularly at the urging of Li Zhaode, Zhu Jingze, and Zhou Ju (周矩), the waves of politically motivated massacres decreased, although did not end entirely.[30]
Also in 692, Wu Zetian commissioned the general Wang Xiaojie to attack Tufan, and Wang recaptured the four garrisons of Xiyu that had fallen to Tufan in 670 -- Qiuzi, Yutian, Shule, and Suiye.[30]
In 693, after Wu Zetian's trusted lady in waiting Wei Tuan'er (韋團兒), who hated Li Dan (the reason why she did so is lost to history), falsely accused Li Dan's wife Crown Princess Liu and Consort Dou of using witchcraft, Wu Zetian had Crown Princess Liu and Consort Dou killed. Li Dan, fearful that he was to be next, did not dare to speak of them. When Wei further planned to falsely accuse Li Dan, however, someone else informed on her, and she was executed. Wu Zetian nevertheless had Li Dan's sons demoted in their princely titles, and when the officials Pei Feigong (裴匪躬) and Fan Yunxian (范雲仙) were accused of secretly meeting Li Dan, she executed Pei and Fan and further barred officials from meeting Li Dan. There were then accusations that Li Dan was plotting treason, and under Wu Zetian's direction, Lai launched an investigation. Lai arrested Li Dan's servants and tortured them—and the torture was such that many of them were ready to falsely implicate themselves and Li Dan. One of Li Dan's servants, An Jinzang, however, proclaimed Li Dan's innocence and cut his own belly open to swear to that fact. When Wu Zetian heard of what An did, she had doctors attend to An and barely saved his life, and then ordered Lai to end the investigation, thus saving Li Dan.[30]
In 694, Li Zhaode, who had become powerful after Wu Chengsi's removal, was himself thought to be too powerful, and Wu Zetian removed him.[30] Also around this time, she became highly impressed with a group of mystic individuals—the hermit Wei Shifang (on whom she bestowed a chancellor title briefly), who claimed to be over 350 years old; an old Buddhist nun who claimed to be a Buddha and capable of predicting the future; and a non-Han man who claimed to be 500 years old. During this time, Wu briefly claimed to be and adopted the cult imagery of Maitreya, the future Buddha, in order to build popular support for her reign.[33] However, in 695, after the imperial meeting hall (明堂) and the Heavenly Hall (天堂) were burned by Huaiyi (who was jealous at Wu Zetian's taking on another lover, the imperial physician Shen Nanqiu (沈南璆)), Wu Zetian became angry at these individuals for failing to predict the fire; the old nun and her students were arrested and made into slaves; Wei committed suicide; and the old non-Han man fled. Subsequently, she also put Huaiyi to death. After this incident, she appeared to pay less attention to mysticism and was even more dedicated than before to the affairs of state.[30]
Middle reign[link]
However, Wu Zetian's administration was soon in for various troubles on the western and then northern borders. In spring 696, an army she sent, commanded by Wang Xiaojie and Lou Shide against Tufan, was soundly defeated by Tufan generals, the brothers Lun Qinling (論欽陵) and Lun Zanpo (論贊婆), and as a result, she demoted Wang to commoner rank and Lou to be a low level prefectural official, although she eventually restored both of them to general positions.[30] In April of the same year, Wu Zetian recast the Nine Tripod Cauldrons, symbol of ultimate power in ancient China, to reinforce her authority.[34]
A much more serious threat arose in summer 696. The Khitan chieftains Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong, brothers-in-law, angry over the mistreatment of the Khitan people by the Zhou official Zhao Wenhui (趙文翽), the prefect of Ying Prefecture (營州, roughly modern Zhaoyang, Liaoning), rebelled, with Li assuming the title of Wushang Khan (無上可汗). Armies that Wu Zetian sent to suppress Li and Sun's rebellion were defeated by Khitan forces, which in turn attacked Zhou proper. Meanwhile, the Eastern Tujue Khan Ashina Mochuo offered to submit, and yet was also launching attacks against Zhou and Khitan—including an attack against Khitan base of operations in winter 696 shortly after Li's death at that time that captured Li's and Sun's families and temporarily halted Khitan operations against Zhou.[30] Sun, after taking over as khan and reorganizing Khitan forces, again attacked Zhou territory and had many victories over Zhou forces, including a battle during which Wang Shijie was killed.[17][30] Wu Zetian tried to allay the situation by making peace with Ashina Mochuo at fairly costly terms—the return of Tujue people who had previously submitted to Zhou and providing Ashina Mochuo with seeds, silk, tools, and iron. In summer 697, Ashina Mochuo launched another attack on Khitan's base of operations, and this time, after his attack, Khitan forces collapsed, and Sun was killed in flight, ending the Khitan threat.[17]
Meanwhile, also in 697, Lai Junchen, who had at one point lost power but had then returned to power, falsely accused Li Zhaode (who had been pardoned) of crimes, and then planned to falsely accuse Li Dan, Li Zhe, the Wu clan princes, and Princess Taiping, of treason. The Wu clan princes and Princess Taiping acted first against him, accusing him of crimes, and he and Li Zhaode were executed together. After Lai's death, the reign of the secret police largely ended, and many of the victims of Lai and the other secret police officials were gradually exonerated posthumously.[17] Meanwhile, around this time, Wu Zetian began to engage herself with two new lovers—the brothers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, who became honored within the palace and were eventually created dukes.[17][35]
Around 698, Wu Chengsi and another nephew of Wu Zetian's, Wu Sansi the Prince of Liang, were repeatedly making attempts to have officials persuade Wu Zetian to create one of them crown prince—again citing the reason that an emperor should pass the throne to someone of the same clan. However, Di Renjie, who by now had become a trusted chancellor, was firmly against the idea and instead proposed that Li Zhe be recalled. He was supported in this by fellow chancellors Wang Fangqing and Wang Jishan, as well as Wu Zetian's close advisor Ji Xu, who further persuaded the Zhang brothers to support the idea as well. In spring 698, Wu Zetian agreed and recalled Li Zhe from exile. Soon, Li Dan offered to yield the crown prince position to Li Zhe, and Wu Zetian created Li Zhe crown prince, and soon changed his name back to Li Xiǎn and then Wu Xian.[17]
Later, Ashina Mochuo demanded a Tang dynasty prince for marriage to his daughter, part of a plot to join his family with the Tang, displace the Zhou, and restore Tang rule over China (under his influence). When Wu Zetian sent a member of her own family, grandnephew Wu Yanxiu (武延秀), to marry Mochuo's daughter instead, he rejected him.[36] Ashina Mochuo had no actual intention to cement the peace treaty with a marriage; instead, when Wu Yanxiu arrived, he detained Wu Yanxiu and then launched a major attack on Zhou, advancing as far south as Zhao Prefecture (趙州, in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) before withdrawing.[17]
In 699, however, at least the Tufan threat would cease. The Tufan king Tridu Songtsen, unhappy that Lun Qinling was monopolizing power, took an opportunity when Lun Qinling was away from the capital Lhasa to slaughter Lun Qinling's associates. He then defeated Lun Qinling in battle, and Lun Qinling committed suicide. Lun Zanpo and Lun Qinling's son Lun Gongren (論弓仁) surrendered to Zhou. After this, Tufan was under internal turmoil for several years, and there was peace for Zhou on the Tufan border.[17]
Also in 699, Wu Zetian, realizing that she was growing old, feared that after her death, Li Xian and the Wu clan princes would not be able to have peace with each other, and she made him, Li Dan, Princess Taiping, Princess Taiping's second husband Wu Youji (a nephew of hers) the Prince of Ding, and other Wu clan princes to swear an oath to each other.[17]
Late reign[link]
As Wu Zetian grew older, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong became increasingly powerful, and even the princes of the Wu clan flattered them. She also increasingly relied on them to handle the affairs of state. This was secretly discussed and criticized by her grandson Li Chongrun the Prince of Shao (Li Xian's son), granddaughter Li Xianhui (李仙蕙) the Lady Yongtai (Li Chongrun's sister), and Li Xianhui's husband Wu Yanji (武延基) the Prince of Wei (Wu Zetian's grandnephew and Wu Chengsi's son), but somehow the discussion was leaked, and Zhang Yizhi reported this to Wu Zetian. She ordered the three of them to commit suicide.[37][38]
Despite her old age, however, Wu Zetian continued to be interested in finding talented officials and promoting them, and individuals that she promoted in her old age included, among others, Cui Xuanwei and Zhang Jiazhen.[35]
By 703, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong had become resentful of Wei Yuanzhong, who by now was a senior chancellor, for dressing down their brother Zhang Changyi (張昌儀) and rejecting the promotion of another brother Zhang Changqi (張昌期). They were also fearful that if Wu Zetian died, Wei would find a way to execute them, and therefore accused Wei and Gao Jian (高戩), an official favored by Princess Taiping, of speculating on Wu Zetian's old age and death. They initially got Wei's subordinate Zhang Shuo to agree to corroborate the charges, but once Zhang Shuo was before Wu Zetian, he instead accused Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong of forcing him to bear false witness. As a result, Wei, Gao, and Zhang Shuo were exiled, but escaped death.[35]
Removal and death[link]
In autumn of 704, there began to be accusations of corruption levied against Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, as well as their brothers Zhang Changqi, Zhang Changyi, and Zhang Tongxiu (張同休). Zhang Tongxiu and Zhang Changyi were demoted, but even though the officials Li Chengjia (李承嘉) and Huan Yanfan advocated that Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong be removed as well, Wu Zetian, taking the suggestion of the chancellor Yang Zaisi, did not remove them. Subsequently, charges of corruption against Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were renewed by the chancellor Wei Anshi.[35]
In winter 704, Wu Zetian became seriously ill for a period, and only the Zhang brothers were allowed to see her; the chancellors were not. This led to speculation that Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were plotting to take over the throne, and there were repeated accusations of treason. Once her condition improved, Cui Xuanwei advocated that only Li Xian and Li Dan be allowed to attend to her—a suggestion that she did not accept. After further accusations against the Zhang brothers by Huan and Song Jing, Wu Zetian allowed Song to investigate, but before the investigation was completed, she issued a pardon for Zhang Yizhi, derailing Song's investigation.[35]
By spring 705, Wu Zetian was again seriously ill. Zhang Jianzhi, Jing Hui, and Yuan Shuji, planned a coup to kill the Zhang brothers. They convinced the generals Li Duozuo, Li Dan (李湛, note different character than the former emperor), and Yang Yuanyan (楊元琰) and another chancellor, Yao Yuanzhi, to be involved. With agreement from Li Xian as well, they acted on 20 February,[3] killing Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, and then had Changsheng Hall (長生殿), where Wu Zetian was residing, surrounded. They then reported to her that the Zhang brothers had been executed for treason, and then forced her to yield the throne to Li Xian. On 21 February, an edict was issued in her name that made Li Xian regent, and on 22 February, an edict was issued in her name passing the throne to Li Xian. On 23 February, Li Xian formally retook the throne, and the next day, Wu Zetian, under heavy guard, was moved to the subsidiary palace Shangyang Palace (上陽宮), but was nevertheless honored with the title of Empress Regnant Zetian Dasheng (則天大聖皇帝).[35] On 3 March,[39] Tang Dynasty was restored, ending Zhou.[34] She died on 16 December,[11] and, pursuant to a final edict issued in her name, was no longer referred to as emperor, but instead as Empress Zetian Dasheng (則天大聖皇后).[34] In 706, Wu Zetian's son Emperor Zhongzong had Wu Zetian interred in a joint burial with his father Emperor Gaozong at the Qianling Mausoleum, located near the capital Chang'an on Mount Liang. Emperor Zhongzong also buried at Qianling his brother Li Xián, son Li Chongrun, and daughter Li Xianhui (李仙蕙) the Lady Yongtai (posthumously honored as the Princess Yongtai) — victims of Wu Zetian's wrath.
Literature[link]
Besides her own literary work, Wu Zetian's court was a focus of literary creativity. Forty-six of Wu's poems are collected in the Quantangshi (Collected Tang Poems) and sixty-one essays under her name are recorded in the Quantangwen (Collected Tang Essays).[40] Though a lot of those writings serve political ends, there is one poem in which she laments her mother after she died and expresses her despair at not being able to see her again. Also, during Wu Zetian's reign the imperial court produced various works for which she was a sponsor, such as the anthology of the poetry of her court known as the Collection of Precious Glories (Zhuying ji), which contained poems by Cui Rong, Li Jiao, Zhang Yue, and others, arranged according to the official rank at the court of the individuals included.[41] Among the literary developments which took place during the time of Wu Zetian (and partly at her court) was the final stylistic development of the "new style" poetry of the regulated verse (jintishi), by the poetic pair Song Zhiwen and Shen Quanqi. Wu Zetian also engaged in patronage of scholars by founding an institute to produce the Collection of Biographies of Famous Women.[42]
Evaluation[link]
Although short-lived, the Zhou Dynasty, according to some historians, resulted in better equality between the sexes during the succeeding Tang Dynasty.
In early period of Tang Dynasty, because the Confucian ideology has not dominated China entirely and all the emperors were her direct descendents, the evaluation for Wu Zetian were relatively positive during that time. Commentary in subsequent periods, however, especially the book Zizhi Tongjian complied by Sima Guang, criticized Wu Zetian harshly. By the period of Southern Song Dynasty, when Neo-Confucianism was firmly established as the mainstream political ideology of China, their sexist ideology determined the evaluation for Wu Zetian.
Considering the events of her life, literary allusions to Wu Zetian can carry several connotations: a woman who has inappropriately overstepped her bounds, the hypocrisy of preaching compassion while simultaneously engaging in a pattern of corrupt and vicious behavior, and ruling by pulling strings in the background. For many centuries, Wu was used by the Chinese establishment as an example of what can go wrong when a woman is placed in charge. Such sexist opposition to her was only lifted during the late 1960s, when Mao Zedong's wife Jiang Qing rehabilitated Wu as part of a propaganda campaign to suggest herself as a successor to her ailing husband. In his biography Wu, British author Jonathan Clements has pointed out that these wildly differing uses of a historical figure have often led to schizophrenic and often hysterical characterizations. Many alleged poisonings and other incidents, such as the premature death of her daughter, may have rational explanations—for example, Empress Wang did smother the child—but have been twisted by later opponents.
The traditional Chinese historical view on her was generally mixed—admiring her for her abilities in governing the state, but vilifying her for her actions in seizing imperial power. Typical was a commentary by the Later Jin Dynasty historian Liu Xu, the lead editor of the Book of Tang:[43]
The year that Lady Wu declared herself regent, heroic individuals were all mournful of the unfortunate turn of events, worried that the dynasty would fall, and concerned that they could not repay the grace of the deceased emperor [i.e., Emperor Gaozong] and protect his sons. Soon thereafter, great accusations arose, and many innocent people were falsely accused and stuck their necks out in waiting for execution. Heaven and earth became like a huge cage, and even if one could escape it, where could he go? That was lamentable. In the past, the trick of covering the nose[44] surprised the realm in its poisonousness, and the disaster of the human pig[45] caused the entire state to mourn. In order to take over as empress, Empress Wu strangled her own infant daughter; her willingness to crush her own flesh and blood showed how great her viciousness and vile nature was, although this is nothing more than what evil individuals and jealous women might do. However, she accepted the words of righteousness and honored the upright. Although she was like a hen that crowed, she eventually returned the rightful rule to her son. She quickly dispelled the accusation against Wei Yuanzhong, comforted Di Renjie with kind words, respected the will of the times and suppressed her favorites, and listened to honest words and ended the terror of the secret police officials. This was good, this was good.
Second Zhou Dynasty (690–705)[link]
| Convention: use personal name | |||
| Temple names | Family name and first name | Period of reign | Era names and their associated dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | Wǔ Zhào(武曌) | 690-705 |
Tiānshòu (天授): 16 October 690 – 21 April 692 (18 months) |
Chancellors during reign[link]
- Cen Changqian (690-691)
- Wu Chengsi (690-692, 697)
- Xing Wenwei (690)
- Wu Youning (690-691, 691-692, 698[46]-699)
- Fu Youyi (690-691)
- Shi Wuzi (690-691)
- Zong Qinke (690)
- Le Sihui (691)
- Ren Zhigu (691-692)
- Ge Fuyuan (691)
- Ouyang Tong (691)
- Pei Xingben (691-692)
- Di Renjie (691-692, 697[46]-700)
- Yang Zhirou (692)
- Li Youdao (692)
- Yuan Zhihong (692)
- Cui Shenji (692)
- Cui Yuanzong (692-694)
- Li Zhaode (692-694)
- Yao Shu (692, 694-697)
- Li Yuansu (692, 694-696)
- Wang Xuan (692)
- Lou Shide (693-696, 697[46]-699)
- Wei Juyuan (693-694, 700)
- Lu Yuanfang (693-694, 699-700[46])
- Doulu Qinwang (693-694, 697-698, 699-700)
- Su Weidao (693-694, 698-704)
- Wang Xiaojie (693-696)
- Wei Shifang (694)
- Yang Zaisi (694-699, 704-705)
- Du Jingjian (694, 697-698)
- Zhou Yunyuan (694-695)
- Sun Yuanheng (696)
- Wang Fangqing (696-698)
- Li Daoguang (696-698)
- Wang Jishan (697-699)
- Zong Chuke (697-698, 704)
- Wu Sansi (697, 698[46]-700[46])
- Yao Chong (698-704, 704-705)
- Li Jiao (698-700, 703-704)
- Ji Xu (699-700)
- Wei Yuanzhong (699-703)
- Zhang Xi (700-701)
- Wei Anshi (700-705)
- Li Huaiyuan (701)
- Gu Cong (701-702)
- Li Jiongxiu (701-704)
- Zhu Jingze (703-704)
- Tang Xiujing (703-705)
- Wei Sili (704)
- Cui Xuanwei (704-705)
- Zhang Jianzhi (704-705)
- Fang Rong (704-705)
- Wei Chengqing (704-705)
- Yuan Shuji (705)
Personal information[link]
- Great-Great-Great-Grandfather
- Wu Heje (武克已), posthumously honored as Emperor Cheng 成皇帝 (with the temple name of Yanzu 嚴祖)
- Great-Great-Great-Grandmother
- Lady Pei, Wu Heje's wife, posthumously honored as Empress Chengzhuang (成莊皇后)
- Great-Great-Grandfather
- Wu Juchang (武居常), posthumously honored as Emperor Jianjin 章敬皇帝 (with the temple name of Suzu 肅祖)
- Great-Great-Grandmother
- Lady Liu, Wu Juichang's wife, posthumously honored as Empress Zhangjing (章敬皇后)
- Great-Grandfather
- Wu Jian (武儉), posthumously honored as Emperor Zhaoan 昭安皇帝 (with the temple name of Lizu 烈祖)
- Great-grandmother
- Lady Song, Wu Jian's wife, posthumously honored as Empress Zhao'an (昭安皇后)
- Grandfather
- Wu Hua (武華), posthumously honored as Emperor Wenmu 文穆皇帝 (with the temple name of Xuanzu 顯祖)
- Grandmother
- Lady Zhao, Wu Hua's wife, posthumously honored as Empress Wenmu (文穆皇后)
- Father
- Wu Shihuo (武士彠) (559 - 635), Duke Ding of Ying, later further successively posthumously honored as the Duke of Zhou, the Prince of Taiyuan, King Zhongxiao (忠孝王), and Emperor Wushangxiaominggao 無上孝明高皇帝(with the temple name of Taizu 太祖)
- Mother
- Lady Yang (579 - 3 October 670), Wu Shihuo's second wife, daughter of Yang Da (551 - 612), honored as the Lady of Rong, Lady of Zuan, Lady of Wei, and finally Lady Zhonglie of Lu, later further successively posthumously honored with titles corresponding to Wu Shihuo's; she came from the aristocratic Yang family of the Hong Ning region and was of the same clan as the imperial family of the Sui Dynasty[47]
- Husband
- Major known lovers
- Huaiyi, né Feng Xiaobao (馮小寶) (name changed 685), the Duke of Liang (created 688) then the Duke of E (created 690, killed 695)
- Shen Nanqiu (沈南璆), imperial physician
- Zhang Yizhi, the Duke of Heng (created 702, killed 705)
- Zhang Changzong, the Duke of Ye (created 702, killed 705)
- Children
- Li Hong (李弘) (b. 652), originally the Prince of Dai (created 653), later the Crown Prince (created 656, poisoned 675), posthumously honored Emperor Xiaojing with the temple name Yizong
- Li Xián (李賢) (note different tone than his brother) (b. 653), name changed to Li De (李德) 672, changed back to Li Xián 674, originally the Prince of Lu (created 655), later the Prince of Pei (created 661), later the Prince of Yong (created 672), later the Crown Prince (created 675), later demoted to commoner rank (demoted 680, forced to commit suicide 684), posthumously initially honored the Prince of Yong, later honored Crown Prince Zhanghuai
- Li Xiǎn (李顯) (note different tone than his brother) (b. 655), name changed to Li Zhe (李哲) 677, changed back to Li Xiǎn 698, changed to Wu Xian (武顯) 700, changed back to Li Xian 705, initially the Prince of Zhou (created 656), later the Prince of Ying (created 677), later the Crown Prince (created 680), later Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (enthroned 684), later demoted to Prince of Luling (demoted 684), later the Crown Prince (created 698), later emperor again (705)
- Li Dan (李旦), né Li Xulun (李旭輪) (b. 662), name changed to Li Lun (李輪) 669, changed again to Li Dan 678, changed again to Wu Lun (武輪) 690, changed again to Wu Dan (武旦) 698, changed back to Li Dan 705, originally the Prince of Yin (created 662), later the Prince of Yu (created 666), later the Prince of Ji (created 669), later the Prince of Xiang (created 675), later the Prince of Yu (created 678), later Emperor Ruizong of Tang (enthroned 684), later demoted to Crown Prince (demoted 690), later demoted to Prince of Xiang (demoted 698), later emperor again (710)
- Princess Si of Anding (born and died 654), supposedly murdered by Emperor Gaozong's first wife Empress Wang
- Princess Taiping (forced to commit suicide 713)
Titles carried, in chronological order[link]
- Lady Wu (maiden style) 624-637
- Cairen (才人) (15th ranked imperial consort) 637-649
- Zhaoyi (昭儀) (Fourth ranked imperial consort) 650?-655
- Empress (Huanghou (皇后)) 655-683
- Also known as Tianhou (天后) 674-683
- Empress dowager (Huang Taihou (皇太后)) 683-690
- Also known as Shengmu Shenhuang (聖母神皇) 688-690
- Emperor (Huangdi (皇帝)) 690-705
- Shengshen Huangdi (聖神皇帝) 690-693
- Jinlun Shengshen Huangdi (金輪聖神皇帝) 693-694
- Yuegu Jinlun Shengshen Huangdi (越古金輪聖神皇帝) 694-695
- Jinlun Shengshen Huangdi 695
- Tiance Jinlun Dasheng Huangdi 695-705
- Zetian Dasheng Huangdi (則天大聖皇帝) 705
- Posthumous empress titles
- Zetian Dasheng Huanghou (則天大聖皇后) 705-710
- Tianhou (天后) 710
- Dasheng Tianhou (大聖天后) 710-712
- Tianhou Shengdi (天后聖帝) 712
- Shenghou (聖后) 712-716
- Zetian Huanghou (則天皇后) 716-749
- Zetian Shunsheng Huanghou (則天順聖皇后) (final version)
Ancestry[link]
| Ancestors of Wu Zetian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cultural references[link]
Works of fiction[link]
- A fictionalized Wu Zetian appears together with Di Renjie (Judge Dee) in Eleanor Cooney & Daniel Alteri's mystery novel Deception: A Novel of Mystery and Madness in Ancient China
- A novel, titled The Walking Boy, by Lydia Kwa was published in 2005 by Key Porter Books, Canada.
- Lady Wu, written by Lin Yutang, combines thoroughly researched historical data and storytelling to weave a sensually vicious portrayal of the woman who would be Emperor.
- Impératrice (French), biographical novel by Shan Sa, born in Beijing, and based on Empress Wu's life. Translated into:
Empress, for English ; Jotei: Waga na wa Sokuten Bukō (女帝: わが名は則天武后, trans. "Female emperor: My name is Empress Wu Zetian"), for Japanese; Kaiserin, for German. - A historical novel with the title Cairen Wu Zhao was written by Chinese novelist Su Tong elaborating her life and her emotional experience.
- Isle of Woman (Tor Fantasy, 1993) by Piers Anthony contains a chapter about Wu Zetian's rise to power.
- Green Dragon, White Tiger (Onyx, 1988) by Irish writer Annette Motley, a historical romantic fiction of the empress.
Films[link]
- The Empress Wu Tse-Tien (武則天), a 1939 Chinese film starring Violet Koo (顧蘭君).
- Empress Wu Zetian (武則天), a 1949 Hong Kong film starring Hung Sau-man (孔繡雲).
- The Empress Wu Tse-tien (武則天), a 1963 Hong Kong film produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, starring Li Li-hua (李麗華).
- Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (狄仁傑之通天帝國), a 2010 film featuring Carina Lau as Wu Zetian.
Television[link]
- Wu Zetian (武則天), a 1976 Hong Kong television series produced by Commercial Television. Lee Tong-ming (李通明) starred as Wu Zetian while Seung Yee (湘漪) portrayed an older Wu.
- Empress Wu (武則天), a 1984 Hong Kong television series produced by ATV, starring Petrina Fung.
- The Empress of the Dynasty (一代女皇), a 1985 Taiwanese television series produced by CTV, starring Angela Pan.
- Tang Ming Huang (唐明皇), a 1990 Chinese television series aired on CCTV-1, based on events in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Zhu Lin played Wu Zetian.
- Wu Zetian (武則天), a 1995 Chinese television series produced by CCTV, starring Liu Xiaoqing.
- The Love Story in the Fantasyland (鏡花緣傳奇), a 2000 Hong Kong television series produced by ATV. It was based on the novel Flowers in the Mirror and starred Liza Wang as Wu Zetian.
- Palace of Desire (大明宮詞), a 2000 Chinese television series produced by CCTV, with Wu Zetian's daughter Princess Taiping as the main character. Gui Yalei (歸亞蕾) played Wu Zetian.
- Love Legend of the Tang Dynasty (大唐情史), a 2001 Chinese television series about Emperor Taizong's daughter Princess Gaoyang. Qin Lan played a young Wu Zetian.
- Whatever It Takes (天子尋龍), a 2003 Hong Kong television series produced by TVB. Law Koon-lan (羅冠蘭) played Wu Zetian.
- Zhizun Hongyan (至尊紅顏), a 2004 television series aired in Taiwan on CTS, starring Alyssa Chia (賈靜雯) as Wu Zetian.
- Amazing Detective Di Renjie (神探狄仁傑), a four-season Chinese television series about Di Renjie, aired from 2004 to 2010 on CCTV-8. Lü Zhong (呂中) played Wu Zetian.
- Wu Zi Bei Ge (無字碑歌), a 2006 Chinese television series starring Siqin Gaowa as Wu Zetian.
- Zhen Guan Zhi Zhi (貞觀之治), a 2006 Chinese television series about the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang. Zhang Di (張笛) played a young Wu Zetian.
- The Shadow of Empress Wu (日月凌空), a 2007 Chinese television series produced by CCTV, about the relationship between Wu Zetian (Liu Xiaoqing) and a fictional female official Xie Yaohuan (Huang Shengyi).
- The Greatness of a Hero (盛世仁傑), a 2009 Hong Kong television series produced by TVB, about Di Renjie. Rebecca Chan played Wu Zetian.
- Secret History of Empress Wu (武則天祕史), a 2011 Chinese television series produced by Hunan TV. Wu Zetian was portrayed by three different actresses at three stages of her life. Yin Tao (殷桃) played the young Wu Zetian while Liu Xiaoqing and Siqin Gaowa played Wu Zetian in her middle and old age respectively.
- Da Tang Nü Xun An (大唐女巡按), a 2011 Chinese television series about Xie Yaohuan, a fictional female detective-official serving in Wu Zetian's court. Gillian Chung played Xie Yaohuan and Wang Ji (王姬) portrayed Wu Zetian.
- Beauty World (唐宮美人天下), a 2011 Chinese television series starring Zhang Ting (張庭) as Wu Zetian.
- Women of the Tang Dynasty (唐宮燕之女人天下), an upcoming Chinese television series starring Kara Hui as Wu Zetian.
- The episode "The Blind Banker" from the first series of the BBC television series Sherlock revolves around a stolen jade hairpin implied to have belonged to Wu Zetian.
Computer games[link]
- Wu Zetian is depicted as a leader of China in Sid Meier's Civilization II (1996) and Civilization V (2010).
See also[link]
Notes and references[link]
- ^ a b 兩千年中西曆轉換
- ^ She was already partially in control of power since around 660, and her power was even more paramount after January 665. Her Zhou Dynasty was proclaimed on 16 October 690, and she proclaimed herself Empress Regnant on 19 October, demoting her son Emperor Ruizong to the rank of crown prince with the unusual title of Huangsi (皇嗣).
- ^ a b 兩千年中西曆轉換
- ^ She lost power in the palace coup of 20 February 705, and on 22 February, she was forced to return imperial authority to her son Li Xian, who was restored as Emperor Zhongzong on 23 February. Zhou Dynasty was terminated with the restoration of the Tang Dynasty on 3 March.
- ^ She was given the name of Mei by Emperor Taizong in the late 630s after she had entered the imperial palace.
- ^ a b Her cousin's son Zong Qinke created a number of new characters in December 689, and she chose 曌 as her given name, which became her taboo name when she ascended the throne the next year. Some sources assert that this character was actually written 瞾. Some sources (e.g., Bo Yang Edition of the Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 47-49) also assert that her original given name was Zhao and that in 689 she only changed the written character, but this is confirmed by neither the Book of Tang nor the New Book of Tang, neither of which stated her original given name. It should be noted that her grandson Li Chongzhao, sometime after she became emperor, changed his name to Li Chongrun to observe naming taboo for her, and the character of "Zhao" in Li Chongzhao's name was 照. See Book of Tang, vol. 86 [1] and New Book of Tang, vol. 81.[2]
- ^ Zetian was the beginning of the honorific name (徽號) -- Emperor Zetian Dasheng (則天大聖皇帝) -- given to her in February 705 by her son Emperor Zhongzong. The honorific name was used as her posthumous name when she died ten months later, although she was also frequently referred to as "Heavenly Empress" throughout the rest of Tang Dynasty.
- ^ Final version of her posthumous name as given in July 749.
- ^ Zhou Dynasty was abolished before her death, and she was reverted to the rank of empress consort on her death, so she did not have a temple name, as empresses consort, unlike ruling emperors, were not given temple names.
- ^ a b c The birth year given here is deduced from the age at death given in the New Book of Tang, compiled in 1045-1060, which is the date favored by modern historians. The year of birth deduced from the age at death in the Book of Tang, compiled in 941-945, is 623. The year of birth deducted from the age at death and the age when she entered the palace, in the Zizhi Tongjian, compiled in 1065-84, is 624. Compare New Book of Tang, vol. 4 [3] with Book of Tang, vol. 6 [4] and Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 195, 208.
- ^ a b c 兩千年中西曆轉換
- ^ General note: Dates given here are in the Julian calendar. They are not in the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
- ^ See, e.g., Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 234 [submission of Lu Zhi to Emperor Dezong of Tang, citing Wu Zetian as the prime example of a capable selector of officials]; Zhao Yi's Notes of the Twenty-Two Histories (二十二史劄記), Empress Wu Accepted Corrections and Knew People.[5], .
- ^ Book of Tang, vol. 51
- ^ a b New Book of Tang, vol. 76
- ^ a b See, e.g., Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 199 [ Chu Suiliang's assertion that she had "served" (euphemism for sexual relations) Emperor Taizong when trying to stop Emperor Gaozong from creating her empress].
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 206.
- ^ The modern historian Bo Yang, based on the fact that Consort Wu's oldest son Li Hong was born in 652, fixed the date of this incident as 650, but 651 is also a possibility. See Bo Yang Edition of Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 47.
- ^ Bo Yang, Outlines of the HIstory of the Chinese (中國人史綱), vol. 2, p. 520.
- ^ Luo Binwang, Declaration on Xu Jingye's Behalf Against Wu Zhao, collected in Guwen Guanzhi, vol. 7.
- ^ a b c d Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 199.
- ^ a b c d e Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 200.
- ^ See, e.g., http://www.stroke.com.tw/WEB/b/b1-4.htm.
- ^ See, e.g., Bo Yang Edition of the Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 40 [683].
- ^ a b c d e Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 201.
- ^ For Wu Shihuo's career and family, see generally Book of Tang, vol. 58 [6] and New Book of Tang, vol. 206.[7]
- ^ a b c d e f g Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 202.
- ^ a b c d e f Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 203.
- ^ a b c d e f Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 204.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 205.
- ^ During Emperor Taizong's reign, a female agrarian rebel leader named Chen Shuozhen (陳碩真) had declared herself "emperor" with the title Emperor Wenjia (文佳皇帝), but as Chen was quickly defeated and killed, she is typically not considered a true "emperor." See Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 199. Earlier than that, during Northern Wei Dynasty, Empress Dowager Hu, after her son Emperor Xiaoming's death, falsely declared Emperor Xiaoming's daughter to be a son and declared the daughter to be the new emperor, but almost immediately revealed that the child was in fact female, and thereafter declared Yuan Zhao, the young son of Emperor Xiaoming's cousin Yuan Baohui (元寶暉) emperor. See Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 152. Emperor Xiaoming's daughter is also therefore not usually considered a true emperor.
- ^ Throughout the Zizhi Tongjian descriptions of Wu Zetian's reign, Sima referred to her as "the Empress Dowager", implicitly refusing to recognize her as empress regnant, although he used her era names.
- ^ Domesticating the Dharma, Richard D. McBride, 2007. Google Books Preview
- ^ a b c Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 208.
- ^ a b c d e f Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 207.
- ^ Jonathan Wolfram Eberhard (1997). A history of China. University of California Press. p. 186. ISBN 0-520-03268-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=mUofeN6WW_IC&pg=PA186&dq=kao+tsung+demanded+chinese+prince+daughter&hl=en&ei=LWhMTOTUDoL58AaKzeU2&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=kao%20tsung%20demanded%20chinese%20prince%20daughter&f=false. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
- ^ The Zizhi Tongjian asserted that Li Chongrun was forced to commit suicide, but the Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang asserted in his biographies that he was caned to death on Wu Zetian's orders. Compare Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 207, with Book of Tang, vol. 86 [8] and New Book of Tang, vol. 81.[9] The Book of Tang, meanwhile, inconsistently asserted in the chronicles of Wu Zetian's reign that he was forced to commit suicide. See Book of Tang, vol. 6.[10] The chronicles of Wu Zetian's reign in the New Book of Tang merely stated that the three of them "were killed." See New Book of Tang, vol. 4.[11]
- ^ However, some modern historians, based on the text on Li Xianhui's tombstone (written after Emperor Zhongzong was restored to the throne in 705), which suggested that she died the day after her brother and her husband and that she was pregnant at death, and the fact that the skeleton believed to be hers had a small pelvis, have proposed the theory that she was not ordered to commit suicide, but had, in grief over her brother's and husband's deaths, had either a miscarriage or a difficult birth and died from that. See, e.g., illustrations preceding the Bo Yang Edition of the Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 49.
- ^ 兩千年中西曆轉換
- ^ Chang, Saussy and Kwong. p. 31.
- ^ Yu, 56
- ^ Paludan, 99
- ^ Book of Tang, vol. 6.
- ^ This was a reference to a story relayed in the Han Feizi. In the story, it was mentioned that the king of Qi gave a beautiful woman to King Huai of Chu as a gift, to be his concubine. King Huai's jealous wife Queen Zheng Xiu (鄭袖) told her, "The King loves you greatly, but dislikes your nose. If you cover your nose whenever you see him, you can ensure that he will continue to be loved by him. She accepted Queen Zheng's suggestion. When King Huai asked Queen Zheng, "Why does she cover her nose when she sees me?" Queen Zheng responded, "She often said that Your Majesty had a stench to you." King Huai, in anger, yelled, "Cut off her nose!"
- ^ This is a reference to the torture that Emperor Gao of Han's wife Empress Lü Zhi carried out against Emperor Gao's favorite concubine Consort Qi after Emperor Gao's death, once Empress Lü became empress dowager -- by cutting her limbs off, blinding her, deafening her, and referring to her as the human pig (人彘).
- ^ a b c d e f The table of chancellors in the New Book of Tang had several entries with regard to chancellor movements during Wu Zetian's reign that were considered errant entries (as they were immediately duplicated within other subsequent entries) by both its commentators and Sima Guang, the lead editor of the Zizhi Tongjian, and accordingly, those entries are not considered here. Further, it gave no date for the end of Lu Yuanfang's second stint as chancellor, but the Zizhi Tongjian did. See New Book of Tang, vol. 61.[12]
- ^ Her father's older brother was Yang Xiong (楊雄), the father of Yang Gongren and Yang Shidao.
Sources[link]
- Book of Tang, vol. 6.[13]
- New Book of Tang, vols. 4,[14] 76.[15]
- Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 195, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208.
- Empress of China: Wu Ze Tian, by Jiang, Cheng An, Victory Press 1998
- Kang-i Sun Chang,Haun Saussy,Charles Yim-tze Kwong (1999). Women writers of traditional China: an anthology of poetry and criticism. Stanford University Press.
- Paludan, Ann (1998). Chronicle of the Chinese Emperors: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers of Imperial China. New York, New York: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05090-2
- Yu, Pauline (2002). "Chinese Poetry and Its Institutions", in Hsiang Lectures on Chinese Poetry, Volume 2, Grace S. Fong, editor. Montreal: Center for East Asian Research, McGill University.
Further reading[link]
- Cawthorne, Nigel (2007). Daughter of Heaven - The True Story of the Only Woman to become Emperor of China. Oxford: One World Publications. pp. 271 pages.. ISBN 978-1-85168-530-1.
- Wu Zhao: China's Only Woman Emperor, written by N. Harry Rothschild and published 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
- Empress Wu Zetian in Fiction and in History: Female Defiance in Confucian China by Dora Shu-fang Dien (Nova Publishing, 2003) explores the life of Empress Wu Zetian and the ways women found to participate in public life, despite the societal constraints of dynastic China.
- Wu: The Chinese Empress Who Schemed, Seduced and Murdered Her Way to Become a Living God by Jonathan Clements offers a critical appraisal of many primary sources and includes an appendix comparing fictional accounts.
| Chinese royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Empress Wang |
Empress of Tang Dynasty 655–684 |
Succeeded by Empress Wei |
| Regnal titles | ||
| Preceded by (Dynasty established) |
Empress Regnant of the Zhou Dynasty 690–705 |
Succeeded by (Dynasty abolished) |
| Preceded by Emperor Ruizong of Tang |
Empress Regnant of China 690–705 |
Succeeded by Emperor Zhongzong of Tang |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Vacant
Title last held by
Emperor Gaozu of Tang |
Retired Emperor of China 705 |
Vacant
Title next held by
Emperor Ruizong of Tang |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wu Zetian |
| Alternative names | Wu Zhao, Wu Mei, Wu Meiniang, Empress Wu, Empress Dowager Wu, Zetian, Tianhou |
| Short description | The only female "emperor" in Chinese history. |
| Date of birth | 625 |
| Place of birth | Chang'an, Tang Dynasty |
| Date of death | 16 December 705 |
| Place of death | Luoyang, Henan, China |
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Wu Zetian (simplified Chinese: 武则天; traditional Chinese: 武則天; pinyin: Wǔ Zétiān, Mandarin pronunciation: [ù tsɯ̯ʌ̌ tʰi̯ɛ́n]) (17 February 624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao (武曌), often referred to as Tian Hou (天后) during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu (武后, Wǔ Hòu) in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant (Huangdi). As de facto ruler of China first through her husband and her sons from 665 to 690, not unprecedented in Chinese history, she then broke all precedents when she founded her own dynasty in 690, the Zhou (周) (interrupting the Tang Dynasty), and ruled personally under the name Sacred and Divine Empress Regnant (聖神皇帝) and variations thereof from 690 to 705. Her rise and reign has been criticized harshly by Confucian historians but has been viewed in a different light after the 1950s.
Wu was born in Lizhou (利州) (modern day Guangyuan City in Sichuan Province) in 624, the seventh year of Emperor Gaozu of Tang’s reign. In the same year, a total eclipse of the Sun was visible across China. Her father Wu Shihuo was engaged in the timber business and the family was relatively well off. During the final years of Emperor Yang of Sui, Li Yuan (李淵) (who would go on to become Emperor Gaozu of Tang), whilst holding appointments in both Hedong and Taiyuan, Li stayed in the Wu household many times and became close to the Wu family. After Li Yuan overthrew Emperor Yang, he was generous to the Wu family, providing them with money, grain, land and clothing. Once the Tang Dynasty became established, Wu Shihou held a succession of senior ministerial posts including governor of Yangzhou, Lizhou and Jingzhou (荊州) (modern day Jiangling County, Hubei Province).
