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Zhang Cang
Zhang Cang 張蒼 (253—152 BC) was a Chinese military general, philosopher, and politician during the Western Han dynasty. He was the representative thinker of the Yin-Yang School, as well as a Confucian scholar, general, and prime-minister under Liu Bang (Han Gaozu, the founder of the Han dynasty). Evidence on his life is contained in the ''Book of Han'' and some later sources. Life Zhang Cang was born in Yangwu 陽武 (present day Yuanyang, Henan Province). In his youth, Zhang studied in Xun Kuang's circle, which was known for teaching prominent figures such as Han Fei and Li Si. When the state of Qin conquered other vassal states of Zhou Dynasty, he came to Qin's capital Xianyang and became an official to manage the imperial books. During the rule of Er Shi huang, Zhang Cang broke the imperial law and fled to his hometown. At that time, people, and the nobles of former six vassal states rose up against the Qin's rule. Liu Bang, a general from Chu, was ordered by King Huai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Han Dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warring interregnum known as the ChuHan contention (206–202 BC), and it was succeeded by the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD). The dynasty was briefly interrupted by the Xin dynasty (9–23 AD) established by usurping regent Wang Mang, and is thus separated into two periods—the Western Han (202 BC – 9 AD) and the Eastern Han (25–220 AD). Spanning over four centuries, the Han dynasty is considered a golden age in Chinese history, and it has influenced the identity of the Chinese civilization ever since. Modern China's majority ethnic group refers to themselves as the "Han people", the Sinitic language is known as "Han language", and the written Chinese is referred to as "Han characters". The emperor was at the pinnacle of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xuzhou
Xuzhou (徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area made of Quanshan, Gulou, Yunlong and Tongshan urban Districts and Jiawang District not being conurbated), is a national complex transport hub and an important gateway city in East China. Xuzhou is a central city of Huaihai Economic Zone and Xuzhou metropolitan area. Xuzhou is an important node city of the country's Belt and Road Initiative, and an international new energy base. Xuzhou has won titles such as the National City of Civility (全国文明城市) and the United Nations Habitat Scroll of Honour award. The city is designated as National Famous Historical and Cultural City since 1986 for its relics, especially the terracotta armies, the Mausoleums of the princes and the art of relief of Han dynasty. Xuzhou is a major city among t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Era Name
Chinese era names were titles used by various Chinese dynasties and regimes in Imperial China for the purpose of year identification and numbering. The first monarch to adopt era names was the Emperor Wu of Han in 140 BCE, and this system remained the official method of year identification and numbering until the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912 CE, when the era name system was superseded by the Republic of China calendar. Other polities in the Sinosphere—Korea, Vietnam and Japan—also adopted the concept of era name as a result of Chinese politico-cultural influence. Description Chinese era names were titles adopted for the purpose of identifying and numbering years in Imperial China. Era names originated as mottos or slogans chosen by the reigning monarch and usually reflected the political, economic and/or social landscapes at the time. For instance, the first era name proclaimed by the Emperor Wu of Han, ''Jianyuan'' (; lit. "establishing the origin"), was r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wuxing (Chinese Philosophy)
(; Japanese: (); Korean: (); Vietnamese: ''ngũ hành'' (五行)), usually translated as Five Phases or Five Agents, is a fivefold conceptual scheme that many traditional Chinese fields used to explain a wide array of phenomena, from cosmic cycles to the interaction between internal organs, and from the succession of political regimes to the properties of medicinal drugs. The "Five Phases" are Fire ( zh, c=, p=huǒ, labels=no), Water ( zh, c=, p=shuǐ, labels=no), Wood ( zh, c=, p=mù, labels=no), Metal or Gold ( zh, c=, p=jīn, labels=no), and Earth or Soil ( zh, c=, p=tǔ, labels=no). This order of presentation is known as the " Days of the Week" sequence. In the order of "mutual generation" ( zh, c=相生, p=xiāngshēng, labels=no), they are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. In the order of "mutual overcoming" ( zh, c=相克, p=xiāngkè, labels=no), they are Wood, Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal. The system of five phases was used for describing interactions and rel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guan Ying
Guan Ying (died 176 BC), posthumously known as Marquis Yi of Yingyin, was a Chinese military general and politician who served as a chancellor of the Western Han dynasty. Life Guan Ying was from Suiyang (), which is present-day Shangqiu, Henan. He served under Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty, and joined him in rebelling against the Qin dynasty. He also fought on Liu Bang's side during the Chu–Han Contention and assisted him in overcoming his rival, Xiang Yu. After Liu Bang became emperor and established the Han dynasty, Guan Ying served as General of Chariots and Cavalry (). He assisted Liu Bang in putting down Chen Xi's rebellion and killed Hou Chang (), one of Chen Xi's commanders, near Quni (; around west of present-day Baoding, Hebei) in 196BC. Following Liu Bang's death, Empress Lü and her clan seized power from the Liu family and controlled the Han government – this event is historically known as the Lü Clan Disturbance. When the prince Liu X ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Wen Of Han
Emperor Wen of Han (; 203/202 – 6 July 157 BCE), born Liu Heng (), was the fifth emperor of the Western Han dynasty in China from 180 to his death in 157 BCE. The son of Emperor Gao and Consort Bo, his reign provided a much needed stability after the unstable and violent regency of Empress Lü. The prosperous reigns of Wen and his son Emperor Jing are highly regarded by historians, being referred to as the Rule of Wen and Jing. When Emperor Gaozu suppressed the rebellion of Dai, he made Liu Heng Prince of Dai. Since Emperor Gaozu's death, power had been in the hands of his wife, Empress Lü, who became the empress dowager. After Empress Dowager Lü's death, the officials eliminated the powerful Lü clan, and deliberately chose the Prince of Dai as the emperor, since his mother, Consort Bo, had no powerful relatives, and her family was known for its humility and thoughtfulness. His reign brought a much needed political stability that laid the groundwork for prosperity under ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Empress Dowager Lü
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( empress dowager), or a woman who rules in her own right and name (empress regnant). Emperors are generally recognized to be of the highest monarchic honor and rank, surpassing kings. In Europe, the title of Emperor has been used since the Middle Ages, considered in those times equal or almost equal in dignity to that of Pope due to the latter's position as visible head of the Church and spiritual leader of the Catholic part of Western Europe. The Emperor of Japan is the only currently reigning monarch whose title is translated into English as "Emperor". Both emperors and kings are monarchs or sovereigns, but both emperor and empress are considered the higher monarchical titles. In as much as there is a strict definition of emperor, it is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Huainan Kingdom
Huainan Kingdom was a Government_of_the_Han_dynasty#Kingdoms,_marquisates,_and_fiefs_of_princesses, kingdom of China's Han dynasty, located in what is now parts of Anhui, Jiangxi and Hubei provinces. History The title "King (or Prince) of Huainan" was first created in 202BC by Liu Bang, King of Han, for Ying Bu, the former king of Jiujiang. After Liu Bang became the Emperor Gao of Han, first emperor of the Han dynasty, Han, Ying Bu rose up against Liu Bang in 196 BC. He was defeated and killed by Liu Bang. After Liu Bang killed Ying Bu, he conferred the title of king of Huainan on his youngest son Liu Chang. In 164 BC, Huainan was divided among Liu Chang's three sons. The eldest son Liu An kept the title King of Huainan, while his brothers became Kings of Hengshan (衡山王) and Lujiang (廬江王), respectively. Liu An, engaged in political and cosmological arguments with Dong Zhongshu, founded an academy which compiled the ''Huainanzi''.. The ''Huainanzi'' leaves room for m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ying Bu
Ying Bu (died 195 BC) was a warlord and vassal king who lived in the early Han dynasty. He was a native of Lu County (六縣; present-day Lu'an, Anhui). In his early life under the Qin dynasty, Ying Bu was convicted and sentenced to ''qing'' (黥; a form of punishment which involved branding a criminal by tattooing his face), so he was also called Qing Bu (). He was then sent to Mount Li to perform hard labour by constructing Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. He later escaped with some men and became the leader of a bandit gang. Ying Bu participated in the insurrection against the Qin dynasty after the Dazexiang Uprising broke out in 209 BC. After the uprising failed, he became part of a rebel force led by Xiang Liang. He assisted Xiang Liang's nephew and successor Xiang Yu in overthrowing the Qin dynasty. After the fall of Qin, he initially fought on Xiang Yu's side in the Chu–Han Contention (206–202 BC), a power struggle for supremacy over China between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang (Emper ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xiao He
Xiao He (257 BC–193 BC) was a Chinese politician of the early Western Han dynasty. He served Liu Bang (Emperor Gao), the founder of the Han dynasty, during the insurrection against the Qin dynasty, and fought on Liu's side in the Chu–Han Contention against Liu's rival, Xiang Yu. After the founding of the Han dynasty, Xiao He became the chancellor and held office until his death. For his contributions, he is also known as one of the "Three Heroes of the early Han dynasty" (), along with Han Xin and Zhang Liang. Early life Xiao He was born in Fengyi County, Sishui Commandery (present-day Feng County, Jiangsu). In his early days, he served as a ''gongcao'' (功曹; magistrate's secretary) in the administrative office of Pei County. He was studious, tactful and amiable. He was well versed in law and had a wide network of friends and acquaintances, among whom include Liu Bang, Cao Shen, Fan Kuai, Xiahou Ying and Zhou Bo. Insurrection against the Qin dynasty Once, Liu Bang relea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beiping
"Beijing" is from pinyin ''Běijīng,'' which is romanized from , the Chinese name for this city. The pinyin system of transliteration was approved by the Chinese government in 1958, but little used until 1979. It was gradually adopted by various news organizations, governments, and international agencies over the next decade. Etymology The Chinese characters ("north") and ("capital") together mean the "Northern Capital". The name was first used during the reign of the Ming dynasty's Yongle Emperor, who made his northern fief a second capital, along with Nanjing (, the "Southern Capital"), in 1403 after successfully dethroning his nephew during the Jingnan Campaign. The name was restored in 1949 at the founding of the People's Republic of China. Peking Portugal was the first European country to contact China in modern times. In Portuguese, the city is called ''Pequim.'' This name appeared in the letters of Francis Xavier in 1552. It transferred to English as "Pekin" and to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Yan
In Chinese mythology and religion, King Yan () is the god of death and the ruler of Diyu, overseeing the "Ten Kings of Hell" in its capital of Youdu. He is also known as King Yanluo (), a transcription of the Sanskrit for "King Yama" (/, ). King Yan is the fifth judge in the court of underworld. In both ancient and modern times, Yan is portrayed as a large man with a scowling red face, bulging eyes, and a long beard. He wears traditional robes and a judge's cap or a crown which bears the Chinese character for "king" (). He typically appears on Chinese hell money in the position reserved for political figures on regular currency. ''Journey to the West'' King Yan featured in the classic Chinese novel ''Journey to the West''. One day, Sun Wukong invited his friends the six demon kings, including Bull Demon King to dine at his cave, and they drank until they were all incapable while he suddenly fell asleep. Sun Wukong dreamt he saw the Ox-Head and Horse-Face carrying a warrant and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
