Hongfu (), is a legendary Chinese folk heroine from imperial

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

whose birth name was Zhang Chuchen (張出塵, alternatively 張初塵). She was purported to have lived during the Transition from Sui to Tang and was originally described in ''Biography of the Dragon-Beard Man'' from the Tang Dynasty. She was a courtesan in the court of

Sui Dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...

minister Yang Su and eloped with Li Jing, an ally and future general of future Tang emperor Li Shimin. Hongfu, along with Li Jing and the "Dragon Beard Man,"

Qiu Ranke Qiu may refer to: *Qiū (surname), Chinese surnames *Qiú (surname), Chinese surnames *Qiu County, in Hebei, China *Kǒng Qiū (), better known as Confucius *''Qiu!'', a 2005 album by the ambient post-rock band Windsor Airlift Windsor Airlift ...

, are known as the "Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust" (風塵三俠). She was one of the few female

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

masters.

Legend

Born Zhang Chuchen, her parents were from southern China who migrated north to Chang'an in the unification wars of the

. Zhang became a courtesan in the court of Sui minister Yang Su, where she specialized in song and dance. Because she often wore red, she became known as Hongfu, or Red Sleeves. According to legend, she saw Li Jing when he came to petition Yang Su to address the grievances of the common people. Zhang fell in love with Li and eloped with him. Hongfu and Li Jing first allied themselves with Qiu Ranke to overthrow the Sui Dynasty, becoming the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust. After meeting future emperor Li Shimin, Qiu Ranke forsook this ambition. Hongfu and Li Jing allied themselves with Li Shimin and helped Li Shimin and his father

Li Yuan Emperor Gaozu of Tang (7 April 566 – 25 June 635, born Li Yuan, courtesy name Shude) was the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, reigning from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day ...

establish the Tang Dynasty. Qiu Ranke on went to establish his own kingdom of Fusu (alternatively, Fuyu) to the southeast. Hongfu and Li Jing lived together as wife and husband until she died of illness in AD 640. Li Jing, then 70 years of age, survived her by nine years.

In popular culture

The story of Hongfu first appears in the Tang Dynasty book ''Biography of the Dragon-Beard Man'' by Du Guangting. She is also alluded to in '' Dream of the Red Chamber'' when Lin Daiyu is compared to Hongfu. Hongfu is also one of the main characters in the 1966 novel ''Heroes of the Red Dust'' (風塵三俠) by author Gao Yang. In 1998, actress Angela Pan portrayed Hongfu in the television series, ''Qiu Ranke and Hong Fu Nü''. In 2006, Taiwanese actress Shu Qi portrayed Hongfu in the television series '' Romance of Red Dust'' (風塵三俠之紅拂女).

References

Bibliography

* {{Prostitution in China Ancient Chinese women Legendary Chinese people Chinese courtesans 7th-century Chinese women 7th-century Chinese people 640 deaths