Li Jin was an imperial prince and member of the royal family in the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...
. He was the eldest son of crown prince
Li Chengqi
Li Chengqi () (679 – January 5, 742), known as Wu Chengqi () during the reign of his grandmother Wu Zetian and as Li Xian () after 716, formally Emperor Rang (, literally, "the emperor who yielded"), was an imperial prince of the Tang Dynasty ...
(also known as Li Xian), and grandson of
Emperor Ruizong. Li Jin's father,
Li Chengqi
Li Chengqi () (679 – January 5, 742), known as Wu Chengqi () during the reign of his grandmother Wu Zetian and as Li Xian () after 716, formally Emperor Rang (, literally, "the emperor who yielded"), was an imperial prince of the Tang Dynasty ...
, yielded his claim to the throne to his younger brother, Li Longji, who eventually became
Emperor Xuánzong of Tang. Li Jin was adored by his uncle, the Emperor Xuánzong, who personally taught him to play music. He also gave him a prominent position in the government, and the title Prince of Ruyang. Li Jin "excelled at poetry and calligraphy, carrying himself with scholarly bearing." He was skilled at playing the drum, and was also known for his ability in archery. Li Jin had a number of siblings, among them, Li Yu, and Li Xiang, who is the father of
Li Shizhi
Li Shizhi (; died 747), né Li Chang (李昌), formally the Duke of Qinghe (清和公), was a Chinese poet and politician during the Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. He was known as one of the Eight Imm ...
mentioned with Li Jin in Du Fu's infamous poem, "The
Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup
The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup or Eight Immortals Indulged in Wine () were a group of Tang Dynasty scholars who are known for their love of alcoholic beverages. They are not deified and '' xiān'' ("immortal; transcendent; fairy") is metapho ...
".
Friendship with Du Fu
Li Jin is best known for being "immortalized" by the famous poet,
Du Fu. He was listed in the second place in
Du Fu's poem ''
Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup
The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup or Eight Immortals Indulged in Wine () were a group of Tang Dynasty scholars who are known for their love of alcoholic beverages. They are not deified and '' xiān'' ("immortal; transcendent; fairy") is metapho ...
'' through the following lines:
: 汝阳三斗始朝天, (''He can drink three big barrels before drunk'')
: 道逢麴车口流涎, (''He can't resist the temper of drinking when seeing the carts transporting Chinese white wine on his way'')
: 恨不移封向酒泉。 (''that he would rather move his mansion to
Jiuquan
Jiuquan, formerly known as Suzhou, is a prefecture-level city in the northwesternmost part of Gansu Province in the People's Republic of China. It is more than wide from east to west, occupying , although its built-up area is mostly located in i ...
, the place where wines are produced.'')
Du Fu and Li Jin were part of a group of scholar-officials and literati friends, who all enjoyed drinking as well as writing together. Du Fu even dedicated a poem to Li Jin, "Twenty Two Rhymes Given to Li Jin, the Prince of Ru Yang".
References
Tang dynasty imperial princes
750 deaths
Year of birth unknown
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