Yuan Huangtou (; died in 559) was the son of emperor
Yuan Lang
Yuan Lang (元朗) (513Yuan Lang's biography in ''Book of Wei'' indicated that he was 20 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died. Thus, his birth year should be 513. – 26 December 532), courtesy name Zhongzhe (仲哲), frequently known by his pos ...
of
Northern Wei dynasty
Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern dynasties, it ruled northern China from 386 to 535 during the ...
of China. At that time, paramount general
Gao Yang took control of the court of Northern Wei's branch successor state
Eastern Wei
Wei (), known in historiography as the Eastern Wei (), was an imperial dynasty of China that followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei dynasty. One of the Northern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period, the Eastern Wei ...
and set the emperor as a puppet. After Gao deposed the last Eastern Wei emperor and established himself as the emperor of
Northern Qi
Qi, known as the Northern Qi (), Later Qi (後齊) or Gao Qi (高齊) in historiography, was a Chinese imperial dynasty and one of the Northern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties era. It ruled the eastern part of northern China ...
, he exterminated the imperial clan of the previous dynasty. Yuan Huangtou was imprisoned by Gao Yang and, along with other prisoners and against his will,
flown via a large kite from the tower of
Ye, China
Ye or Yecheng () was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Handan, Hebei province and neighbouring Anyang, Henan province.
Ye was first built in the Spring and Autumn period by Duke Huan of Qi, and by the time of the ...
. The ''
Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...
'' records that all the condemned kite airmen died except for him. "Gao Yang made Yuan Huangtou and other prisoners take off from the Tower of the Phoenix attached to paper owls. Yuan Huangtou was the only one who succeeded in flying as far as the Purple Way, and there he came to earth." The Purple Way, a road, was 2.5 km from the approximately 33 metre tall Golden Phoenix Tower.
He survived this flight, but was later starved to death in prison.
[(永定三年)使元黄头与诸囚自金凤台各乘纸鸱以飞,黄头独能至紫陌乃堕,仍付御史中丞毕义云饿杀之。(Rendering: n the 3rd year of Yongding, 559 Gao Yang conducted an experiment by having Yuan Huangtou and a few prisoners each launch themselves from Tower of the Golden Phoenix n Ye, capital of the Northern Qi Yuan Huangtou was the only one who survived from this flight, as he glided over the city-wall and fell at Zimo estern segment of Yesafely, but he was handed to Bi Yiyun and sentenced to death by starvation.). '']Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...
'' under 167.
See also
*
List of firsts in aviation
This is a list of firsts in aviation. For a comprehensive list of women's records, see Women in aviation.
First person to fly
The first flight (including gliding) by a person is unknown. Several have been suggested.
* In 559 A.D., several pri ...
References
Year of birth missing
559 deaths
Northern Wei imperial princes
Northern Qi people
Aviation pioneers
Aviation history of China
Kite flying
6th-century Chinese people
Artificial wings
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