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Zhang Fei (-221 CE), courtesy name Yide, was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the Three Kingdoms period. He shared a close brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and Guan Yu, with Zhang Fei and Guan Yu being among the earliest of Liu Bei's supporters.<br/><br/> Zhang Fei fought in various conflicts for Liu Bei, helping to carve out the state of Shu Han. When Liu Bei declared himself emperor, Zhang Fei was promoted to 'Marquis of Xi District'. After Sun Quan's betrayal led to Guan Yu's death and the loss of Jing Province, Liu Bei launched a campaign against his erstwhile ally, ordering Zhang Fei to lead 10,000 troops to rendezvous with Liu Bei's main force. Zhang Fei was assassinated by his own subordinates during the the mobilisation though, who cut off his head and defected to Sun Quan's side.<br/><br/> In the historical novel 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', Zhang Fei was portrayed as an alcoholic and temperamental man, exceedingly loyal and formidable, but very impatient. He swore an oath of brotherhood with Guan Yu and Liu Bei in a peach garden, becoming closer than brothers.
A fictional event in the historical novel 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', the Oath of the Peach Garden was an event that occurred sometime in the 180s CE, where Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei swore an oath of fraternity to each other in a peach garden (believed to be in present-day Zhuozhou, Hebei). They became sworn brothers, binding them together in devotion and loyalty. It is an important event that paved the way for the establishment of the Shu Han, with all three men playing significant roles during the Three Kingdoms period.
Liu Bei (161 – 21 June 223 CE) was a warlord, military general and later as Emperor Zhaolie the founder of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Despite having a later start than his rivals and lacking both the material resources and social status they commanded, Liu overcame his many defeats to carve out his own realm, which at its peak spanned modern day Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, part of Hubei and part of Gansu.
Lu Bu (-February 199 CE), courtesy name Fengxian, was a notorious military general and warlord who lived during the time of the Three Kingdoms. He was infamous for serving and betraying various minor warlords, defecting from one to another with increasing regularity. He managed to take over Yan Province from warlord Cao Cao in 194 CE, but lost it in less than two years. Offered refuge in Xu Province by Liu Bei, Lu Bu in turn betrayed his new benefactor, seizing control of the province from his host.<br/><br/> He formed but quickly broke an alliance with Yuan Shu, after the latter declared himself 'Emperor', an act of treason agaisnt the true Han emperor, and joined forces with Cao Cao and others in attacking the pretenders. He sided with Yuan Shu again in 199 CE though, and was eventually punished for his numerous betrayals by the combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, resulting in his final defeat in 199 CE, where he was captured and executed by Cao Cao.<br/><br/> Lu Bu is historically and fictionally described as an incredibly fearsome warrior marred by his temperamental behaviour, switching allegiances without warning and guiltlessly betraying his erstwhile allies. His life and achievements are dramatised in the famous historical novel, 'The Romance of the Three Kingdoms', which portrays him as warrior unmatched in his skill and ruthlessness, lacking any morals.
Lu Bu (- February 199 CE), courtesy name Fengxian, was a notorious military general and warlord who lived during the time of the Three Kingdoms. He was infamous for serving and betraying various minor warlords, defecting from one to another with increasing regularity. He managed to take over Yan Province from warlord Cao Cao in 194 CE, but lost it in less than two years. Offered refuge in Xu Province by Liu Bei, Lu Bu in turn betrayed his new benefactor, seizing control of the province from his host.<br/><br/> He formed but quickly broke an alliance with Yuan Shu, after the latter declared himself 'Emperor', an act of treason against the true Han emperor, and joined forces with Cao Cao and others in attacking the pretenders. He sided with Yuan Shu again in 199 CE though, and was eventually punished for his numerous betrayals by the combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, resulting in his final defeat in 199 CE, where he was captured and executed by Cao Cao.<br/><br/> Lu Bu is historically and fictionally described as an incredibly fearsome warrior marred by his temperamental behaviour, switching allegiances without warning and guiltlessly betraying his erstwhile allies. His life and achievements are dramatised in the famous historical novel, 'The Romance of the Three Kingdoms', which portrays him as warrior unmatched in his skill and ruthlessness, lacking any morals.
Lu Bu (- February 199 CE), courtesy name Fengxian, was a notorious military general and warlord who lived during the time of the Three Kingdoms. He was infamous for serving and betraying various minor warlords, defecting from one to another with increasing regularity. He managed to take over Yan Province from warlord Cao Cao in 194 CE, but lost it in less than two years. Offered refuge in Xu Province by Liu Bei, Lu Bu in turn betrayed his new benefactor, seizing control of the province from his host.<br/><br/> He formed but quickly broke an alliance with Yuan Shu, after the latter declared himself 'Emperor', an act of treason against the true Han emperor, and joined forces with Cao Cao and others in attacking the pretenders. He sided with Yuan Shu again in 199 CE though, and was eventually punished for his numerous betrayals by the combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, resulting in his final defeat in 199 CE, where he was captured and executed by Cao Cao.<br/><br/> Lu Bu is historically and fictionally described as an incredibly fearsome warrior marred by his temperamental behaviour, switching allegiances without warning and guiltlessly betraying his erstwhile allies. His life and achievements are dramatised in the famous historical novel, 'The Romance of the Three Kingdoms', which portrays him as warrior unmatched in his skill and ruthlessness, lacking any morals.
Lu Bu (- February 199 CE), courtesy name Fengxian, was a notorious military general and warlord who lived during the time of the Three Kingdoms. He was infamous for serving and betraying various minor warlords, defecting from one to another with increasing regularity. He managed to take over Yan Province from warlord Cao Cao in 194 CE, but lost it in less than two years. Offered refuge in Xu Province by Liu Bei, Lu Bu in turn betrayed his new benefactor, seizing control of the province from his host.<br/><br/> He formed but quickly broke an alliance with Yuan Shu, after the latter declared himself 'Emperor', an act of treason against the true Han emperor, and joined forces with Cao Cao and others in attacking the pretenders. He sided with Yuan Shu again in 199 CE though, and was eventually punished for his numerous betrayals by the combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, resulting in his final defeat in 199 CE, where he was captured and executed by Cao Cao.<br/><br/> Lu Bu is historically and fictionally described as an incredibly fearsome warrior marred by his temperamental behaviour, switching allegiances without warning and guiltlessly betraying his erstwhile allies. His life and achievements are dramatised in the famous historical novel, 'The Romance of the Three Kingdoms', which portrays him as warrior unmatched in his skill and ruthlessness, lacking any morals.
The Vinh Lang stele from Lê Lợi's mausoleum, erected in the 6th year of Thuận Thiên reign (1433).<br/><br/> Lê Lợi (1384 or 1385 – 1433), posthumously known with the temple name Lê Thái Tổ, was Emperor of Vietnam and founder of the Later Lê Dynasty. Lê Lợi is among the most famous figures from the medieval period of Vietnamese history and one of its greatest heroes.<br/><br/> Between 1418 and 1427 Le Loi fought the Ming Chinese occupation of Vietnam, ultimately defeating the Ming and re-establishing Vietnamese independence. He was also a diplomat, and having driven out the Chinese he formally established the Lê Dynasty as the Ming Xuande Emperor officially recognized Lê Lợi as the new ruler of Vietnam. In return, Lê Lợi sent diplomatic messages to the Ming Court, promising Vietnam's loyalty as a vassal state of China and cooperation. The Ming accepted this arrangement, much as they accepted the vassal status of Korea under the Joseon Dynasty. The Chinese largely left Vietnam alone for the next 500 years, intervening only about once every hundred years.
Emperor Xuande, 5th ruler of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1425-1435). Personal Name: Zhu Zhani, Zhū Zhānjī. Posthumous Name: Zhangdi, Zhāngdì. Temple Name: Xuanzong, Xuānzōng. Reign Name: Ming Xuandei, Ming Xuāndé.<br/><br/> The Xuande Emperor was Emperor of China (Ming Dynasty) between 1425–1435. His era name means 'Proclamation of Virtue'. The Xuande Emperor ruled over a remarkably peaceful time with no significant external or internal problems. Later historians have considered his reign to be the Ming dynasty's golden age.
Emperor Xuande, 5th ruler of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1425-1435). Personal Name: Zhu Zhani, Zhū Zhānjī. Posthumous Name: Zhangdi, Zhāngdì. Temple Name: Xuanzong, Xuānzōng. Reign Name: Ming Xuandei, Ming Xuāndé.<br/><br/> The Xuande Emperor was Emperor of China (Ming Dynasty) between 1425–1435. His era name means 'Proclamation of Virtue'. The Xuande Emperor ruled over a remarkably peaceful time with no significant external or internal problems. Later historians have considered his reign to be the Ming dynasty's golden age.
Detail of a silk scroll, 'The Emperor's Approach', showing the luxury in which the emperor Xuande travelled. Elephants were kept in the imperial elephant stables until around 1900 and were often used for ceremonial occasions, such as the emperor's visits to the Temple of Heaven. Here, however, the large number of horsemen accompanying the emperor's carriage suggests that the emperor was on a much longer journey in the countryside.
Emperor Xuande, 5th ruler of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1425-1435). Personal Name: Zhu Zhani, Zhū Zhānjī. Posthumous Name: Zhangdi, Zhāngdì. Temple Name: Xuanzong, Xuānzōng. Reign Name: Ming Xuandei, Ming Xuāndé.<br/><br/> The Xuande Emperor was Emperor of China (Ming Dynasty) between 1425–1435. His era name means 'Proclamation of Virtue'. The Xuande Emperor ruled over a remarkably peaceful time with no significant external or internal problems. Later historians have considered his reign to be the Ming dynasty's golden age.
Emperor Xuande, 5th ruler of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1425-1435). Personal Name: Zhu Zhani, Zhū Zhānjī. Posthumous Name: Zhangdi, Zhāngdì. Temple Name: Xuanzong, Xuānzōng. Reign Name: Ming Xuandei, Ming Xuāndé.<br/><br/> The Xuande Emperor was Emperor of China (Ming Dynasty) between 1425–1435. His era name means 'Proclamation of Virtue'. The Xuande Emperor ruled over a remarkably peaceful time with no significant external or internal problems. Later historians have considered his reign to be the Ming dynasty's golden age.
Emperor Xuande, 5th ruler of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1425-1435). Personal Name: Zhu Zhani, Zhū Zhānjī. Posthumous Name: Zhangdi, Zhāngdì. Temple Name: Xuanzong, Xuānzōng. Reign Name: Ming Xuandei, Ming Xuāndé.<br/><br/> The Xuande Emperor was Emperor of China (Ming Dynasty) between 1425–1435. His era name means 'Proclamation of Virtue'. The Xuande Emperor ruled over a remarkably peaceful time with no significant external or internal problems. Later historians have considered his reign to be the Ming dynasty's golden age.
A panoramic painting showing the Chinese Xuande Emperor traveling to the Ming Dynasty Tombs with a huge cavalry escort and an elephant-driven carriage. The Xuande Emperor was portrayed in contemporary court portrait paintings; the Xuande Emperor can be seen in the right half riding a black steed and wearing a plumed helmet. He is distinguished from his entourage of bodyguards as an abnormally tall figure.
Emperor Xuande, 5th ruler of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1425-1435). Personal Name: Zhu Zhani, Zhū Zhānjī. Posthumous Name: Zhangdi, Zhāngdì. Temple Name: Xuanzong, Xuānzōng. Reign Name: Ming Xuandei, Ming Xuāndé.<br/><br/> The Xuande Emperor was Emperor of China (Ming Dynasty) between 1425–1435. His era name means 'Proclamation of Virtue'. The Xuande Emperor ruled over a remarkably peaceful time with no significant external or internal problems. Later historians have considered his reign to be the Ming dynasty's golden age.
Empress Xiaogongzhang, consort of the 5th Ming Emperor Xuande (r. 1425-1435).
Guan Yu (-220 CE), style name Yunchang, was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the first emperor.<br/><br/> As one of the best known Chinese historical figures throughout East Asia, Guan's true life stories have largely given way to fictionalised ones, most of which are found in the historical novel 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' or passed down the generations, in which his deeds and moral qualities have been lionised. Guan is respected as an epitome of loyalty and righteousness.<br/><br/> Guan was deified as early as the Sui Dynasty and is still worshipped by many Chinese people today, especially in southern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among many overseas Chinese communities. He is a figure in Chinese folk religion, popular Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism, and small shrines to Guan are almost ubiquitous in traditional Chinese shops and restaurants.
Lu Bu (- February 199 CE), courtesy name Fengxian, was a notorious military general and warlord who lived during the time of the Three Kingdoms. He was infamous for serving and betraying various minor warlords, defecting from one to another with increasing regularity. He managed to take over Yan Province from warlord Cao Cao in 194 CE, but lost it in less than two years. Offered refuge in Xu Province by Liu Bei, Lu Bu in turn betrayed his new benefactor, seizing control of the province from his host.<br/><br/> He formed but quickly broke an alliance with Yuan Shu, after the latter declared himself 'Emperor', an act of treason against the true Han emperor, and joined forces with Cao Cao and others in attacking the pretenders. He sided with Yuan Shu again in 199 CE though, and was eventually punished for his numerous betrayals by the combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, resulting in his final defeat in 199 CE, where he was captured and executed by Cao Cao.<br/><br/> Lu Bu is historically and fictionally described as an incredibly fearsome warrior marred by his temperamental behaviour, switching allegiances without warning and guiltlessly betraying his erstwhile allies. His life and achievements are dramatised in the famous historical novel, 'The Romance of the Three Kingdoms', which portrays him as warrior unmatched in his skill and ruthlessness, lacking any morals.