Yang Guifei

  • The Twin Peaks of Tang Poetry: Li Bai and Du Fu [Sui & Tang]

    Brief: This article profiles Li Bai and Du Fu, the two greatest poets of Tang Dynasty. It covers their contrasting styles – Li Bai as the free-spirited “Poet Immortal” and Du Fu as the compassionate “Poet Sage” – their lives through the An-Shi Rebellion, their brief friendship, and their tragic later years. Their works…

  • The Tragedy at Mawei and the Fracture of the Tang [Sui & Tang]

    Brief: This article narrates the tragic Mawei Incident during the An-Shi Rebellion. After the Tang defeat at Tong Pass, Emperor Xuanzong fled Chang’an with Yang Guifei. Enraged imperial guards mutinied, killing Yang Guozhong and forcing the emperor to order Yang Guifei’s death. The imperial family split; the crown prince declared himself Emperor Suzong. Though…

  • The Cataclysm of An and Shi: The Fall of the Golden Age [Sui & Tang]

    Brief: This article explores the outbreak of the An-Shi Rebellion, which ended the Tang Dynasty’s golden age. It traces the rise of the corrupt Yang clan under Yang Guifei, the ambition of the powerful general An Lushan, and his bitter conflict with Yang Guozhong. The rebellion erupted in 755, and a fatal order at…