Zhao Kuangyin

  • The Reformer of the Five Dynasties: Chai Rong

    From Chaos to a New Order Following the withdrawal of the Khitan (Liao) army, the city of Bian (Kaifeng) saw the arrival of Liu Zhiyuan, the Prince of Beiping. A Shatuo leader like his predecessors, Liu had initially opposed Shi Jingtang’s cession of the Sixteen Prefectures but later supported his rise. By balancing appeasement…

  • Zhao Kuangyin

    Zhao Kuangyin (927–976 CE), posthumously honored as Emperor Taizu of Song, was the founding emperor of China’s Song dynasty, reigning from 960 to 976. Born in Zhuo Commandery (modern Zhuozhou, Hebei), he rose through the military ranks during the Later Zhou dynasty, eventually becoming Grand Commander of the Palace Army, the highest officer in…

  • The Yellow Robe at Chenqiao: The Birth of the Song Dynasty

    The Premature End of a Great Campaign In the spring of 959 AD, Emperor Chai Rong of the Later Zhou launched a northern campaign to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures lost to the Khitan Liao dynasty. Prior to the expedition, he ordered General Han Tong to dredge waterways, creating over thirty inlets to facilitate naval…

  • [Journey to the West]One-horned demon kings

    The One-Horned Demon King in the novel Journey to the West serves as a metaphor for Sun Wukong’s inner demons.

  • El Rey Demonios con un solo cuerno

    El Rey Demonio de un solo cuerno es una metáfora que puede considerarse como el demonio interior de Sun Wukong.