Consort Yu
Encyclopedia
Consort Yu personal name Yu Miaoyi, also known as "Yu the Beautiful" (虞美人), was a concubine of Xiang Yu
.
, while the other claimed that she was from Changshu
in Suzhou
, but both pointed that she was born in present-day Jiangsu
.
In 209 BC, Xiang Yu
and his uncle Xiang Liang
started a rebellion to overthrow the Qin Dynasty
. Consort Yu's older brother, Yu Ziqi, was serving in Xiang Liang's army as a general then. Yu met Xiang Yu, fell in love with him and became his concubine. Since then, she followed Xiang Yu on military campaigns and refused to remain behind.
In 202 BC, Xiang Yu was besieged in the Battle of Gaixia
by the combined forces of Liu Bang (King of Han
), Han Xin
and Peng Yue
. The Han army started to sing folk songs from Xiang Yu's native land of Chu
to create a false impression that they had captured Chu. The morale of Xiang Yu's troops plummeted and several soldiers deserted. In despair, Xiang Yu indulged in alcohol and sang the Song of Gaixia to express his sorrow. Consort Yu performed a sword dance
and sang a verse in return. To prevent Xiang Yu from being distracted by his love for her, Consort Yu committed suicide with Xiang Yu's sword after singing. She was buried at Gaixia.
A "Consort Yu Tomb" stands in present-day Lingbi County
, Anhui
province.
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu was a prominent military leader and political figure during the late Qin Dynasty. His given name was Ji while his style name was Yu ....
.
Biography
Consort Yu's birth date was unknown and there are two accounts of her origin. The first said she was a native of Yanji Village (顏集鄉) in Shuyang CountyShuyang County
Shuyang County is a county of Jiangsu, China. It is under the administration of Suqian city.-References:*...
, while the other claimed that she was from Changshu
Changshu
Changshu is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, and is located in the south-eastern part of eastern-China’s Jiangsu Province as well as the Yangtze River Delta...
in Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, but both pointed that she was born in present-day Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
.
In 209 BC, Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu was a prominent military leader and political figure during the late Qin Dynasty. His given name was Ji while his style name was Yu ....
and his uncle Xiang Liang
Xiang Liang
Xiang Liang was a military leader who led a rebellion against the Qin Dynasty.-Early life:Xiang was a native of Xiaxiang . Xiang was a descendant of a family who served the Chu state for generations...
started a rebellion to overthrow the Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
. Consort Yu's older brother, Yu Ziqi, was serving in Xiang Liang's army as a general then. Yu met Xiang Yu, fell in love with him and became his concubine. Since then, she followed Xiang Yu on military campaigns and refused to remain behind.
In 202 BC, Xiang Yu was besieged in the Battle of Gaixia
Battle of Gaixia
The Battle of Gaixia was a Chinese battle in 202 BC, during the Chu-Han contention between rival rulers of China which followed the collapse of the Qin Dynasty...
by the combined forces of Liu Bang (King of Han
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
), Han Xin
Hán Xìn
Han Xin was a military general who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han Dynasty...
and Peng Yue
Peng Yue
Peng Yue , style name Zhong , was a prominent military leader and political figure in the late Qin Dynasty and early Han Dynasty. He was involved in the Chu–Han contention and served Liu Bang as an ally...
. The Han army started to sing folk songs from Xiang Yu's native land of Chu
Chu (state)
The State of Chu was a Zhou Dynasty vassal state in present-day central and southern China during the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States Period . Its ruling house had the surname Nai , and clan name Yan , later evolved to surname Mi , and clan name Xiong...
to create a false impression that they had captured Chu. The morale of Xiang Yu's troops plummeted and several soldiers deserted. In despair, Xiang Yu indulged in alcohol and sang the Song of Gaixia to express his sorrow. Consort Yu performed a sword dance
Sword dance
Sword dances are recorded from throughout world history. There are various traditions of solo and mock battle sword dances from Greece, the Middle East, Pakistan, India, China, Korea, England, Scotland and Japan...
and sang a verse in return. To prevent Xiang Yu from being distracted by his love for her, Consort Yu committed suicide with Xiang Yu's sword after singing. She was buried at Gaixia.
A "Consort Yu Tomb" stands in present-day Lingbi County
Lingbi County
Lingbi County is a county of Anhui Province, China. It is under the administration of Suzhou city....
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
province.
Song of Consort Yu
This verse was sung by Consort Yu after Xiang Yu sang the Song of Gaixia. She committed suicide with Xiang Yu's sword after singing.漢兵已略地， |
The Han army has conquered our land; |
四面楚歌聲。 |
We are surrounded by Chu songs; |
大王義氣盡， |
My lord's spirits are low; |
賤妾何聊生。 |
Why then should I live? |
Modern references
The romance of Xiang Yu and Consort Yu has been the subject of plays, films and television series, even though not much about Consort Yu was recorded in history. The story was reenacted on stage in the Peking opera Farewell My ConcubineFarewell My Concubine (play)
Farewell My Concubine is a Chinese Peking Opera. A more literal translation of the Chinese title is The Hegemon King says Farewell to his Queen....
. A novel of the same title by Lilian Lee
Lilian Lee
Lilian Lee, also spelled Lillian Lee , is a Chinese-language novelist best known as the author of Farewell My Concubine, adapted as a movie by Chen Kaige. She is the author of about ninety books.Lee was born Lee Bak in Taishan, Guangzhou...
was adapted into Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema. His films are known for their visual flair and epic storytelling.-Early life:...
's award-winning film Farewell My Concubine. Poets Su Shi
Su Shi
Su Shi , was a writer, poet, artist, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and statesman of the Song Dynasty, and one of the major poets of the Song era. His courtesy name was Zizhan and his pseudonym was Dongpo Jushi , and he is often referred to as Su Dongpo...
, He Pu and Yuan Mei
Yuan Mei
Yuan Mei was a well-known poet, scholar, artist, and gastronome of the Qing Dynasty.Yuan Mei was born in Qiantang , Zhejiang province, to a cultured family who had never before attained high office. He achieved the degree of jinshi in 1739 at the young age of 23, was immediately appointed to the...
have written poems about Consort Yu as well. Actresses such as Idy Chan
Idy Chan
Idy Chan Yuk Lin is a popular Hong Kong TV actress, especially during the 1980s.-Career:She joined showbiz when she was 17 in 1977. She is most famous for her portrayal of three of the characters from The Condor Trilogy; her heavenly role of Xiaolongnü along with Andy Lau as Yang Guo in the 1983...
, Melissa Ng
Melissa Ng
Melissa Ng Mei Hang is a semi-retired TV actress in Hong Kong. She has been a TVB actress since 1996 after coming second in the Miss Chinese International Pageant, retiring from acting in 2007 to start a family...
, Kristy Yang
Kristy Yang
Kristy Yang , also known as Kristy Yeung, is a Hong Kong-based Chinese Canadian actress.-Biography:Yang was born in Shanghai, China, to a Chinese father and a British Chinese mother...
, Rosamund Kwan
Rosamund Kwan
Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam is a Chinese actress born in Hong Kong with ancestry in Shenyang, Liaoning in China on her father's side and from Shanghai on her mother's side. She is the daughter of Shaw Brothers star Kwan Shan and actress Cheung Bing Sai...
and Liu Yifei
Liu Yifei
Liu Yifei is a Chinese actress and singer. Her legal name is Liu Ximeizi. The "茜" is from the German film Sissi .-Early life and education:Born in Tongji Hospital in Hubei, she was originally named An Feng...
have played the role of Consort Yu in films and television series.
External links
Consort Yu on Baidu BaikeBaidu Baike
Baidu Encyclopedia is a Chinese language collaborative Web-based encyclopedia provided by the Chinese search engine Baidu. Like Baidu itself, the encyclopedia is heavily self-censored in line with government regulations....