Di Qing
Encyclopedia
Di Qing style name
Hanchen , was a military general of the Northern Song Dynasty
. He was born to a poor family in Xihe, Fenzhou (汾州西河; present-day Fenyang
, Shanxi
). He sported tattoos on his face and excelled in mounted archery
. In 1038, during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song
, Di Qing was appointed as Commander (指揮使) of Yanzhou (延州; covering parts of present-day Shaanxi
). He participated in the war between Song and Western Xia
. Each time he went to war, he would don a bronze mask and let his hair run wild and disheveled, and charge into the battlefield. Di Qing was known to be close to Song ministers such as Yin Zhu (尹洙), Han Qi (韓琦) and Fan Zhongyan
. Fan Zhongyan once presented Di Qing a copy of the Zuo Zhuan
and advised him to read. Di Qing took up scholarly pursuits and became a versed military strategist. He was later promoted to Deputy Commander of the Secret Cabinet (樞密副使) for his contributions. Di Qing participated in a total of 25 battles in his whole life. Of these battles, he was best known for his night raid on Kunlun Pass
on the 15th day of the first lunar month
in 1053.
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
Hanchen , was a military general of the Northern Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
. He was born to a poor family in Xihe, Fenzhou (汾州西河; present-day Fenyang
Fenyang
Fenyang city , formerly as Fenyang County before 1996, is a county-level city under the administration of Lüliang prefecture-level city, in Shanxi Province, China....
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
). He sported tattoos on his face and excelled in mounted archery
Mounted archery
A horse archer, horsed archer, or mounted archer is a cavalryman armed with a bow, able to shoot while riding from horseback. Archery has occasionally been used from the backs of other riding animals...
. In 1038, during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song
Emperor Renzong of Song
Emperor Renzong was the fourth emperor of the Song Dynasty of China. His personal name was Zhao Zhen . He reigned from 1022 to 1063. Renzong was the son of Emperor Zhenzong of Song. Despite his long reign of over 40 years, Renzong is not widely known...
, Di Qing was appointed as Commander (指揮使) of Yanzhou (延州; covering parts of present-day Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
). He participated in the war between Song and Western Xia
Western Xia
The Western Xia Dynasty or the Tangut Empire, was known to the Tanguts and the Tibetans as Minyak.The state existed from 1038 to 1227 AD in what are now the northwestern Chinese provinces of Ningxia, Gansu, eastern Qinghai, northern Shaanxi, northeastern Xinjiang, southwest Inner Mongolia, and...
. Each time he went to war, he would don a bronze mask and let his hair run wild and disheveled, and charge into the battlefield. Di Qing was known to be close to Song ministers such as Yin Zhu (尹洙), Han Qi (韓琦) and Fan Zhongyan
Fan Zhongyan
Fan Zhongyan , born in Wuxian , Suzhou , was a prominent politician and literary figure in Song dynasty China. He was also a strategist and educator...
. Fan Zhongyan once presented Di Qing a copy of the Zuo Zhuan
Zuo Zhuan
The Zuo Zhuan , sometimes translated as the Chronicle of Zuo or the Commentary of Zuo, is among the earliest Chinese works of narrative history and covers the period from 722 BCE to 468 BCE. It is one of the most important sources for understanding the history of the Spring and Autumn Period...
and advised him to read. Di Qing took up scholarly pursuits and became a versed military strategist. He was later promoted to Deputy Commander of the Secret Cabinet (樞密副使) for his contributions. Di Qing participated in a total of 25 battles in his whole life. Of these battles, he was best known for his night raid on Kunlun Pass
Kunlun Pass
Kunlun Pass is located in 59 kilometers northeast of Nanning, Guangxi.During the Second Sino-Japanese War, this pass was contended between the Japanese and the Chinese in the Battle of Kunlun Pass....
on the 15th day of the first lunar month
Lunar month
In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two identical syzygies . There are many variations. In Middle-Eastern and European traditions, the month starts when the young crescent moon becomes first visible at evening after conjunction with the Sun one or two days before that evening...
in 1053.