Li Houzhu
Encyclopedia
Li Houzhu (937–978), also known as Houzhu of Southern Tang (南唐後主, literally "the latter lord of Southern Tang"), personal name Li Yu (李煜), né Li Congjia (李從嘉), courtesy name Chongguang (重光; pinyin: chòngguāng), posthumously known as Prince of Wu (吳王), was the last ruler of the Southern Tang Kingdom from 961 to 975 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period; he has been called the "first true master" of the ci
form. He was also a well-known poet.
, died in 961. Li ascended the throne in 961, accepting a role subservient to the Song Dynasty to the north; as the Southern Tang state at this time was, in many respects, little more than a regional ruler in the face of the growing power of the Song Dynasty
.
, only Wuyue
to the east had yet to fall. The Southern Tang’s turn came in 974, when, after several refusals to summons to the Song court, on the excuse of illness, Song Dynasty
armies invaded. After a year long siege of the Southern Tang capital, modern Nanjing
, Li Houzhu surrendered, in 975; and, he and his family were taken as captives to the Song
capital at present-day Kaifeng
.
tradition, as well as representing the Ci poetic style which is so especially associated with the poetry of Song.
Li Houzhu devoted much of his time to pleasure-making and literature, and this is reflected in his early poems. A second phase of Li's ci poems seems to have been the development of a sadder style after the death of his wife, in 964. However, his best-known, and saddest, poems were composed during the years after the Song formally ended his reign in 975. He was created the Marquess of Wei Ming (Chinese: 違命侯; literally, the Marquess of Disobeyed Edicts), a token title only: actually, he was a prisoner. Li's works from this period dwell on his regret for the lost kingdom and the pleasures it had brought him.
He developed the ci
by broadening its scope from love
to history
and philosophy
, particularly in his later works. He also introduced the two stanza
form, and made great use of contrasts between longer lines of nine characters
and shorter ones of three and five. Only 45 of his ci poems survive, thirty of which have been verified to be his authentic works, the other of which are possibly composed by other writers: also, seventeen shi
style poems remain to his credit. His story remains very popular in many Cantonese opera
s. In 2006, a 40-episodes wuxia
TV series named ' Li Hou Zhu yu Zhao Kuang Yin' or 'Li Hou Zhu and Zhao Kuang Yin' was made, with main stars Nicky Wu
(as Li Houzhu), Huang Wen Hao (as Emperor Taizu of Song
) and Liu Tao (as Empress Zhou, wife of Li Houzhu).
emperor Taizong
in 978, after he had written a poem that, in a veiled manner, lamented the destruction of his empire and the rape of his second wife Empress Zhou the Young by the Song emperor. After his death, he was posthumously created the Prince of Wu (吳王).
Ci (poetry)
Ci is a kind of lyric Classical Chinese poetry using a poetic meter based upon certain patterns of fixed-rhythm formal types. For speakers of English, the word "ci" is pronounced somewhat like "tsuh"...
form. He was also a well-known poet.
Ascension to the throne
Li Houzhu’s father Li Jing, the second ruler of the Southern TangSouthern Tang
Southern Tang was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China created following the Tang Dynasty from 937-975. Southern Tang replaced the Wu Kingdom when Li Bian deposed the emperor Yang Pu....
, died in 961. Li ascended the throne in 961, accepting a role subservient to the Song Dynasty to the north; as the Southern Tang state at this time was, in many respects, little more than a regional ruler in the face of the growing power of the 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...
.
Fall of the Southern Tang Kingdom
Of the many other kingdoms surrounding the Southern TangSouthern Tang
Southern Tang was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China created following the Tang Dynasty from 937-975. Southern Tang replaced the Wu Kingdom when Li Bian deposed the emperor Yang Pu....
, only Wuyue
Wuyue
Kingdom of Wuyue , 907-978, was a small independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Qian family, which remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.-Founding:...
to the east had yet to fall. The Southern Tang’s turn came in 974, when, after several refusals to summons to the Song court, on the excuse of illness, 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...
armies invaded. After a year long siege of the Southern Tang capital, modern Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, Li Houzhu surrendered, in 975; and, he and his family were taken as captives to the Song
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...
capital at present-day Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
.
Devotion to the arts
Although, Li Yu indeed was a great exponent and developer of the Ci poetry form, which form sometimes or often seems to characterize poetry of the Song Dynasty, there is also some difficulty in categorizing him as a Song poet: the Southern Tang state is more of a continuation of Tang than a precursor on the Song side of the divide of the history of the Tang-Song transition. Li Yu represents both a continuation of the Tang poetryTang poetry
Tang poetry refers to poetry written in or around the time of and in the characteristic style of China's Tang dynasty, and/or follows a certain style, often considered as the Golden Age of Chinese poetry...
tradition, as well as representing the Ci poetic style which is so especially associated with the poetry of Song.
Li Houzhu devoted much of his time to pleasure-making and literature, and this is reflected in his early poems. A second phase of Li's ci poems seems to have been the development of a sadder style after the death of his wife, in 964. However, his best-known, and saddest, poems were composed during the years after the Song formally ended his reign in 975. He was created the Marquess of Wei Ming (Chinese: 違命侯; literally, the Marquess of Disobeyed Edicts), a token title only: actually, he was a prisoner. Li's works from this period dwell on his regret for the lost kingdom and the pleasures it had brought him.
He developed the ci
Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry is poetry written, spoken, or chanted in the Chinese language, which includes various versions of Chinese language, including Classical Chinese, Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Yue Chinese, as well as many other historical and vernacular varieties of the Chinese language...
by broadening its scope from love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
to history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, particularly in his later works. He also introduced the two stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
form, and made great use of contrasts between longer lines of nine characters
Character (computing)
In computer and machine-based telecommunications terminology, a character is a unit of information that roughly corresponds to a grapheme, grapheme-like unit, or symbol, such as in an alphabet or syllabary in the written form of a natural language....
and shorter ones of three and five. Only 45 of his ci poems survive, thirty of which have been verified to be his authentic works, the other of which are possibly composed by other writers: also, seventeen shi
Shi
Shi may refer to:* Shi , the Chinese term for poetry * Shi , a ceremonial "corpse" in Chinese ancestral sacrifices* Shi , a kana in Japanese syllabaries...
style poems remain to his credit. His story remains very popular in many Cantonese opera
Cantonese opera
Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Cantonese culture. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Like all versions of Chinese opera, it is a traditional Chinese art form, involving music, singing,...
s. In 2006, a 40-episodes wuxia
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
TV series named ' Li Hou Zhu yu Zhao Kuang Yin' or 'Li Hou Zhu and Zhao Kuang Yin' was made, with main stars Nicky Wu
Nicky Wu
Nicky Wu is a Taiwanese singer and actor. Wu found fame in 1988, by joining the Taiwanese boy band, Little Tigers Team, performing alongside Alec Su and Julian Chen. Since then, his career has also expanded into film and television in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China.-Childhood:Nicky Wu is the...
(as Li Houzhu), Huang Wen Hao (as Emperor Taizu of Song
Emperor Taizu of Song
Emperor Tàizǔ , born Zhao Kuangyin , was the founder of the Song Dynasty of China, reigning from 960 to 976.-Ancestry and early life:...
) and Liu Tao (as Empress Zhou, wife of Li Houzhu).
Death
He was poisoned by the SongSong 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...
emperor Taizong
Emperor Taizong of Song
Emperor Taizong , born Zhao Kuangyi, was the second emperor of the Song Dynasty of China from 976 to 997. He was the younger brother of Emperor Taizu. His temple name Taizong means "Grand Ancestor".-Overview:...
in 978, after he had written a poem that, in a veiled manner, lamented the destruction of his empire and the rape of his second wife Empress Zhou the Young by the Song emperor. After his death, he was posthumously created the Prince of Wu (吳王).