The Zhou dynasty was a royal dynasty of China that existed for 789 years from c. 1046 BC until 256 BC, the longest of such reign in Chinese history. During the Western Zhou period, the royal house, surnamed Ji, had military control over ancient China. Even as Zhou suzerainty became increasingly ceremonial over the following Eastern Zhou period (771–256 BC), the political system created by the Zhou royal house survived in some form for several additional centuries. A date of 1046 BC for the Zhou's establishment is supported by the Xia–Shang–Zhou Chronology Project and David Pankenier, but David Nivison and Edward L. Shaughnessy date the establishment to 1045 BC.
The Shang dynasty, also known as the Yin dynasty, was a Chinese royal dynasty that ruled in the Yellow River valley during the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and followed by the Western Zhou dynasty. The classic account of the Shang comes from texts such as the Book of Documents, Bamboo Annals and Records of the Grand Historian. Modern scholarship dates the dynasty between the 16th and 11th centuries BC, with more agreement surrounding the end date than beginning date.
The Xia dynasty is the first dynasty in traditional Chinese historiography. According to tradition, it was established by the legendary figure Yu the Great, after Shun, the last of the Five Emperors, gave the throne to him. In traditional historiography, the Xia was succeeded by the Shang dynasty.
The Chinese sovereign was the ruler of a particular monarchical regime in the historical periods of ancient China and imperial China. Sovereigns ruling the same regime, and descended from the same paternal line, constituted a dynasty. Several titles and naming schemes have been used throughout Chinese history.
Shangdi, also called simply Di, is the name of the Chinese Highest Deity or "Lord Above" in the theology of the classical texts, especially deriving from Shang theology and finding an equivalent in the later Tiān of Zhou theology.
The Mandate of Heaven is a Chinese political ideology that was used in Ancient China and Imperial China to legitimize the rule of the king or emperor of China. According to this doctrine, Heaven bestows its mandate on a virtuous ruler. This ruler, the Son of Heaven, was the supreme universal monarch, who ruled Tianxia. If a ruler was overthrown, this was interpreted as an indication that the ruler was unworthy and had lost the mandate. It was also a common belief that natural disasters such as famine and flood were divine retributions bearing signs of Heaven's displeasure with the ruler, so there would often be revolts following major disasters as the people saw these calamities as signs that the Mandate of Heaven had been withdrawn.
Luo Binwang, courtesy name Guanguang (觀光/观光), was a Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty. His family was from Wuzhou, modern Yiwu, Zhejiang, but he was raised in Shandong. Luo is grouped with Lu Zhaolin, Wang Bo, and Yang Jiong as the Four Paragons of the Early Tang, the most outstanding poets of their time.
Yinxu is a Chinese archeological site corresponding to Yin, the final capital of the Shang dynasty. Located in present-day Anyang, Henan, Yin served as the capital during the Late Shang period which spanned the reigns of 12 Shang kings and saw the emergence of oracle bone script, the earliest known Chinese writing. Along with oracle bone script and other material evidence for the Shang's existence, the site was forgotten for millennia. Its rediscovery in 1899 resulted from an investigation into oracle bones that were discovered being sold nearby. The rediscovery of Yinxu marked the beginning of decades of intensive excavation and study. It is one of China's oldest and largest archeological sites, and was selected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2006. Yinxu is located in northern Henan, near modern Anyang and the borders Henan shares with Hebei and Shanxi. Public access to the site is permitted.
King Zhou was the pejorative posthumous name given to Di Xin of Shang or Shou, King of Shang, the last king of the Shang dynasty of ancient China. He is also called Zhou Xin. In Chinese, his name Zhòu also refers to a horse crupper, the part of a saddle or harness that is most likely to be soiled by the horse. It is not to be confused with the name of the succeeding dynasty, which has a different character and pronunciation.
The Investiture of the Gods, also known by its Chinese names Fengshen Yanyi (Chinese: 封神演義; pinyin: Fēngshén Yǎnyì; Wade–Giles: Fêng1-shên2 Yan3-yi4; Jyutping: Fung1 San4 Jin2 Ji6) and Fengshen Bang (封神榜), is a 16th-century Chinese novel and one of the major vernacular Chinese works in the gods and demons (shenmo) genre written during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Consisting of 100 chapters, it was first published in book form between 1567 and 1619. Another source claims it was published in a finalized edition in 1605. The work combines elements of history, folklore, mythology, legends and fantasy.
Jiang Ziya, also known by several other names, was a Chinese military general, monarch, strategist, and writer. He played a crucial role in helping King Wen and King Wu of the Zhou dynasty overthrow the Shang dynasty in ancient China. After their victory at the Battle of Muye, Jiang continued to serve as a minister for the Zhou. He remained loyal to the regent, the Duke of Zhou, during the Rebellion of the Three Guards. Following the Duke's punitive campaigns against the Dongyi, Jiang was granted the territory he conquered, which became the marchland of Qi. He established his seat in Yingqiu. Jiang Ziya is also celebrated as one of the main heroes in the classic Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods.
King Wen of Zhou was the posthumous title given to Ji Chang, the patriarch of the Zhou state during the final years of Shang dynasty in ancient China. Ji Chang himself died before the end of the Zhou-Shang War, and his second son Ji Fa completed the conquest of Shang following the Battle of Muye, and posthumously honored him as the founder of the Zhou dynasty. Many of the hymns of the Classic of Poetry are praises to the legacy of King Wen. Some consider him the first epic hero of Chinese history.
Huang Feihu is a fictional character in the Chinese epic fantasy novel Fengshen Bang. Originally known as Prince Wucheng of the Shang dynasty, he defects to Xiqi, a vassal state under Shang, after the tyrannical King Zhou of Shang caused the death of his wife. He brings along his two younger brothers, three sons, four close friends, and hundreds of followers loyal to him. Huang Feihu later participates in the campaign led by King Wu of the Zhou dynasty to overthrow King Zhou of Shang. He is killed in action during a battle against the Shang general Zhang Kui (張奎).
The State of Xu was an independent Huaiyi state of the Chinese Bronze Age that was ruled by the Ying family (嬴) and controlled much of the Huai River valley for at least two centuries. It was centered in northern Jiangsu and Anhui.
The State of E, whose Middle and Old Chinese name has been reconstructed as Ngak, was an ancient Chinese state in the area of present-day Henan and Hubei in China from around the 12th century BCE until its overthrow in 863 BCE. It was a vassal of the Shang state and its ruler was one of the Three Ducal Ministers appointed by Dixin of Shang, who is known pejoratively as King Zhou of Shang.
The Predynastic Zhou or Proto-Zhou refers to the state of Zhou that existed in the Guanzhong region of modern Shaanxi province during the Shang dynasty of ancient China, before its conquest of the Shang in 1046/1045 BC which led to the establishment of the Zhou dynasty. It was ruled by the Ji clan. According to histories, Predynastic Zhou rose as a western vassal of the Shang, acting as its ally until their influence surpassed that of the dynasty.
The China women's national artistic gymnastics team represents China in FIG international competitions.
The Qin Empire II: Alliance is a 2012 Chinese television series adapted from Sun Haohui's novel of the same Chinese title, which romanticises the events in China during the Warring States period primarily from the perspective of the Qin state during the reigns of King Huiwen and King Wu.
Investiture of the Gods is a 2019 Chinese shenmo television series loosely based on the 16th-century Chinese gods and demons fiction Investiture of the Gods by Xu Zhonglin and Lu Xixing. The series is directed by Korean director Shin Woo-chul and starring Wang Likun, Luo Jin, Zhang Bo, Yu Hewei, Deng Lun, and Collin Chou. Produced by Mango Studio, Cathay Media Group, China Television Production Center and China Central Television (CCTV), Investiture of the Gods aired on Hunan Television in April 2019. The series followed the love story between Erlang Shen and Daji in the two rival countries Shang and Western Zhou.
Wǔ is a Chinese surname. It is pronounced Mo in Cantonese. In Vietnamese is written Vũ or Võ. As a Chinese word, it carries the meanings "martial", "military", "martial arts".
