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155-446: An Baozhen was born in 733, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong . He was probably the 10th-born son. His family was originally from Parthia but had lived for generations in the Hexi region, and his great-grandfather An Xiuren ( 安脩仁 ) was a contributor to Tang dynasty 's establishment, having assisted his brother An Xinggui ( 安興貴 ) in overthrowing one of the contenders for supremacy during

310-406: A battle would not be to Wang's benefit—as if Linming fell, it would become part of Weibo territory, while a defeat would damage Hengji's army. Wang thus declined Tian's invitation and returned to Hengji. Subsequently, at Jia's further persuasion—pointing out that Zhu Tao's title of Prince of Ji showed an implicit ambition to take Wang's Ji Prefecture (冀州, in modern Hengshui , Hebei ) and that Zhu Tao

465-404: A chancellor as well. Meanwhile, by 722, Empress Wang, who had contributed to Emperor Xuanzong's reign by providing suggestions, had begun to lose favor to Consort Wu , a great-grandniece of Emperor Xuanzong's grandmother Wu Zetian. Emperor Xuanzong secretly discussed with Jiang Jiao the possibility of deposing her, but Jiang Jiao careless leaked the discussion. At the urging of Zhang Jiazhen, who

620-455: A close associate of Consort Wu, as a chancellor as well. Around the new year 735, Ketuhan was killed in an internal Khitan power struggle, and Khitan became a vassal again, although it would not stay so permanently. By 736, Emperor Xuanzong was described as having been tired of important affairs of state and beginning to become wasteful and exuberant in his lifestyle. Zhang tried to curb his behavior but thus began to lose favor, while Li Linfu

775-481: A complete list. In 2007, Handan was the location of China's largest-ever bank robbery . The population at the 2010 census was 941,427 for the 3 urban districts, 2,845,790 for the built up area and 9,174,683 for the entire Prefecture-level city area of 12,068 km (4,659 sq mi). The municipal executive, legislative and judiciary are situated in Congtai District ( 丛台区 , Cóngtái Qū), as well as

930-437: A dispute over Zhu's actions in not returning quickly to Wei Prefecture after he briefly went back to his own circuit to fight off a surprise joint attack by Li Sheng and Zhang Shengyun (張昇雲, Zhang Xiaozhong's son)—and Li Baozhen, hearing this, tried to exploit the situation by sending his subordinate Jia Lin ( 賈林 ) as a messenger to Wang, urging Wang to return to the imperial fold. Wang agreed to do so if Emperor Dezong would issue

1085-486: A few soldiers with him and went into Wang's camp to meet him, further showing his good faith by sleeping there. Wang, touched by Li Baozhen's display, stated, "My body has been promised to Brother Ten and will die for you." Together, they defeated Zhu Tao, forcing him to flee back to Lulong and end his campaign to take over the region. (Zhu Tao subsequently renounced his princely title as well and died shortly thereafter.) For Li Baozhen's contributions, Emperor Dezong created him

1240-532: A general pardon to the rebels, but no pardon came at that time. Still, a secret relationship was created between Li Baozhen and Wang. In fall 783, after not being given rewards after being summoned to Chang'an in anticipation of further service to the east, the army of Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang , Gansu ) rebelled at Chang'an, forcing Emperor Dezong to flee to Fengtian (奉天, in modern Xianyang , Shaanxi ). The Jingyuan army supported Zhu Tao's brother Zhu Ci , then at Chang'an, as emperor of

1395-492: A group of soldiers to examine the northern border. However, the group of conscripted soldiers was disbanded in spring 713, and the plan was never carried out. By summer 713, it was said that Princess Taiping, Dou, Cen, Xiao, Cui; along with other officials Xue Ji , Li Jin ( 李晉 ) the Prince of Xinxing (a grandson of Li Deliang ( 李德良 ), a cousin of Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu ), Li You ( 李猷 ), Jia Yingfu ( 賈膺福 ), Tang Jun ( 唐晙 );

1550-511: A growing services sector, with retail, banking and trading making up 40% of the economy. The GDP per capita in Renminbi was estimated at ¥13,449 in 2005. In 2015, the figure was ¥33,554.87 . According to a survey by "Global voices China" in February 2013, Handan was one of China's most polluted cities due to heavy industrial outputs. However the government has made a significant effort to make

1705-511: A guard beheaded her. Li Guo'er, Wu Yanxiu, and Lady Helou were killed as well. Li Longji soon slaughtered a number of officials in Empress Dowager's faction as well as her clan, while displaying Empress Dowager Wei's body on the street. At the urging of Princess Taiping, Li Longji, and Li Longji's brother Li Chengqi, Li Dan soon took the throne from Li Chongmao and again became emperor (as Emperor Ruizong). Emperor Ruizong once again ascended to

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1860-420: A meeting with his brothers Li Longfan the Prince of Qi and Li Longye the Prince of Xue (who had changed their names to Li Fan and Li Ye by this point to observe naming taboo for Emperor Xuanzong), Guo Yuanzhen , along with a number of his associates – the general Wang Maozhong ( 王毛仲 ), the officials Jiang Jiao ( 姜皎 ) and Li Lingwen ( 李令問 ), his brother-in-law Wang Shouyi ( 王守一 ), the eunuch Gao Lishi , and

2015-762: A member of her party.) As a result, the war between her and him continued more seriously. Liu Youqiu and the general Zhang Wei ( 張暐 ), with Emperor Xuanzong's approval, planned to mobilize the imperial guards to kill several of those chancellors – Dou Huaizhen , Cui Shi and Cen Xi . However, after Zhang told the plan to the imperial censor Deng Guangbin ( 鄧光賓 ), the news was leaked. At the request of Princess Taiping's, Emperor Ruizong issued an order to arrested Liu, and initially set to be executed. But Emperor Xuanzong interceded on his behalf with Emperor Ruizong, and Liu, Zhang, and Deng were spared but exiled. Later in 712, in one of Princess Taiping's plans to oust him, at her request, Emperor Ruizong decreed that Emperor Xuanzong lead

2170-573: A new state of Qin, and Qin forces subsequently put Emperor Dezong under siege at Fengtian. When this news reached the armies fighting the rebels in the east, the collective Tang forces in the east scattered, with Ma and Li Qiu returning to their circuits, Li Baozhen taking defensive position at Linming, and Li Huaiguang heading toward Chang'an, hoping to save Emperor Dezong. Subsequently, when Tian tried to persuade Wang and Zhu Tao's subordinate Ma Shi ( 馬寔 ) to attack Li Baozhen's position at Linming with him, Li Baozhen had Jia secretly persuade Wang that such

2325-572: A noble from the state of Yan heard of a particularly elegant manner of walking unique to Handan. Arriving in Handan, he spent weeks trying to master the Handan style of walking on a bridge, only to fail. In the process, however, he had forgotten how to walk normally and had to crawl back to Yan. This story inspired the Chinese expression, "to learn the walk of Handan" ( 邯郸学步 , Hándān xué bù ), which means learning something difficult too intensely, thereby forgetting

2480-416: A petition accusing Song and Yao of alienating him from his brothers Li Chengqi and Li Shouli (who was actually a cousin but was raised with Emperor Ruizong's sons) and aunt Princess Taiping, asking that the two be put to death. Emperor Ruizong, in response, demoted Song and Yao and recalled Princess Taiping, Li Chengqi, and Li Shouli to the capital. In the aftermaths, Li Longji submitted another request to yield

2635-399: A petition from Li Baozhen requesting Emperor Dezong to allow Li Jian to succeed Li Baozhen. Emperor Dezong, already hearing rumors that Li Baozhen had died, sent the eunuch Diwu Shoujin ( 第五守進 ) to Zhaoyi, ordering that the command be transferred to Li Baozhen's subordinate Wang Yan'gui ( 王延貴 ). When Li Jian considered resisting, the other officers would not go along with him, and he gave up

2790-625: A plan that they believed would end her plotting and influence. They proposed that the two princes who arguably had superior claims on the throne than Li Longji—Li Chengqi and Li Shouli (whose father Li Xian (note different character than Emperor Zhongzong) was an older brother to both Emperors Zhongzong and Ruizong)—be sent out of the capital Chang'an to serve as prefectural prefects, while Princess Taiping and Wu Youji be sent to live in Luoyang. They also proposed that Li Longji be put in charge of most affairs of state. Emperor Ruizong initially agreed and made

2945-426: A result, Wang Junchuo did not dare to counterattack, and subsequently blamed the defeat on a number of tribal chiefs in the area and had them exiles. In response, Yaoluoge Hushu ( 藥羅葛護輸 ), the nephew of one of the chiefs so exiled, Yaoluoge Chengzong ( 藥羅葛承宗 ), ambushed Wang Junchuo and killed him, and while Yaoluoge Hushu was forced to flee thereafter, for several years Tang did not engage in any offensive campaigns in

3100-412: A result, no one passed the first two levels of preliminary examinations, and Li Linfu subsequently submitted a note to Emperor Xuanzong congratulating him that no talent has been overlooked by the imperial administration. Handan Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on

3255-509: A single military general. Eventually, the establishment of jiedushi would be extended to other parts of the empire. Also in 714, Emperor Xuanzong created Li Siqian , his second son and the son of his then-favorite concubine Consort Zhao, crown prince. (Emperor Xuanzong's wife Empress Wang was sonless.) Meanwhile, the Tang relationship with Qapaghan Qaghan of the Göktürks had fluctuated during

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3410-456: A single sentence, and if the subject was undecided, it was changed or determined by a sentence from her, so most chancellors, forbidden troops, civil and military officials, regional warlords and senior servants of the Imperial palace were her associates. Initially, Princess Taiping agreed to Li Longji's ascension as crown prince despite the fact that Li Longji was not Emperor Ruizong's oldest son and

3565-580: A three-way tug of war for influence in the Xiyu (i.e., modern Xinjiang and former Soviet Central Asia ) region. In 715, for example, when the king of Bahanna ( 拔汗那 ) was expelled by a new king supported by the Tibetan Empire and the Umayyad Caliphate, Tang forces commanded by the general Zhang Xiaosong  [ zh ] ( 張孝嵩 ) attacked the new king and restored the old king. General Tang Jiahui led

3720-641: Is Chinese folk religion , including Taoism and Buddhism . In 2013, there were more than 150,000 Catholics in Handan according to the Catholic Church , in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yongnian . Mother of Grace Cathedral in Daming County was built in 1918. The most recent church was built in 2007. There are also 300,000 Protestants. The largest Protestant church is on Qianjin Avenue ( 邯郸市西堂 ) and

3875-509: The An Lushan rebellion . Li Longji was born at the Tang dynasty eastern capital Luoyang in 685, during the first reign of his father Emperor Ruizong (Li Dan) – but at that time, Emperor Ruizong's mother Empress Dowager Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), not Emperor Ruizong, was in actual control of power as empress dowager and regent . Li Longji was the third son of Emperor Ruizong, and his mother

4030-483: The Anshi Rebellion , An Baoyu requested a surname change because he did not want to share a surname with the rebel Yan state's emperor An Lushan . Emperor Xuanzong's son and successor Emperor Suzong agreed and bestowed the imperial surname of Li on An Baoyu. Presumably, An Baozhen's surname was also changed to Li at the time, as Emperor Suzong also permitted the entire clan to have its designated home changed to

4185-629: The CPC and Public Security bureaux. Handan has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate / semi-arid climate ( Köppen Dwa/BSk ), with strong monsoonal influence, typical of the North China Plain . The normal monthly daily mean temperature ranges from −0.9 °C (30.4 °F) in January to 27.3 °C (81.1 °F) in July, while the annual mean temperature is 14.3 °C (57.7 °F). A majority of

4340-595: The Cishan culture . Throughout the city's long history, it contributed significantly to Chinese culture, serving as the capital of State of Zhao , was northern China's political, economic and cultural center, and home to Tai chi and the first compass , made from stones collected in the nearby Mount Ci (magnet mountain). Handan is designated as one of China's National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities . The city's name, Handan (Chinese: 邯 郸 ), has remained unchanged for over 3,000 years. The name first appeared during

4495-821: The Eighth Route Army ’s 129th Division, also known as the Liu - Deng Army Headquarters, is located in She County , within Handan. Following Japan’s defeat in 1945, Handan was designated a city and served as the seat of the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu (晋冀鲁豫) Border Region Government. In October 1945, during the Chongqing Negotiations , the National Revolutionary Army advanced north along the railway, passing through Communist-controlled areas. Armed conflict broke out, leading to

4650-642: The Handan Campaign . By November, the Communist forces achieved a decisive victory, consolidating the North China Liberated Zone into a unified territory. In 1946, the Chinese Communist Party ’s Central Bureau of the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu region planned to launch a major official newspaper in Handan. Initially considered names included Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu Daily and Taihang Daily, but Mao Zedong suggested

4805-683: The Jin state defeated the Di, and Handan was incorporated into Jin. In 546 BCE, after Wey's restoration, a rebellion forced members of the Wey royal family to flee to Handan for refuge. This event is recorded in The Spring and Autumn Annals (Guliang Commentary). During the Warring States period (5th–3rd centuries BCE), Handan is an important city of the state of Zhao . In 386 BCE, Marquess Jing of Zhao officially relocated

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4960-660: The Khitan and the Xi for having defeated Tang forces during Emperor Zhongzong's reign, commissioned the general Xue Ne to attack them, but Xue suffered another devastating loss to them, at the casualty rate of 80–90%. However, later in the year, when the Tibetan Empire attacked, Emperor Xuanzong again commissioned Xue to defend against the attack, and Xue was able to repel the Tibetan forces. Subsequently, though, although both sides tried to invoke

5115-642: The Northern Dynasties , spanning a total of 364 years. In 580, the Northern Zhou general Yuchi Jiong , stationed in Ye, launched a rebellion against Yang Jian but was defeated, leading to the destruction of the ancient city of Ye by fire. During the late Sui dynasty , Handan became the center of activities for Dou Jiande 's rebel army in Hebei. Dou Jiande established Guangfu, which is in current Yongnian, Handan , as

5270-637: The Warlord Era , Handan became a contested site between the Zhili and Anhui warlords. In 1927, a Communist Party branch was established in Handan, and the region was embroiled in the Central Plains War . By the mid-1940s, Handan had declined to a small commercial town, covering only 1 square kilometer with a population of about 28,000. During the Second Sino-Japanese War , the former headquarters of

5425-583: The Xiangtangshan Caves . Handan is served by Handan Airport . Handan has two main train stations: one is Handan railway station which serves for the normal speed train, the other is named Handandong railway station, which serves for the high speed train. According to Handan government in 2007, 40 ethnic groups were present in Handan. Ethnic minorities represent 50,000 people, among which 48,000 Hui. There are 22 Hui schools and 5 Hui junior high schools in Handan. The most widespread religion in Handan

5580-611: The transition from Sui to Tang , Li Gui the Emperor of Liang and united Li Gui's Liang state to Tang. The An family was known for its capability in tending horses, and a number of An family members moved to the region around the Tang capital Chang'an and became students of literature, having intermarried with scholar-bureaucratic families. It was said that An Baozhen was a deep thinker yet decisive. He later served under his third cousin An Baoyu (a great-grandson of An Xinggui's). In 757, during

5735-498: The Abbasids. Meanwhile, the jiedushi (military governors), most of whom were non- Han took more and more regional power into their own hands. Some successful generals included Geshu Han , known for victories over the Tibetan Empire ; Gao Xianzhi , who conquered city states of the Xiyu region, eventually battling the Abbasids at Talas; and An Lushan who defeated and once again vassalized

5890-604: The Chinese to defeat the following Arab-Tibetan attack in the Battle of Aksu (717) . The attack on Aksu was joined by Turgesh Khan Suluk . Both Uch Turfan and Aksu were attacked by the Turgesh, Arab, and Tibetan force on 15 August 717. Qarluqs serving under Chinese command, under Arsila Xian, a Western Turkic Qaghan serving under the Chinese Assistant Grand Protector General Tang Jiahui defeated

6045-599: The Duke of Ni, and then the Prince of Yiyang. After the end of the wars, early in Emperor Dezong's Zhenyuan era (785–805), Li Baozhen visited Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Dezong but returned to Zhaoyi thereafter. In 787, when Emperor Dezong tried to put him in charge of an operation to regain the western prefectures lost to Tufan , Li Baozhen declined. (The Song dynasty historian Sima Guang attributed this to Li Baozhen being displeased that Emperor Dezong had, earlier in

6200-600: The Göktürks, while remaining an important regional power, posed much less of a threat to China, although at times still capable of dealing serious defeats to Tang forces, as was the case in 720 when the Göktürk general Tonyukuk defeated the Tang garrison at Liang Prefecture (涼州, roughly modern Wuwei , Gansu ) and the Tang vassal Basmyl . Meanwhile, Tang, the Tibetan Empire, and the Umayyad Caliphate were constantly engaging in

6355-499: The Khitan, but meanwhile made peace with the Tibetan Empire. Initially, the campaign against the Khitan did not succeed, but in 732, with Li Hui in command, Tang forces dealt Ketugan a serious defeat and causing many of Ketugan's subordinates to defect and submit to Tang, although Ketugan was not captured. Meanwhile, Tang also began to have periodic conflicts with Balhae , and in 733 Emperor Xuanzong tried to commission Dae Mun-ye ( 大門藝 ),

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6510-695: The Khitan. Eventually, in 755, An Lushan started the Anshi Rebellion at Fanyang . The rebels quickly seized the eastern capital Luoyang , and then the imperial capital Chang'an six months later. Emperor Xuanzong fled to Sichuan during the war and abdicated the throne to Li Yu (whose name had been changed to Li Heng at that point) (as Emperor Suzong). Meanwhile, at Li Linfu's encouragement, Emperor Xuanzong began to promote non- Han generals to command large border armies, believing Li Linfu's assertion that non-Han generals were more likely to be personally loyal to Emperor Xuanzong himself and would not have clan entanglements, even though Li Linfu's own personal motivation

6665-515: The Ming, with the area still called Zhili . Daming Prefecture served as the seat of the Zhili Governor-General, while Handan County remained under Guangping Prefecture, which functioned as the political and economic center of southern Hebei and northern Henan during the Ming and Qing periods. In 1928, Zhili was renamed Hebei Province, and Handan came under direct provincial administration. During

6820-435: The Prince of Ping [(i.e., Li Longji, whose title had been changed to Prince of Ping by this point)]. Li Chengqi wept and begged to yield for several days, and after further persuasion by the chancellor Liu Youqiu —who had been part of Li Longji's coup plans—Emperor Ruizong agreed and created Li Longji crown prince. Li Longji submitted a petition offering to yield to Li Chengqi, but Emperor Ruizong rejected it. After he came to

6975-412: The Prince of Xin'an (Emperor Xuanzong's second cousin) and was exiled, and subsequently died in exile. Still, it was said that it was starting from Yuwen's times that Emperor Xuanzong began to pay attention on taxes to replenish the imperial treasury, which traditional historians viewed as the start of his inflicting financial burdens on the people. Further, with Pei in charge of the civil service system, it

7130-412: The Prince of Yong'an (the sons of their uncle Li Xián , formerly crown prince but who had been forced by Wu Zetian to commit suicide in 684), were kept inside the palace and not allowed to have contact with outsiders until 699, when they were allowed to leave the palace and take up residences outside. In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and Li Longji's uncle Li Xiǎn (note different person than

7285-409: The Prince of Zhong, in 738. Historians said that Emperor Xuanzong forced tens of thousands of beautiful women to live in his palace to please him, more than many other Tang emperors. And he did not allow many to be set free even when they were old. As Emperor Xuanzong turned his attention to pleasure-seeking with his favorite concubine Yang Guifei and her family, he paid less and less attention to

7440-417: The Tibetan Empire, and after a Tibetan incursion in late 726, Wang counterattacked and inflicted losses on Tibetan forces commanded by the general Xinuoluogonglu ( 悉諾邏恭祿 ). Later in the year, though, Xinuoluogonglu and another general, Zhulongmangbuzhi ( 燭龍莽布支 ) attacked and captured Wang's home prefecture Gua Prefecture (瓜州, roughly modern Jiuquan , Gansu ), taking Wang's father Wang Shou ( 王壽 ) captive. As

7595-446: The abolition to be the root of Tang's later fracturing, but some others, such as the modern historian Bo Yang , argued that Zhang's actions not only were necessary to restore the supply of soldiers but saved many lives. ) In 723, Zhang Jiazhen was demoted on account of a corruption scandal involving his brother Zhang Jiayou ( 張嘉祐 ). His position was filled by Wang Jun , who was soon himself demoted over suspicions, never proven, that he

7750-591: The accounting to be complete. Emperor Ruizong moved to a secondary palace, Baifu Hall ( 百福殿 ) and would remain there until his death in 716. Emperor Xuanzong's Kaiyuan era is usually viewed as one of the golden ages of Chinese history – a period of political stability, peace in society, and economic prosperity, in addition to advances in education, literature, music, painting, sculpture, and religion. Meanwhile, Zhang Yue and Liu Youqiu served as chancellors, but they were soon displaced by Yao Yuanzhi (who then changed his name to Yao Chong ) and Lu Huaishen . Changing

7905-470: The advice of his sister, Princess Taiping. By winter 711 Princess Taiping had become even more powerful than before. Because of her recommendations, Emperor Ruizong carried out a major reorganization of his administration, relieving the chancellors Wei, Guo Yuanzhen , Dou, Li Rizhi , and Zhang Yue of their chancellor positions, instead commissioning a number of chancellors that she recommended — Liu Youqiu , Wei Zhigu , Cui Shi , and Lu Xiangxian . (Cui

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8060-478: The area suffered from frequent flooding and locust plagues, leaving the population in hardship. In 1368, with the establishment of the Ming dynasty , the Handan area was placed under the jurisdiction of Northern Zhili . It was governed by the prefectures of Guangping and Daming . Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang implemented a resettlement policy, relocating impoverished families from Shanxi to Daming and Guangping, revitalizing

8215-756: The attack. Al-Yashkuri, the Arab commander and his army fled to Tashkent after they were defeated. In and around 716, there was a major locust infestation in the central China region. At Yao's suggestion, Emperor Xuanzong ordered an extensive campaign of extermination, which was said to reduce the impact of the infestation and ward off a major famine . Later in 716, however, due a corruption scandal involving Yao's sons and his associate Zhao Hui ( 趙誨 ), Yao incurred displeasure from Emperor Xuanzong and offered to resign. He and Yuan Qianyao , who replaced Lu after Lu's death earlier in 716, were removed from their offices and replaced with Song Jing and Su Ting , with Song making more of

8370-692: The basics in the process. The nearby Xiangtangshan Caves contain massive Buddha statues carved into the mountainside, some dating to the 6th century, many of which were severely damaged by invading Japanese forces during World War II. At that time, Handan was prized by the Japanese invaders for its coal reserves. Many parts of the Buddhist statues are now in museums arouns the world. For example, several parts are currently in Metropolitan Museum of Art , The San Diego Museum of Art , and Penn Museum . See for

8525-498: The brother of Balhae's King Mu , to attack Balhae, along with forces from Silla , but the attack was not successful. Also in 733, Pei Guangting died, and at the recommendation of Xiao Song, he was replaced with Han Xiu , but soon, Song and Han were in repeated conflicts, and late in 733, both were removed and replaced with Pei Yaoqing , who became known for improving the food distribution system, and Zhang Jiuling , known for his integrity. In 734, Emperor Xuanzong added Li Linfu ,

8680-489: The capital Chang'an at the time. After Emperor Suzong died in 762 and was succeeded by his son Emperor Daizong , Li Baoyu, who already had a command as a military governor ( jiedushi ), was given the additional command of Zelu Circuit (澤潞, headquartered in modern Changzhi , Shanxi ), and it was said that he valued Li Baozhen's service under him. At one point, Li Baozhen was made the secretary general of Fen Prefecture (汾州, in modern Linfen , Shanxi ), when it appeared that

8835-479: The capital of the short-lived Xia regime. Under the Tang dynasty , Handan was incorporated into Mingzhou and Cizhou. Meanwhile, Weizhou in the region began to rise in prominence and was later renamed Daming Prefecture, which is the current Daming County in Handan. By 621, Daming had emerged as the central city north of the Yellow River. During the An Lushan rebellion , Ye has been a base for An Qingxu . There

8990-502: The capital to Handan and initiated large-scale construction. It was their second capital, after Zhongmu . It remained the capital for 158 years, until Zhao was conquered by the Qin. King Wuling of Zhao turned Zhao into one of the Qin state's most stalwart foes, pioneering the use of walls to secure new frontiers (which would inspire the eventual construction of the Great Wall of China). The city

9145-664: The change in the emperor's position could be accounted by an orderly transition, offered to pass the throne to Li Longji. Princess Taiping fervently opposed it, and Li Longji initially declined, but at Emperor Ruizong's insistence finally accepted and took the throne on 8 September (as Emperor Xuanzong). However, at Princess Taiping's suggestion, Emperor Ruizong retained much of the imperial power as Taishang Huang (retired emperor), and his edicts continued to carry greater force than Emperor Xuanzong's. Emperor Xuanzong made his wife Crown Princess Wang empress. Meanwhile, Princess Taiping continued to be listening to politics with curtains in

9300-515: The city cleaner, which involved closing down many polluting power plants. It is no longer the most polluted city, and, according to a 2016 government survey, the number of good air quality days is 189 days, an increase of 135 days compared with 2013. Handan Prefecture is home to the AAAAA tourist attractions Guangfu Ancient City and the Nüwa Imperial Palace . Handan Prefecture is also home to

9455-681: The city had a population of over one million, with a bustling trade that attracted merchants from as far as the Western Regions . In the late Northern Song period, the Jurchen Jin dynasty invaded the Central Plains . In the Handan region, locals joined Wang Yan’s "Bazijun" guerrilla force in the Taihang Mountains , resisting the Jin for decades until the southern campaign of Wanyan Liang . Due to

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9610-453: The command and went to Luoyang per Emperor Dezong's orders. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ( [ɕwàn.tsʊ́ŋ] ; 8 September 685 – 3 May 762 ), personal name Li Longji , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 44 years was the longest during the Tang dynasty. Through two palace coups, he seized the throne and inherited an empire still in its golden age. He

9765-507: The command of Hengji Circuit (恆冀, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang at the old Chengde headquarters in Heng Prefecture), containing only two prefectures of the seven Chengde prefectures, with the lesser title of military prefect (團練使, Tuanlianshi ), while giving three prefectures to Zhang Xiaozhong , who was made military governor of Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding , Hebei ) and two prefectures to Kang Rizhi ( 康日知 ) as

9920-416: The court, highly extremely influential in governmental matters through Emperor Ruizong, the group of chancellors openly frequented her house and most chancellors, forbidden troops, officials and warlords were her associates. (Of the seven chancellors at the time, five – Dou Huaizhen, Xiao Zhizhong, Cen Xi, Cui Shi , and Lu Xiangxian – were made chancellors at her recommendation, although Lu was not considered

10075-670: The crown prince position to Li Chengqi, but Emperor Ruizong declined it. Also in 711, Emperor Ruizong posthumously honored both Empress Liu and Li Longji's mother Consort Dou as empresses and built a temple for them to be worshipped, but was unable to locate their bodies for reburial, and therefore had to give them a ceremonial reburial without the bodies. But this posthumous honor for Li Longji's mother further displeased Princess Taiping. Emperor Ruizong also ordered that all minor matters be decided by Li Longji, and with this, Emperor Ruizong established Li Longji as his sole successor, but diverted his participation in important matters and focused more on

10230-441: The crown prince title and the emperor's trust, Li Longji was active and powerful in the politics of Emperor Ruizong's reign, but, also, whenever Emperor Ruizong called a court meeting, Princess Taiping would listen to the courtiers' conversations with the emperor about the government behind a pearl curtain and had the government under her hands. Under her ample reputation in the previous reigns, her great achievements in two coups,

10385-478: The cruel secret police officials of Wu Zetian's reign, exiling the ones that were still alive and eventually barring their descendants from holding political offices. At the urging of Jiang Jiao's brother Jiang Hui ( 姜誨 ), he also exiled a number of chancellors – Wei Sili , Wei Anshi , Zhao Yanzhao , and Li Jiao – from Emperor Zhongzong's reign whom Jiang accused of being unable to curb Empress Wei's abuse of power. Also in 714, Emperor Xuanzong, wanting to punish

10540-640: The current Linzhang County . During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao established his base in Ye, marking the rise of Ye City. After the founding of the Cao Wei state, Ye became the northern capital of Wei, serving as the political center of northern China. The construction of the Wei capital was renowned for its symmetrical design along a central axis, and iconic structures such as the Bronze Bird Terrace . In

10695-553: The discoveries of jade writings in Houma, Shanxi in 1965, where the "Dan" in Handan was spelt " 丹 ", meaning red. This then lead to another explanation that Handan was named so because Mount Han appeared reddish-purple in color. The different spellings of the city's name consolidated into the modern spelling in Qin dynasty . According to the Bamboo Annals , during the late Shang dynasty ,

10850-463: The emperor to defend Yang.) Later in the year, when Li Weiyue's subordinate Wang Wujun rose against Li Weiyue and killed him, Wang briefly submitted to imperial authorities, but then rebelled when he was not made the military governor of Chengde as Emperor Dezong had implicitly promised. (Emperor Dezong had promised that whoever killed Li Weiyue would receive the positions that Li Weiyue wanted—but instead divided Chengde into three circuits, giving Wang

11005-470: The father of Li Guangshun, Li Shouli, and Li Shouyi), who was at that time crown prince (Li Dan having yielded that title to him in 698 and taken the title of Prince of Xiang), who had been briefly emperor prior to Li Dan, returned to the throne (as Emperor Zhongzong). Li Longji was made the deputy minister of military supplies (衛尉少卿, Weiwei Shaoqing ). In 708, he was made the secretary general of Lu Prefecture (潞州, roughly modern Changzhi , Shanxi ). In 710, he

11160-538: The first few years of the Kaiyuan era, as minor hostilities occurred at the borders as well as contests over vassals' loyalty for the two states, but they were also at times friendly to each other, with Qapaghan requesting at times to marry a Tang princess and Emperor Xuanzong agreeing to the proposal. In 716, however, Qapaghan was killed in battle against the Bayegu ( 拔野古 ), and from that point on, lacking his efficient leadership,

11315-569: The founding emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty, raised an army in Hebei, he captured Handan and downgraded it to Handan County, marking the first time the city was demoted from a capital to a county seat. This began Handan's decline. By the late Eastern Han period, Yuan Shao seized control of Hebei and established Ye , which gradually replaced Handan and rose to prominence. Note that Ye is still contained in Handan Prefecture nowadays, located in

11470-497: The general Ma Sui the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan , Shanxi ) as well as a commanding general of the imperial Shence Army ( 神策軍 ), Li Sheng , to aid Li Baozhen. Together, Ma, Li Baozhen, and Li Sheng defeated Tian at Linming, forcing him to flee back to his headquarters at Wei Prefecture. In spring 782, they, along with Li Qiu ( 李艽 ) the military governor of Heyang Circuit (headquartered in modern Jiaozuo , Henan ) again defeated Tian (who

11625-420: The general Pugu Huai'en , who controlled the region and commanded the powerful army of Shuofang Circuit (朔方, headquartered in modern Yinchuan , Ningxia ), was set on rebelling against Emperor Daizong. Li Baozhen slipped away in 764 and fled back to Chang'an. When Emperor Daizong asked him for his opinions on what to do with Pugu, Li Baozhen suggested that Emperor Daizong recommission the general Guo Ziyi , who

11780-513: The generals Chang Yuankai ( 常元楷 ), Li Ci ( 李慈 ), and Li Qin ( 李欽 ); and the monk Huifan, were plotting to overthrow Emperor Xuanzong. It was further said that they discussed, with the lady-in-waiting Lady Yuan, to poison the gastrodia elata that Emperor Xuanzong routinely took as an aphrodisiac. When this alleged plot was reported to Emperor Xuanzong by Wei Zhigu , Emperor Xuanzong, who had already received advice from Wang Ju ( 王琚 ), Zhang Shuo , and Cui Riyong to act first, did so. He convened

11935-402: The government's talent pool, and so issued an edict ordering that the people who had unusual talents to come to Chang'an to be examined by himself. Li Linfu, fearing that these examinees might accuse him of improprieties when they get to meet the emperor, suggested that these examinees go through two levels of preliminary examinations – by the local governments, and then by the executive bureau. As

12090-488: The guards harshly, had alienated the guards, and the guard officers Ge Fushun ( 葛福順 ), Chen Xuanli ( 陳玄禮 ), and Li Xianfu ( 李仙鳧 ) thereafter also joined the plot. Without first informing Li Dan, the conspirators enacted their plan on July 21, 710, first killing Wei Bo, Gao, and Empress Wei's cousin Wei Gui ( 韋璿 ). They then began their attack on the palace, causing Empress Dowager Wei to flee to an imperial guard camp, where

12245-404: The imperial forces arrive at Wei Prefecture, and they were unable to capture it. (Ma and Li Baozhen's grudge against each other had originated when Ma was the defender of Heyang; at that time, there was an occasion when Li Baozhen wanted to kill his subordinate Yang Shu ( 楊鉥 ) the prefect of Huai Prefecture; Yang fled to Ma, who not only allowed him to take refuge but further submitted a petition to

12400-517: The imperial forces suffered a major defeat. They had to take up defensive position and were no longer able to threaten Wei Prefecture. Subsequently, the four rebels declared themselves princes—Zhu declaring himself the Prince of Ji, Wang declaring himself the Prince of Zhao, Tian declaring himself the Prince of Wei, and Li Na declaring himself the Prince of Qi—effectively declaring independence, although they continued to use Tang's era name in order to show nominal allegiance. Soon, however, Zhu and Wang had

12555-445: The imperial government almost to the end of Emperor Xuanzong's reign. Li Linfu did all he could to stay in power, and carried out many dirty tricks against actual or potential threats to his power. He also severely discouraged criticism, ending the relative freedom that officials had to make proposals to Emperor Xuanzong. This was often viewed by traditional historians as the turning point of Emperor Xuanzong's reign, which up to that point

12710-430: The important decisions and Su assisting. Yao would not return to the chancellorship, but would remain influential as a key advisor for Emperor Xuanzong until Yao's death in 721. Contrary to the practical and flexible Yao, Song was more interested in emphasizing integrity and rule of law in governance, and it was said that while Yao's and Song's emphases were different, they were both regarded as instrumental in establishing

12865-533: The kings constructed palaces in the Handan area, with a time span of 3,050 to 3,100 years ago. In the early Western Zhou period, during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou , Handan was part of the Bei state and was inhabited by Wu Geng , the son of the last king of Shang . Later, it came under the control of the state of Wey . In 661 BCE, the Di people conquered Handan and ruled it for over 40 years after destroying Wey. In 588 BCE,

13020-742: The late Western Jin period, northern China fell into chaos during the Upheaval of the Five Barbarians , and Handan was occupied by various non-Han ethnic groups, such as the Xianbei and Jie people , leaving the city in ruins. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, Ye City in Linzhang served successively as the capital for Later Zhao , Ran Wei , Former Yan , and later the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi during

13175-410: The late Western Han period, Handan remained one of the five major cities in the country, covering an urban area of 13.6 square kilometers with a population of over 150,000. Its handicrafts, commerce, and iron smelting industries were highly developed. In the late Western Han, a peasant uprising erupted, and Wang Lang launched a rebellion in the Handan area in support of the peasant army. After Liu Xiu ,

13330-506: The many Chinese idioms that the city inspired, such as the road into which Lin Xiangru , courier of the precious Heshibi , backed in order to let his nemesis Lian Po pass first, as well as the location in which Lian Po begged for Lin Xiangru 's forgiveness. Modern-day Congtai Park is located on the site of the historical Zhao court. Next to Congtai Park is the legendary "Xuebu Bridge" ( 学步桥 ), or "Learning to Walk Bridge". Legend has it that

13485-427: The marriage between Li Shouli's daughter Princess Jincheng and Me Agtsom , emperor of the Tibetan Empire, in seeking peace, the two sides could not reach an agreement and remained in border conflict yearly. In response, Emperor Xuanzong established the office of jiedushi (military governor) of Longyou Circuit ( 隴右 , headquartered in what is now Haidong , Qinghai ), with a centralized command of 12 prefectures under

13640-474: The military governor of Chengde or Li Na to succeed his father Li Zhengji as the military governor of Pinglu, Li Weiyue, Li Na, and Tian Yue the military governor of Weibo rose together against imperial forces. As a part of their operations, Tian attacked Linming (臨洺, in modern Handan), then defended by the Zhaoyi general Zhang Pi ( 張伾 ). Li Baozhen sought aid from the imperial government, and Emperor Daizong sent

13795-424: The military officer Li Shoude ( 李守德 ) – and decided to act first. On 29 July, Emperor Xuanzong had Wang Maozhong take 300 soldiers to the imperial guard camp to behead Chang and Li Ci. Then, Jia, Li You, Xiao, and Cen were arrested and executed as well. Dou fled into a canyon and committed suicide by hanging. Xue Ji was forced to commit suicide. When Emperor Ruizong heard about this, he quickly ascended

13950-441: The military prefect of Shenzhao Circuit (深趙, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang).) When Wang rose, he attacked Kang's position at Zhao Prefecture. The Ma-Li Baozhen dispute then almost nearly broke into the open when Li Baozhen sent part of his army to defend part of his territory, Xing Prefecture (邢州, in modern Xingtai , Hebei ), which neighbored Zhao Prefecture; this displeased Ma, and Ma considered withdrawing altogether. Only at

14105-421: The moderation of Li Sheng did Ma and Li Baozhen make peace, and Ma's subsequent recommendation, Ming Prefecture (洺州, in modern Handan) was added to Zhaoyi. Subsequently, when Zhu Tao , the deputy military governor of Lulong—who had been loyal to imperial authority earlier but who had turned against the imperial government after not given any part of Chengde after Li Weiyue's death—came to Tian's aid along with Wang,

14260-417: The mountains, only appearing three days later. Emperor Ruizong asked Emperor Xuanzong for her pardon, but he refused. Emperor Xuanzong ordered her to commit suicide at home, and put to death her sons and associates, except for Xue Chongjian. Princess Taiping's assets were confiscated, and it was said that there was so much treasure, livestock, and real estate that it took several years: more than thirty years for

14415-515: The normal annual precipitation of 502 mm (19.8 in) occurs in July and August. Handan has witnessed rapid growth over the past 20 years. Industrial growth in the city has focused on communication and transport activities. Handan is a major producer of coal and steel, with Coal mines at Fengfeng providing power for Handan's iron, steel and textile mills. Chemical and cement plants along with other industries also benefit. Local agriculture produces maize, pomegranates and eggs. Handan also has

14570-528: The north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shandong on the east. At the 2010 census, its population was 9,174,683 inhabitants whom 2,845,790 lived in the built-up ( or metro ) area made of 5 urban districts. Yongnian District in Handan and Shahe City in Xingtai have largely formed into a single conurbation . Handan is one of the oldest cities in China , first settled around 6500 BC by

14725-457: The orders as Song and Yao suggested, except that he believed that Luoyang was too far and therefore sent Princess Taiping and Wu Youji only to Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly modern Yuncheng , Shanxi ). After Princess Taiping found out that the plan was conceived by Song and Yao, however, she was incensed and let Li Longji know her anger, and she mobilized her group to attack Song and Yao and oppose Emperor Ruizong's decision. In fear, Li Longji submitted

14880-429: The palace after Wu Zetian's lady-in-waiting Wei Tuan'er ( 韋團兒 ) falsely accused them of using witchcraft against Wu Zetian – and not even their bodies were recovered. Subsequently, all of Li Dan's sons were reduced in title, and Li Longji's title was reduced to Prince of Linzi. He and his brothers, along with their cousins Li Guangshun ( 李光順 ) the Prince of Yifeng, Li Shouli the Prince of Yong, and Li Shouyi ( 李守義 )

15035-522: The palace and was treated inside the palace like an empress would be. Still, in 726, when Emperor Xuanzong considered creating her empress, he encountered oppositions from officials on two grounds – that her Wu clan was hated by the people and that as she had her own sons, the position of Li Siqian the Crown Prince (whose name had been changed to Li Hong by this point) would be threatened. As a result, Emperor Xuanzong never created her empress. But Consort Wu's

15190-474: The palace as "the Lady" and treated like an empress (as was consort Wu until her death). He abducted more than 40000 women in his palace. Some were not set free even after they were over 60 years old. Meanwhile, Li Linfu was beginning to conflict with Li Shizhi and Wei Jian, who were allies. Li Linfu, who engaged a group of secret police officials to investigate and manufacture evidence against political enemies,

15345-415: The people have to labor or can rest depends on their prefect. I would like to receive a prefecture to try myself." Emperor Daizong approved of his volunteering, and, in addition to making him the deputy military governor of Zelu and Chenzheng, also made him the prefect of Ze Prefecture (澤州, in modern Jincheng , Shanxi ), one of the prefectures of Zelu Circuit. He served at Ze Prefecture for two years and then

15500-519: The prolonged warfare, Handan fell into decline and was eventually submerged by flooding. The ruins of Song-era Handan remain preserved beneath four meters of Yellow River silt. After the Jin dynasty fell to the Mongol Empire , Handan was incorporated into the Mongol realm. During the early Yuan dynasty , it was part of the capital region of Dadu (modern-day Beijing ). However, in the later Yuan period,

15655-691: The region after its decline during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. In the late Ming period, influenced by Li Zicheng , the people of Handan staged uprisings. In 1644, after the Qing army crossed the Great Wall and entered the Central Plains, local resistance, led by Zhang Zhibang, fought against the invaders but was brutally suppressed. Under the Qing, the administrative structure remained similar to that of

15810-555: The region. Around the same time, Emperor Xuanzong began to build a residential complex in the palace for imperial clan members, known as the Mansion of the Ten Princes ( 十王院 ), to centralize their residence. Thereafter, imperial princes, including the crown prince, would rarely live outside the palace complex. On 6 December 728, Emperor Xuanzong added the general Xiao Song as a chancellor. Subsequently, in 729, with Yuan, even though he

15965-442: The reign of King Zhou of Shang , in the chronicle Bamboo Annals . A dictionary from the Tang dynasty explained that "Han" (Chinese: 邯 ) is the name of a nearby mountain ( Hanshan ), and "Dan" (Chinese: 单 ) meant "the terminus of a mountain" with an added radical (Chinese: 阝 ) denoting a city. Together, "Handan" means "the city at the terminus of Mount Han". This explanation has been widely accepted until

16120-423: The rule of Kaiyuan and that subsequent chancellors could not compare to them. Meanwhile, Song and Su had carried out a stern campaign against the use of coins that were not officially forged by the government, which brought popular resentment that Emperor Xuanzong found problematic. In 720, he removed Song and Su from chancellor offices and replaced them with Yuan and Zhang Jiazhen , and in 721 added Zhang Yue as

16275-616: The running of his empire, and much of his power fell into the hands of the corrupt Li Linfu (who was succeeded by Lady Yang's dissolute cousin Yang Guozhong ) and the eunuch Gao Lishi . At the same time, 751 saw the loss of the Battle of Talas against the Abbasid Caliphate. As a consequence, the Tang dynasty temporarily lost some of its influence in Central Asia to the emerging Abbasid Caliphate, as several Tang tributaries turned to

16430-438: The system of having a large group of chancellors simultaneous, as had been the case throughout Tang, Emperor Xuanzong reduced the numbers to two (or sometimes three) for the rest of his reign. Yao was considered a highly capable administrator, and with him ruling on most important matters and Lu assisting, the government was said to be highly efficient. In 714, Emperor Xuanzong carried out a series of political reprisals against

16585-489: The throne to her, and she took the throne as empress regnant of a new Zhou dynasty , interrupting Tang. She imposed upon Ruizong and his family the surname Wu ( 武 ) to match hers. In 692, Li Longji and his brothers were allowed to have residences outside the palace and were given staffs at their mansions. In 693, both his mother Consort Dou and Li Dan's wife Crown Princess Liu (Li Dan's having been reduced to crown prince rank at that point) were killed by Wu Zetian inside

16740-436: The throne, whenever the chancellors and officials discussed political affairs with him, the first sentence he asked was: "Have you ever discussed with Princess Taiping? "If the answer is yes, he will continue to ask: "Have you ever discussed with Li Longji?" If both people have clear opinions, he will make a decision based on this, as a result, he relies heavily on Princess Taiping and Li Longji. Because of his achievements, having

16895-437: The throne, which is different from the first time he was a puppet. This time he truly mastered the power and quickly used it handily. Emperor Ruizong was immediately faced with the issue of whom to make crown prince—as Li Chengqi, as the oldest son overall and the oldest son of his wife, was the appropriate heir under Confucian principles of succession, but Li Longji had been the one whose accomplishments had allowed him to retake

17050-423: The throne. He hesitated. Li Chengqi declined consideration to be crown prince—stating to his father: If the state were secure, then consideration should be first given to the oldest son of the wife. If the state were in danger, then consideration should be first given for achievement. If you did not follow this principle, the people of the entire empire will be disappointed. I would rather die than to be placed above

17205-979: The time being, Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, Li Chongmao the Prince of Wen, was named emperor (as Emperor Shang), but Empress Wei retained actual power as empress dowager and regent. Originally, Empress Dowager Wei's clan members, along with Zong, Li Guo'er's husband Wu Yanxiu, and other officials Zhao Lüwen ( 趙履溫 ) and Ye Jingneng ( 葉靜能 ) were advising her to take the throne, like Wu Zetian did, and they also advised her to eliminate Li Dan and Princess Taiping . The official Cui Riyong leaked their plan to Li Longji. Li Longji responded by conspiring with Princess Taiping, Princess Taiping's son Xue Chongjian ( 薛崇簡 ), as well as several low-level officials close to him— Zhong Shaojing , Wang Chongye ( 王崇曄 ), Liu Youqiu , and Ma Sizong ( 麻嗣宗 )—to act first. Meanwhile, Empress Wei's nephews Wei Bo ( 韋播 ) and Gao Song ( 高嵩 ), who had recently been put in command of imperial guards and who had tried to establish their authority by dealing with

17360-423: The time, was near a collapse, as the soldiers were forced into long tours of duty but their families were not exempt from taxes, thus causing great numbers of desertions, Zhang suggested a switch to a recruitment-based system where soldiers were paid salaries. This allowed, for a time, Tang's soldier supply to be replenished. (Some later historians condemned Zhang for the abolition of the conscription system, believing

17515-547: The title People's Daily . Although the inaugural issue was printed on May 15, 1946, in Xibaipo , the project originated in Handan, and the publication became known as the “Handan Edition of the People’s Daily (人民日报邯郸版).” On December 22, 1952, Handan was reestablished as a city and became a provincial city in 1954. In 1956, Fengfeng City was merged into Handan, followed by the incorporation of Handan County in 1983. In 1984, Handan

17670-405: The tower at Chengtian Gate ( 承天門 ) to ascertain what was happening. Guo reported to him Emperor Xuanzong's intentions, and Emperor Ruizong felt compelled to affirm Emperor Xuanzong's actions in an edict. The next day, on July 30, Emperor Ruizong issued an edict transferring all authorities to Emperor Xuanzong. Meanwhile, Princess Taiping, hearing what happened to her associates, fled into a temple in

17825-409: The trust of Emperor Ruizong's, the vast privileges, attention, independence and wealth that Emperor Ruizong bestowed on her, and having countless allies, Princess Taiping has decision-making power on many serious events in the court and the country matters and was so powerful that she even surpassed Emperor Ruizong. She could often decide the promotion or demotion, deportation or summons of officials with

17980-451: The use of magic would allow her to have a son. Empress Wang was deposed and reduced to commoner rank, while Wang Shouyi was exiled and subsequently ordered to commit suicide in exile. Empress Wang died later in the year, and it was said that the eunuchs and the ladies in waiting mourned her bitterly and Emperor Xuanzong much regretted his treatment of her. Still, after Empress Wang's removal and death, Consort Wu became undisputed mistress of

18135-401: The year, relieved Li Sheng of his military command at the suggestion of the chancellor Zhang Yanshang .) Meanwhile, it was said that Li Baozhen tried to gather talented people to his circuit by sending messengers throughout the realm to look for talented people and entice them with rewards, but that if those people thus retained had few suggestions for him, he would let them leave. As the realm

18290-668: Was Emperor Ruizong's concubine Consort Dou, who was highly ranked in the bureaucracy. In 687, as the emperor's son, he was created the Prince of Chu. It was said that he was handsome, with an appearance that was "majestic and beautiful", and was talented in music. He had two older brothers – Li Chengqi , born of Emperor Ruizong's wife Empress Liu , and Li Chengyi ( 李成義 ), as well as three younger brothers – Li Longfan ( 李隆範 ), Li Longye ( 李隆業 ), and Li Longti ( 李隆悌 ). He had two full younger sisters, Princess Jinxian ( 金仙公主 ) and Princess Yuzhen ( 玉真公主 ), who later became Taoist nuns. In 690, Empress Dowager Wu had her son Emperor Ruizong yield

18445-432: Was a chief favorite of the emperor and undisputed mistress of the palace until her death and had political power. In winter 725, Emperor Xuanzong, at Zhang Yue's urging, carried out a magnificent ceremony at Mount Tai to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth. On 11 May 726, Zhang Yue was accused of corruption by several officials that he had blocked the advances of – Cui Yinfu ( 崔隱甫 ), Yuwen Rong , and Li Linfu – and

18600-438: Was a lover of Princess Taiping, and when she offered to recommend him as chancellor, because he admired Lu, he requested to be made chancellor along with Lu, even though Lu was not an associate of Princess Taiping. It was said that Emperor Ruizong, however, was initially unwilling to make Cui chancellor, but relented after Princess Taiping begged in tears, although the account may be somewhat discountable in that neither Liu nor Wei

18755-648: Was able to get Wei and Li Shizhi demoted and exiled in 746. (Li Shizhi was replaced by Chen Xilie , who gained favor from Emperor Xuanzong for his knowledge in Taoism and sorcery.) In 747, Li Linfu further carried out a campaign of terror against exiled officials, and among the officials executed were Wei, Li Yong ( 李邕 ) and Pei Dunfu ( 裴敦復 ). Li Shizhi and Wang Ju, who had been instrumental in Emperor Xuanzong's initial actions against Princess Taiping, committed suicide. Meanwhile, in 747, Emperor Xuanzong wanted to expand

18910-434: Was able to have. I will soon be at the court of Shangdi and no longer be among you." As he then dreamed of riding on a flying crane , he made a wooden crane and practiced riding on it. Eventually, Li Baozhen took a total of 20,000 pills, and it was said that his belly became firm and he was unable to eat. A Taoist monk , Niu Dongxuan ( 牛洞玄 ), briefly cured him by giving him lard and laxatives . However, after Li Baozhen

19065-485: Was able to train them sufficiently that he was then able to convert them to an army of 20,000 men. It was said at the time that no other infantry in the realm could rival Zelu's. In 776, after Zhaoyi Circuit was largely seized by Tian Chengsi , the military governor of Weibo Circuit, after the death of its military governor Xue Song , and after the succeeding military governor of the portion of Zhaoyi that came under imperial control, Li Chengzhao ( 李承昭 ), fell ill, Li Baozhen

19220-409: Was again designated a provincial city, and Wu'an (later Wu'an City) was annexed in 1986. Handan maintained a reputation for its fine Cizhou ware well into the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). It was also the birthplace in the 19th century of Yang-style tai chi , one of Tai Chi's five major schools. Though much of Handan's ancient history is no longer visible, it still has some attractions, deriving from

19375-454: Was an associate of Princess Taiping either, and both were close associates of Li Longji.) In 712, Princess Taiping had astrologers warn Emperor Ruizong that the constellation that symbolized the imperial throne, Dizuo ( 帝座 ), showed that there would be a change in the emperor's position—believing that Emperor Ruizong would suspect Li Longji of plotting a coup and that she could remove Li Longji this way. Instead, Emperor Ruizong, reasoning that

19530-491: Was an improper crown prince . She even spread rumors throughout the empire and tried to cause discontent among the common people, saying: Li Longji is not the eldest son of the emperor, so he should not become the crown prince. She further often paid Li Longji's staff members to spy on him to try to find faults with him. She associated with a group of officials, including the chancellors Dou Huaizhen , Xiao Zhizhong , and Cen Xi , intending to find some way to remove Li Longji, but

19685-625: Was back in Chang'an, he spent time to cultivate relationships with imperial guard commanders, as he believed that Emperor Zhongzong's powerful wife Empress Wei , who was in charge of government affairs, would bring harm to the Tang dynasty. In summer 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly—a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning by Empress Wei and her daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle so that Empress Wei could become "emperor" like Wu Zetian and Li Guo'er could become crown princess. For

19840-476: Was built in 1997. The oldest church was on Congtai Street and was built in 1920. The church was destroyed in 2009 by the local government. A new church was built in 2011. According to the local government 30,000 Hui Muslims live in the prefecture of Handan. Handan is hailed as the capital of Chinese idioms. As a prosperous city and cultural center during the Warring States period , Handan attracted many scholars. Over 1,500 idioms and proverbs are attributed to

19995-663: Was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of Zhao by Qin in 228 BCE, except for the Dai Commandery . The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang , was born in Handan. His father is King Zhuangxiang of Qin , a statesman from the state of Qin, and his mother is Queen Dowager Zhao , who is a Handan native. At the beginning of the Han dynasty , Handan was Liu Bang 's base for suppressing Chen Xi 's rebellion in 197 and 196 BCE. By

20150-569: Was considered a golden age in Chinese history, toward a path of degeneration. The Song dynasty historian Sima Guang , in his Zizhi Tongjian , for example, commented: Of the chancellors that the Emperor commissioned after he took the throne, Yao Chong emphasized flexibility, Song Jing emphasized the rule of law, Zhang Jiazhen emphasized administrative abilities, Zhang Shuo emphasized literary talent, Li Yuanhong and Du Xian emphasized frugality, and Han Xiu and Zhang Jiuling emphasized honesty. All of them had their different talents. After Zhang Jiuling

20305-452: Was demoted, however, the officials were all concerned about keeping their positions, and honest words no longer had a place in government. In 737, with Zhang no longer in the government to protect him, Li Ying was deposed and subsequently forced to commit suicide. However, with Consort Wu dying later in the year, Emperor Xuanzong did not immediately accept Li Linfu's proposal to have Li Mao made crown prince. Rather, he chose an older son, Li Yu

20460-608: Was formerly Pugu's superior as the commander of the Shuofang army, arguing that such a move would undermine the morale of Pugu's army. Emperor Daizong agreed, and subsequently, Pugu did rebel but was unsuccessful. Emperor Daizong, crediting Li Baozhen for his opinions, made him the deputy military governor of both Zelu and Chenzheng (陳鄭, headquartered in modern Zhengzhou , Henan ) Circuits, both of which were then under Li Baoyu's command. When Li Baozhen met Emperor Daizong to thank him, Li Baozhen, while thanking Emperor Daizong, stated, "Whether

20615-433: Was found to have committed corruption. At the intercession of Gao Lishi , however, Zhang Yue was removed only from his chancellor post on 18 May and permitted to maintain his title and a number of other posts. He was replaced by Li Yuanhong on 15 May, and subsequently, Du Xian was also added as a chancellor. In 727, at the suggestion of the general Wang Junchuo (王君㚟), Emperor Xuanzong commissioned Wang Junchuo to attack

20770-414: Was friendly with Empress Wang's brother Wang Shouyi ( 王守一 ), advocated that Jiang Jiao be punished and exiled, and Jiang died in exile. Meanwhile, at Zhang Yue's suggestion, the Tang northern border defense forces, which had about 600,000 men at that time, was reduced by 200,000 men to allow the soldiers to return home. Further, seeing that the Tang conscription system, due to abuses against the soldiers at

20925-559: Was gaining power due to his association with Consort Wu. Further, Zhang supported Li Hong (whose name had been changed to Li Ying by this point), while Li Linfu and Consort Wu supported her son Li Mao ( 李瑁 ) the Prince of Shou and tried to have Li Mao made crown prince. In 736, due to Li Linfu's machinations that made Emperor Xuanzong believed that Zhang and Pei Yaoqing were improperly engaging in factionalism, Zhang and Pei Yaoqing were removed and replaced by Niu Xianke , who closely followed Li Linfu's will, and thereafter, Li Linfu would dominate

21080-544: Was given the deputy military governorship of Zhaoyi as well, and Zhaoyi and Zelu were merged. In 777, after Li Baoyu died, Li Baozhen continued to be in command of the merged Zhaoyi Circuit, but still carried the title of deputy military governor. Emperor Daizong died in 779 and was succeeded by his son Emperor Dezong . In 780, Emperor Dezong officially made Li Baozhen the military governor of Zhaoyi. In 781, when Emperor Dezong, wanting to reassert imperial authority, refused to allow Li Weiyue to succeed his father Li Baochen as

21235-658: Was healed, he again listened to Sun, who stated, "You have come close to immortality. Why abandon it now?" Li Baozhen thereafter took 3,000 more pills and died. Emperor Dezong mourned him for three days and gave him posthumous honors. At the time that Li Baozhen was ill, his son Li Jian ( 李緘 ) plotted with Li Baozhen's subordinate Lu Huichang ( 盧會昌 ) and nephew Yuan Zhongjing ( 元仲經 ) for Li Jian to take over Zhaoyi. After Li Baozhen's death, Yuan acted as if Li Baozhen were still alive and forged an order from Li Baozhen transferring command to Li Jian. Initially, Li Baozhen's deputy Li Shuo ( 李說 ) and other subordinates agreed. Lu then forged

21390-483: Was in a strategic position and was vulnerable to attack. In the aftermaths of the Anshi Rebellion, however, the circuit was lacking in military manpower, and had no financial resources to recruit soldiers. He thus created an innovative program—he selected the strongest of farmers and waived their tax burdens; in exchange, they were to train in archery , and the most capable ones would receive rewards. In three years, he

21545-421: Was infatuated with her, and he had her become a Taoist nun and gave Li Mao the wife of the general Wei Zhaoxun ( 韋昭訓 ) as his new wife and princess. Meanwhile, he secretly took the nun, Yang, into the palace. She became his senior-ranking concubine ( guifei ) , known as Yang Guifei, and soon became so powerful that officials were bribing her family members to get preferential treatment. She was referred to inside

21700-458: Was initially assisted by capable chancellors like Yao Chong , Song Jing and Zhang Yue who were already serving as government officials before Xuanzong ascended the throne. However, under Emperor Xuanzong, the empire reached its turning point and went into sharp decline and near collapse, due to numerous political missteps throughout his long reign, such as over-trusting Li Linfu , Yang Guozhong and An Lushan , with Tang's golden age ending in

21855-807: Was moved to Huai Prefecture (懷州, in modern Jiaozuo , Henan ), which was merged into Zelu. He served there for eight years. At that time, as Li Baoyu was at Fengxiang (鳳翔, in modern Baoji , Shaanxi ) on the western border with Tufan , Li Baozhen was in effective command of Zelu. Li Baozhen believed that, eventually, there would be war against a number of circuits commanded by generals who nominally submitted to Tang authority—Pinglu (平盧, headquartered in modern Weifang , Shandong ), Lulong (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing ), Weibo (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan , Hebei ), Chengde (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang , Hebei ), Zhaoyi (昭義, headquartered in modern Anyang , Henan ), and Shannan East (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan , Hubei ), believed that Zelu

22010-462: Was not born of Emperor Ruizong's wife Empress Liu (Li Chengqi was both—and therefore pursuant to Confucian principles of succession should have been crown prince) as she believed that Li Longji was young (25 at the time he was made crown prince) and would be easy to control. However, once she began to see that Li Longji was strong-willed and criticized her influences, she became apprehensive and often had officials close to her publicly opine that Li Longji

22165-452: Was peaceful at the time, he constructed many pavilions and artificial lakes for his own amusement. He also engaged many alchemists in search of immortality . One of the alchemists that he engaged, Sun Jichang ( 孫季長 ), made golden pills for him and told him that consuming them would lead to immortality. Li Baozhen trusted Sun—so much so that he commented to his subordinates, "This is something that not even Qin Shi Huang or Emperor Wu of Han

22320-572: Was planning to involve Huige forces and attack south to join with Zhu Ci—Wang made a secret pact with Li Baozhen and Ma Sui to turn against Zhu Tao. Wang was further able to persuade Tian and LI Na to turn against Zhu Tao as well. In 784, when Wang, Tian, and Li Na publicly renounced their princely titles, Emperor Dezong, then still at Fengtian although no longer under siege by Zhu Ci, accepted Wang's, Tian's, and LI Na's pledge of allegiance and officially made them military governors again, while honoring Li Baozhen with an honorary chancellor title. Tian Yue

22475-532: Was plotting treason. With Zhang Yue thus effectively being the senior chancellor, Zhang Yue promoted literary studies, which Emperor Xuanzong also favored. In 724, he also commissioned the chief imperial astronomer Nangong Shuo ( 南宮說 ) to carry out a major astronomical survey to observe the sun and the North Star at various points of the empire. Also in 724, it was discovered that Wang Shouyi had engaged sorcerers to make amulets for Empress Wang to wear, hoping that

22630-428: Was recalled to the capital Chang'an to attend to Emperor Zhongzong when Emperor Zhongzong was sacrificing to heaven and earth. Meanwhile, sorcerers engaged by Emperor Zhongzong believed that there was an aura of an emperor at the area of Chang'an where the mansions Li Longji and his uncles were, and Emperor Zhongzong tried to fulfill the vision by visiting Li Longji's mansion and attending a feast there. While Li Longji

22785-460: Was replaced by Li Shizhi . In 744, Eastern Tujue, after a series of internal turmoil and rebellions from its vassals, finally collapsed. Its vassal Huige rose and became the dominant power of the region, but formally submitted to Tang as a vassal. Meanwhile, after Consort Wu's death, Emperor Xuanzong had been depressed. When he saw his son Prince of Shou Li Mao's wife (his daughter-in-law) Yang Yuhuan (Princess of Shou, by virtue of marriage), he

22940-503: Was said that Emperor Xuanzong had paid less attention to increasing revenues after Yuwen Rong's fall, but by 742 he was again interested in doing so, and such officials as Wei Jian (韋堅, a brother-in-law of Li Yu, whose name was changed by this point to Li Heng), Wang Hong ( 王鉷 ), and Yang Shenjin ( 楊慎矜 ) became favored, and often, matters having to do with finances were stripped out of other officials' responsibilities and given to them as special commissions. Late in 742, Niu Xianke died and

23095-451: Was said that due to Pei's strict adherence to seniority, the Tang civil service system began to lose its ability to find talented people to serve in offices. In 730, the Khitan general Ketugan ( 可突干 ) killed the king Li Shaogu ( 李邵固 ) and took over the reign of the Khitan and the Xi personally, forcing the king of the Xi, Li Lusu ( 李魯蘇 ) to flee to Tang for protection. Tang sent an army to attack

23250-468: Was senior chancellor, unable to curb the disputes between Li Yuanhong and Du, Emperor Xuanzong removed all three from chancellor positions, promoting Yuwen and Pei Guangting to be chancellors in their stead – in Yuwen's case, for his abilities to find ways to add to the imperial treasury by imposing special taxes and levies. Later in the year, though, Yuwen made false accusations against the general Li Hui ( 李褘 )

23405-511: Was subsequently assassinated and succeeded by his cousin Tian Xu , who continued to be aligned with imperial forces. When Zhu Tao and Huige forces subsequently attacked Tian Xu, Li Baozhen and Wang arrived to aid him. It was said, however, that despite the pact, Li Baozhen's army and Wang's army still viewed each other as enemies due to their long-time rivalry, and the armies suspected each other. Li Baozhen, in order to show Wang his good faith, took only

23560-638: Was the famous Battle of Ye, after which An Qingxu was killed by Shi Siming . In 923, Li Cunxu ascended the throne in Daming, proclaiming himself emperor and establishing the Later Tang dynasty, known historically as Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang. During the Song dynasty , in response to the Liao invasion, Daming Prefecture was elevated to serve as the auxiliary capital to the main capital (present-day Kaifeng ). At its peak,

23715-447: Was then aided by forces from Pinglu and Chengde as well) at Huan River (洹水, flowing through modern Handan). It was said that, in the aftermaths of the battle, Tian's subordinate Li Changshun ( 李長春 ) was ready to surrender Wei Prefecture to imperial forces, but as Ma and Li Baozhen did not get along with each other, their progressed was slowed, and only after 10 days after Tian was able to flee back to Wei Prefecture and kill Li Changchun did

23870-471: Was to prevent Han officials from going through the border command route to become chancellors, thus threatening him. Such generals who rose in ranks included An Lushan , An Sishun , Geshu Han , and Gao Xianzhi . By 742, the main Tang forces were all concentrated on the border, at nine different military circuits and one special military district (Lingnan), as well as three special coast defense districts ( Changle , Donglai , and Dongmou): Meanwhile, it

24025-451: Was unable to get two other chancellors— Wei Anshi and Song Jing —to join her group. When Princess Taiping tried to depose Li Longji in two actions, one with Emperor Ruizong himself and another time by summoning the chancellors at Xuanwu Gate and publicly accusing Li Longji of treason or incompetence, but it did not achieve the desired result. In 711, Song and another chancellor, Yao Yuanzhi , tried to persuade Emperor Ruizong to carry out

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