Wuyue (; ) was a dynastic state of China and one of the Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Qian clan of Haiyan (海鹽錢氏), whose family name remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.
Founding
Beginning in 887, the Qian family provided military leaders (or jiedushi) to the Tang dynasty. Qian Liu was named Prince of Yue in 902, with the title of Prince of Wu added two years later. In 907, when the Tang dynasty fell and was replaced in the north by the Later Liang, military leaders in the south formed their own kingdoms. Qian Liu used his position to proclaim himself the King of Wuyue. This signaled the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period which would last until the founding of the Song dynasty in 960.
Origin of name The name Wuyue comes from the combination of Wu Kingdom and Yue Kingdom, two ancient kingdoms during the Spring and Autumn period from 770 to 476 BC.
Territorial extent With its capital in Hangzhou, also called "Xifu", the kingdom included present-day Zhejiang, Shanghai, along with the southern portion of Jiangsu Province. It also later absorbed some of the northern part of Fujian when the Min Kingdom fell in 945. The territorial extent of Wuyue roughly corresponded to the territories of the ancient Yue, but not the ancient Wu—which led to charges by the neighboring Wu (also known as Southern Wu) that Wuyue had designs on its territory, and the name was a source of tension for years between the two states.
In the early decades of its existence, Wuyue bordered the Min Kingdom on its south and the Southern Tang Kingdom on its west and north. With the rebellion of Yin from the Min from 943 to 945, Wuyue briefly had a third border. However, before long, Wuyue was completely encircled (except for the East China Sea) as both Yin and Min were absorbed by the Southern Tang.
The population was approximately 550,700 households, with many people living in commercial centers and major seaports..
Administrative divisions
Wuyue was not a large kingdom compared to many of its neighbors. Although initially 12 prefectures (州), it later consisted of 13 prefectures and 86 counties or sub-prefectures (縣). Fuzhou was incorporated into Wuyue as its 13th prefecture, after the Min court declared allegiance to it as they were besieged by Southern Tang.
Prefecture 州 Counties 縣 Hangzhou (Xifu) (main capital or western capital) 杭州 Qiantang 錢塘 Qianjiang 錢江 Yanguan 鹽官 Yuhang 餘杭 Fuchun 富春 Tonglu 桐廬 Yuqian 於潛 Xindeng 新登 Hengshan 橫山 Wukang 武康 Yuezhou (eastern capital; modern day Shaoxing) 越州 Kuaiji 會稽 Shanyin 山陰 Zhuji 諸暨 Yuyao 餘姚 Xiaoshan 蕭山 Shangyu 上虞 Xinchang 新昌 Zhan 瞻縣 Huzhou 湖州 Wucheng 烏程 Deqing 德清 Anji 安吉 Changxing 長興 Wenzhou 溫州 Yongjia 永嘉 Rui'an 瑞安 Pingyang 平陽 Yueqing 樂清 Taizhou 台州 Linhai 臨海 Huangyan 黃岩 Taixing 台興 Yong'an 永安 Ninghai 寧海 Mingzhou (modern day Ningbo and Zhoushan) 明州 Yin County 鄞縣 Fenghua 奉化 Cixi 慈溪 Xiangshan 象山 Wanghai 望海 Wengshan 翁山 Chuzhou (roughly modern day Lishui city) 處州 Lishui 麗水 Longquan 龍泉 Suichang 遂昌 Jinyun 縉雲 Qingtian 青田 Bailong 白龍 Quzhou 衢州 Xi'an (not the capital) 西安 Jiangshan 江山 Longyou 龍游 Changshan 常山 Wuzhou (roughly modern day Jinhua city) 婺州 Jinhua 金華 Dongyang 東陽 Yiwu 義烏 Lanxi 蘭溪 Yongkang 永康 Wuyi 武義 Pujiang 浦江 Muzhou (roughly modern northwestern Zhejiang province) 睦州 Jiande 建德 Shouchang 壽昌 Sui'an 遂安 Fenshui 分水 Qingxi 青溪 Xiuzhou (roughly modern Shanghai and its surrounding environs, along with Jiaxing prefecture in Zhejiang province) 秀州 Jiaxing 嘉興 Haiyan 海鹽 Huating 華亭 Chongde 崇德 Suzhou 蘇州 Wu County 吳縣 Jinzhou 晉洲 Kunshan 崑山 Changshu 常熟 Wujiang 吳江 Fuzhou (acquired after the fall of Min) 福州 Min County 閩縣 Houguan 侯官 Changle 長樂 Lianjiang 連江 Changxi 長溪 Fuqing 福清 Gutian 古田 Yongtai 永泰 Minqing 閩清 Yongzhen 永貞 Ningde 寧德 Anguo Yijin Military Prefecture (once called Yijin military prefecture) 安國衣錦軍 (衣錦軍) Lin'an 臨安
Former Administrative Divisions Changzhou (常州) from 886 to 891 CE, ceded to Yang Xingmi Runzhou (潤州) from 886 to 891 CE, ceded to Yang Xingmi
Reign of Qian Liu Under Qian Liu's reign, Wuyue prospered economically and freely developed its own regional culture that continues to this day. He developed the coastal kingdom's agriculture, built seawalls, expanded Hangzhou, dredged rivers and lakes, and encouraged sea transport and trade. On his death-bed he urged a benign administration of state affairs and his words were strictly followed by four succeeding kings.
Foreign diplomacy
In 935, Wuyue established official diplomatic relations with Japan. The kingdom also took advantage of its maritime location to maintain diplomatic contacts with north China, the Khitans, and the Korean states of Later Baekje, Balhae, Goryeo, and Silla. Buddhism played a large role in the diplomatic relations with Japan and Goryeo. Japanese and Korean monks traveled to Wuyue, while monks from Wuyue went to Japan and Korea as well. The rulers of Wuyue also tried to find sutras that had been lost during the turbulent final years of the Tang. In 947, Qian Zuo sent gifts to Japan and offered to buy any sutras; however none were available. In 961, Qian Chu sent fifty precious objects and a letter to Goryeo inquiring about the missing sutras, and Gwangjong sent the monk Jegwan () with a complete set of Tiantai sutras..
Fall of the kingdom
In 978, in the face of certain annihilation from northern imperial Chinese troops, the last king of Wuyue, Qian Chu, pledged allegiance to the Song dynasty, saving his people from war and economic destruction. While Qian Chu nominally remained king, Wuyue was absorbed into the Song dynasty, effectively ending the kingdom. The last king died in 988.
Legacy
Cultural legacy
The Wuyue Kingdom cemented the cultural and economic dominance of the Wuyue region in China for centuries to come, as well as creating a lasting regional cultural tradition distinctive from the rest of China. The leaders of the kingdom were noted patrons of Buddhism. The cultural distinctiveness preserved from the ancient Baiyue and earlier Wu and Yue Kingdoms persists to this day as the Wuyue region speaks a group of Chinese languages called Wu (the most famous variant of which is Shanghainese), has distinctive cuisine and other cultural traits.
Infrastructure The primary physical legacy of the Wuyue Kingdom was the creation of the system of canals and dikes which allowed the region to become the most agriculturally rich region of China for many centuries. The leaders of the kingdom were also noted patrons of Buddhist architecture and sculpture, responsible for many of the region's continuing landmarks including the Liuhe, Leifeng, and Baochu Pagodas in Hangzhou and the leaning Tiger Hill Pagoda in Suzhou. The region's Tiantai School had already become prominent under the earlier Sui and Tang dynasties but the patronage of the Qian kings and Song emperors continued to make Jiangsu and Zhejiang's temples particularly influential within China and abroad, greatly influencing Korean and Japanese Buddhism and instructing many of their important monks.
The excellent condition of Hangzhou under this era and its people's loyalty to the Song directly led to its later use as the new imperial capital under the Southern Song. Under the early Song, the Qian royal family were treated as second only to the ruling Zhao imperial family, as reflected in the Hundred Family Surnames. Subsequently, many shrines were erected across the Wuyue region where the kings of Wuyue were memorialised and sometimes worshipped as dictating weather and agriculture. Many of these shrines remain today, the most prominent example being the Temple of the Qian Kings near West Lake in Hangzhou, erected with Song patronage and memorialized by stelas and placards by Su Dongpo, the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors, and others.
Personal legacy Qian Liu was often known as the "Dragon King" or the "Sea Dragon King" because of his extensive hydro-engineering schemes which "tamed" the seas. The kings of Wuyue continue to enjoy positive treatment in orthodox history. They were popularly revered because of the hydro-engineering works, ensuring the economic prosperity of the region, and for finally surrendering to the Song dynasty, which ensured both a unified Chinese nation and that the region would not be ravaged by war.
Qian Liu reputedly had more than a hundred sons born to many different wives and concubines. His progeny were posted to various parts of the kingdom. The Qian family remains very widely spread throughout the region. Several branches are considered "prominent families" () in their local areas.Pan (1937)
Rulers
+ Sovereigns in Kingdom of Wuyue 907–978 Temple Names Posthumous Names Personal Names Period of Reigns Era Names and respective range of years Chinese Pinyin Shanghainese Chinese Pinyin Shanghainese Chinese Pinyin Shanghainese 太祖 Tài ZǔTha Tsu武肅王 Wǔ Sù WángVu Soh Waon錢鏐 Qián LiúZi Leu 907–932 Tianyou (天祐): 907 Tianbao (天寶): 908–912 Fengli (鳳歷): 913 Qianhua (乾化): 913–915 Zhenming (貞明): 915–921 Longde (龍德): 921–923 Baoda (寶大): 924–925 Baozheng (寶正): 926–931世宗 Shì ZōngSy Tson文穆王 Wén Mù WángVen Moh Waon錢元瓘(錢傳瓘)Qián Yuánguàn(Qián Chuánguàn)Zi Nyoe Cioe(Zi Zoe Cioe) 932–941Changxing (長興): 932–933 Yingshun (應順): 934 Qingtai (清泰): 934–936 Tianfu (天福): 936–941成宗 Chéng ZōngZen Tson忠獻王 Zhōng Xiàn WángTson Shie Waon錢佐(錢弘佐)Qián Zuǒ(Qián Hóng Zuǒ)Zi Tsu(Zi Ghon Tsu) 941–947Tianfu (天福): 941–944 Kaiyun (開運): 944–946Did not existN/AN/A忠遜王 Zhōng Xùn WángTson Sen Waon錢倧(錢弘倧)Qián Zōng(Qián Hóng Zōng)Zi Tson(Zi Ghon Tson) 947Tianfu (天福): 947Did not existN/AN/A忠懿王 Zhōng Yì WángTson I Waon錢俶(錢弘俶)Qián Chù(Qián Hóng Chù)Zi Tsoh(Zi Ghon Tsoh) 947–978Qianyou (乾祐): 948–950 Guangshun (廣順): 951–953 Xiande (顯德): 954–960 Jianlong (建隆): 960–963 Qiande (乾德): 963–968 Kaibao (開寶): 968–976 Taiping Xingguo (太平興國): 976–978
Qian Chu submitted to the Song dynasty in 978 and continued to reign nominally, successively as King of Huaihai, King of Hannan, King of Hanyang and Prince of Xu, and finally Prince of Deng, until his death in 988. After his death he was also posthumously created King of Qin.
Rulers family tree
See also Qiantang River, for treatment of the Wuyue sea and flood walls Hundred Family Surnames, a Song-era list particularly honoring Wuyue royalty Temple of the Qian Kings in Hangzhou, Zhejiang
References Citations
Sources
Chavannes, Edouard. "Le royaume de Wou et de Yue", T'oung Pao 17: 129–264 (1916).