Chinese Generals of Antiquity

IDonT

Senior Member
VIP Professional
The West has more well known generals such as Hannibal, Julius Ceasar, Scipio Africanus, and Alexander the Great. China's general's are less well known in the west. This thread is to them...

Please post, limit it to antiquity (Pre-1000 AD)

Zhuge Liang. (181-234 AD)
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See his critique of the Art of war.
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kunmingren

Junior Member
sun bin, A general during the Spring Autum period
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Lian Po, A general from the Warring State era
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Meng Tian, A general who served under Qin shi huang
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xiang yu, Rebel general who overthrew Qin dynasty
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han xin, general under liu bang, the founder of Han Dynasty
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There are also a bunch of people in the romance of three kingdom, but i dont know how much of it are actually true.

qin qiong, the famous general under Li shiming
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chen yao jin, also served under Li shiming
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An lushan, a rebel during the Reign of Tang Minghuang
Guo zi yi and li guang bi, Tang generals who suppressed the An lushang rebellion
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The yang family of the Song Dynasty are very famous military family, Mu guiying was their daughter-in-law and was one of the most famous female military figure in China.
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i can only think of these off the top of my head.
 
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BLUEJACKET

Banned Idiot
I'm surpised that noone has mentioned famous Yue Fei!

Yue_fei-brightened.jpg


The Mausoleum of
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is one of Hangzhou's most popular attractions with Chinese visitors, perhaps due to the feelings of patriotism that it stirs in many people.

Yue Fei was a military hero in the 12th Century during the Song Dynasty, and the founder of the martial art of Xingyiquan (body-mind-fist). Although Yue Fei was successful in keeping the invaders out of China, he was betrayed by a court official, Qin Hui and wrongly executed. In 1163 his reputation was recovered and his body dug up and reburied at this Mausoleum.

It is quite an experience visiting here as the Chinese really despise Qin Hui, and statues of the traitor, his wife and two accomplices kneeling are spat at by passers-by!
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kunmingren

Junior Member
bluejacket, i would careful when talking about considering generals from the three kingdoms period, they are famous mainly because of the epic novel written about them, but how much of it is trueand how much of it is fiction? I think the Romance of Three Kingdom have clouded historical facts.
 

BLUEJACKET

Banned Idiot
I guess we'll have to look at all periods, not just pre-1000AD! Here is one-
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How about the admirals and pirates? There is already a tread about Zheng He, but there were
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! For starters:

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And we may also include rebel leaders:
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- according to one legend, he
.. trained an anti-Imperial attack force but following capture of the force by the Imperials, was forced to teach and lead 50,000 Imperial troops in the second destruction of the Shaolin Temple at Henan to prevent those captured with him from being tortured and killed. There, Bak Mei slew the "invincible" Shaolin leader, Chi Thien Su, in single combat by breaking his neck. He claimed he did this to prevent the massacre of the monks in the temple by the troops who followed him. ..
Bak Mei was a
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. He had many specialties, and was best known for his "tongzigong" or the "Art of Being Childlike", enabling him to be youthful even at old age, despite his white hair and long white bead. He was also expert in "mianhuagong" or "Cotton Art", which included "Cotton Palm" and "Cotton Belly". His favorite style was the Dragon, and he was extremely skilful at the phoenix-eye fist. striking the opponent's vital points.
 
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fishhead

Banned Idiot
I think the most famous Chinese general is Sun Tze known to the west, yeah he is famous for his book but not many know he is a good general who was in wars actually.

And I think many in the west misread his book as well, or just read it from the surface. Sun Tze wrote down the principles of the war but his real intention was promoting anti-war idea. He couldn't speak it openly but he knew his readers would be those kings and generals, so he always states war is a defensive affair, and not waging unnecessary warfares.

Last year Hu sent the Art of War to Bush, not sure if Bush understands it.
 
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