Guan Yu (-219), general of Shu and blood-brother of Liu Bei in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, fearsome fighter famous for virtue and loyalty / posthumously worshipped and identified with the guardian Bodhisattva Sangharama
Liu Yu, founder of Song of the Southern dynasties 劉宋|刘宋[Liu2 Song4], broke away from Eastern Jin in 420, reigned as Emperor Wu of Song 宋武帝[Song4 Wu3 di4]
Liu Bei's five great generals in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, namely: Guan Yu 關羽|关羽, Zhang Fei 張飛|张飞, Zhao Yun 趙雲|赵云, Ma Chao 馬超|马超, Huang Zhong 黃忠|黄忠
Liu Bowen (1311-1375), general under the first Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋[Zhu1 Yuan2 zhang1], with a reputation as a military genius, also called Liu Ji 劉基|刘基[Liu2 Ji1]
Hongmen feast / (fig.) banquet set up with the aim of murdering a guest / refers to a famous episode in 206 BC when future Han emperor Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] escaped attempted murder by his rival Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[Xiang4 Yu3]
Liu Yi (-285), famous incorruptible official of Western Jin dynasty the Western Jin dynasty 西晉|西晋[Xi1 Jin4] (265-316) / Liu Yi (-412), general of Eastern Jin dynasty 東晉|东晋[Dong1 Jin4] (317-420)
lit. to make three visits to the thatched cottage (idiom) (allusion to an episode in Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4] in which Liu Bei 劉備|刘备[Liu2 Bei4] recruits Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮|诸葛亮[Zhu1 ge3 Liang4] to his cause by visiting him three times) / fig. to make earnest and repeated requests of sb
A New Account of the Tales of the World, collection of anecdotes, conversations, remarks etc of historic personalities, compiled and edited by Liu Yiqing 劉義慶|刘义庆[Liu2 Yi4 qing4]
History of the Early Tang Dynasty, sixteenth of the 24 dynastic histories 二十四史[Er4 shi2 si4 Shi3], compiled under Liu Xu 劉昫|刘昫[Liu2 Xu4] in 945 during Later Jin 後晉|后晋[Hou4 Jin4] of the Five Dynasties, 200 scrolls
History of Song of the Southern Dynasties 南朝宋[Nan2 chao2 Song4] or Liu Song 劉宋|刘宋[Liu2 Song4], sixth of the 24 dynastic histories 二十四史[Er4 shi2 si4 Shi3], compiled by Shen Yue 沈約|沈约[Shen3 Yue1] in 488 during Liang of the Southern Dynasties 南朝梁[Nan2 chao2 Liang2], 100 scrolls / (not to be confused with 宋史[Song4 shi3])
same as 舊唐書|旧唐书[Jiu4 Tang2 shu1], History of the Early Tang Dynasty, sixteenth of the 24 dynastic histories 二十四史[Er4 shi2 si4 Shi3], compiled under Liu Xu 劉昫|刘昫[Liu2 Xu4] in 945 during Later Jin 後晉|后晋[Hou4 Jin4] of the Five Dynasties, 200 scrolls
Liu Xiaobo (1955-2017), Beijing writer and human rights activist, organizer of petition Charter 2008 零八憲章|零八宪章[Ling2 ba1 Xian4 zhang1], Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2010
lit. secretly crossing the Wei River 渭河[Wei4 He2] at Chencang (idiom, refers to a stratagem used by Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] in 206 BC against Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[Xiang4 Yu3] of Chu) / fig. to feign one thing while doing another / to cheat under cover of a diversion
lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] (idiom, refers to plot to kill Liu Bang during the Hongmen feast 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hong2 men2 yan4] in 206 BC) / fig. an elaborate deception hiding malicious intent
lit. cut sleeve (idiom) / fig. euphemism for homosexuality, originating from History of Western Han 漢書|汉书: emperor Han Aidi (real name Liu Xin) was in bed with his lover Dong Xian, and had to attend a court audience that morning. Not wishing to awaken Dong Xian, who was sleeping with his head resting on the emperor's long robe sleeve, Aidi used a knife to cut off the lower half of his sleeve.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong 羅貫中|罗贯中[Luo2 Guan4 zhong1], one of the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature, a fictional account of the Three Kingdoms at the break-up of the Han around 200 AD, portraying Liu Bei's 劉備|刘备[Liu2 Bei4] Shu Han 蜀漢|蜀汉[Shu3 Han4] as heroes and Cao Cao's 曹操[Cao2 Cao1] Wei 魏[Wei4] as villains
Liu Shutong (1880-1942), painter, Buddhist monk and distinguished figure in New Culture Movement 新文化運動|新文化运动[Xin1 Wen2 hua4 Yun4 dong4] after the Xinhai Revolution 辛亥革命[Xin1 hai4 Ge2 ming4] of 1911
the eight giants of Tang and Song prose, esp. involved in the Classics movement 古文運動|古文运动[gu3wen2 yun4dong4], namely: Han Yu 韓愈|韩愈[Han2 Yu4], Liu Zongyuan 柳宗元[Liu3 Zong1yuan2], Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修|欧阳修[Ou1yang2 Xiu1], the three Su's 三蘇|三苏[San1 Su1], Wang Anshi 王安石[Wang2 An1shi2], Zeng Gong 曾鞏|曾巩[Zeng1 Gong3]
the Six Gentlemen Martyrs of the failed reform movement of 1898, executed in its aftermath, namely: Tan Sitong 譚嗣同|谭嗣同[Tan2 Si4 tong2], Lin Xu 林旭[Lin2 Xu4], Yang Shenxiu 楊深秀|杨深秀[Yang2 Shen1 xiu4], Liu Guangdi 劉光第|刘光第[Liu2 Guang1 di4], Kang Guangren 康廣仁|康广仁[Kang1 Guang3 ren2] and Yang Rui 楊銳|杨锐[Yang2 Rui4]
Oath of the Peach Garden, sworn by Liu Bei 劉備|刘备[Liu2 Bei4], Zhang Fei 張飛|张飞[Zhang1 Fei1] and Guan Yu 關羽|关羽[Guan1 Yu3] at the start of the Romance of Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4]
lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] (idiom) / refers to 206 BC plot to murder Liu Bang, aka Duke of Pei 沛公[Pei4 gong1] and the future Han emperor, during a sword dance at the Hongmen feast 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hong2 men2 yan4] / an elaborate deception to hide malicious intent
(a line from a poem by the Tang poet Liu Yuxi 劉禹錫|刘禹锡[Liu2 Yu3 xi1]) one gains very little insight into one's enemy from a hundred victories, but he who breaks his arm three times will be a good doctor / (fig.) one learns more from one's failures than from one's successes
Emperor Wu of Song (363-422), personal name Liu Yu 劉裕|刘裕[Liu2 Yu4], founder of Song of the Southern dynasties 劉宋|刘宋[Liu2 Song4], broke away from Eastern Jin in 420, reigned 420-422
Cao Can (-190 BC), second chancellor of Han Dynasty, contributed to its founding by fighting on Liu Bang's 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] side during the Chu-Han Contention 楚漢戰爭|楚汉战争[Chu3 Han4 Zhan4 zheng1] / also pr. [Cao2 Shen1]
Liu Houzong (1904-1949), originally Hunan guerilla leader, rewarded by Chiang Kaishek for killing Xiang Ying 項英|项英[Xiang4 Ying1] during the 1941 New Fourth Army incident 皖南事變|皖南事变[Wan3 nan2 Shi4 bian4]
Liu Ji or Liu Bowen 劉伯溫|刘伯温[Liu2 Bo2 wen1] (1311-1375), general under the first Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋[Zhu1 Yuan2 zhang1], with a reputation as a military genius
Eight Giants of Tang and Song prose, esp. involved in the Classics movement 古文運動|古文运动[gu3 wen2 yun4 dong4], namely: Han Yu 韓愈|韩愈[Han2 Yu4], Liu Zongyuan 柳宗元[Liu3 Zong1 yuan2], Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修|欧阳修[Ou1 yang2 Xiu1], the Three Su father and sons 三蘇|三苏[San1 Su1], Wang Anshi 王安石[Wang2 An1 shi2], Zeng Gong 曾鞏|曾巩[Zeng1 Gong3]
lit. repair the plank road by day while secretly crossing the Wei River 渭河[Wei4 He2] at Chencang (idiom, refers to a stratagem used by Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] in 206 BC against Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[Xiang4 Yu3] of Chu) / fig. to feign one thing while doing another / to cheat under cover of a diversion
Liu Yuan (c. 251-310), warlord at the end of the Western Jin dynasty 西晉|西晋[Xi1 Jin4], founder of Cheng Han of the Sixteen Kingdoms 成漢|成汉[Cheng2 Han4] (304-347)
Xiao He (-193 BC), famous strategist and chancellor, fought on Liu Bang's 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] side during the Chu-Han Contention 楚漢戰爭|楚汉战争[Chu3 Han4 Zhan4 zheng1]
The Travels of Lao Tsan, novel by late Qing novelist Liu E 劉鶚|刘鹗[Liu2 E4]
The four tones
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