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Xi'an incident

Subject: History

(December 1936) The kidnapping of the Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek while visiting disaffected Manchurian troops at Xi'an. Chiang was captured by conspirators headed by Zhang ...

Xi’an Incident

Xi’an Incident   Reference library

David D. BUCK

Berkshire Encyclopedia of China

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2016

...Xian Incident ān Shìbìan 西安事变 ‎ The Xian Incident ( December 1936 ) occurred when two Chinese Nationalist generals, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng , arrested President Chiang Kai-shek while he was in Xian to assist the Nationalist campaign against the Chinese Communists. Chiang was taken captive on 12 December and released on 25 December, partly at the urging of the Chinese Communists. Chiang might have been assassinated while a prisoner, but he won his freedom with a promise to undertake strong united resistance to the Japanese...

Chiang Kai-shek

Chiang Kai-shek (1887–1975)   Reference library

Jonathan FENBY, Dian QU, and Chieh-Ju LIAO

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
7,501 words
Illustration(s):
3

...in December 1936 . The Generalissimo was held for two weeks and then released without having given any formal undertaking to agree to Zhang’s demands ( see sidebar “The Xian Incident”). Despite this, the national mood revealed by the Xian Incident called for a united front against the Japanese, which was then put together but not without many reservations on both sides. Chiang pursued a military build-up in the Shanghai region with the help of his new German advisor, General Alexander von Falkenhausen, but kept this secret lest he give Tokyo a reason...

Missouri Valley

Missouri Valley   Reference library

Matt Meacham

The Grove Dictionary of American Music (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2013
Subject:
Music, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
1,383 words

...of a Vanishing Culture (Columbia, MO, 1977, R /2006) L.A. Wolz : “Folk Music in Missouri: an Annotated Bibliography,” Missouri Folklore Society Journal , viii–ix (1986–1987), 193–213 H. Marshall , et al: liner notes, Now That's a Good Tune: Masters of Traditional Missouri Fiddling , 1994, U. of Missouri Extension/Grey Eagle Records (reissued in 2008 by U. of Missouri Extension/Voyager Records) H. Jennings : “Grand Opera in Nebraska in the 1890s,” OQ , xi/2 (1995), 97–118 T. Jack : “The Omaha Gospel Complex in Historical Perspective,” Great Plains...

Liú Ān

Liú Ān (179–122 bce)   Reference library

Hanmo ZHANG

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
2,273 words
Illustration(s):
2

...reclaimed the princedom of Huainan from Liu Xi (who was enfeoffed there after Liu Chang’s death), divided it into three parts, and allocated them to Liu Chang’s three sons. Liu An, then a teenager and the eldest son of Liu Chang, inherited his father’s title of nobility and became the king of Huainan. Unlike his rather arrogant, violent father, Liu An was a man of culture. It is said that he showed interest in literature and talent in composition from an early age. Unlike other scions of the Han imperial family, Liu An was not fond of riding, hunting, or...

Sūnzǐ

Sūnzǐ   Reference library

Kerry Brown

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
2,553 words
Illustration(s):
1

...come to them, and do not go to others! Another incident related in The Art of War known as the Ambush at Maling (in 342 bce ) serves as an example of the kinds of devious strategies that Sunzi admired. Twelve years after the state of Zhao was saved through the siege of Wei, the state of Wei in turn attacked the Han state. The Han ruler called on the state of Qi for help. Tian Ji and Sun Bin (the chief general and the chief strategist, respectively), commanding the Qi army, immediately led the army in an attack against the Wei capital. As soon as General...

Korea, North

Korea, North   Quick reference

A Guide to Countries of the World (4 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2016
Subject:
Encyclopedias, Geographical reference, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
1,450 words
Illustration(s):
2

...anyway to have been damaged beyond use). In June, Kim also held talks with Trump and was the more diplomatically adept, gaining status and giving away little beyond a wish to discuss in the future the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Ahead of that meeting he also met Xi Jingping twice in China and the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. A second meeting with Trump, held in Hanoi in February 2019, ended early with no agreement on lifting sanctions in return for denuclearization. In April, he met President Putin for the first time at a summit...

Wāng Jīngwèi

Wāng Jīngwèi (1883–1944)   Reference library

Patrick Fuliang SHAN

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
5,449 words
Illustration(s):
1

...most of 1936 in Europe. In December 1936 and January 1937 , in what became known as the Xian Incident, Chiang was put under house arrest by his northern generals, who demanded an end of the anti-Communist campaign and the activation of full resistance to Japan. Any hope Wang may have had of replacing Chiang was dashed when Chiang was released, returning to a hero’s welcome in Nanjing, while the anti-Communist campaign was quietly called off. (The Xian Incident is discussed in more detail in the article in this volume on Chiang Kai-shek.) The party now...

Máo Zédōng

Máo Zédōng (1893–1976)   Reference library

Ross TERRILL

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
8,608 words
Illustration(s):
5

..., 2:300). During what came to be known as the Xian Incident of 1936 , two of Chiang Kai-shek’s own generals nabbed him near the city of Xian and delivered him into Mao’s hands. Mao set Chiang free to satisfy Stalin, who was worried about danger to the USSR from Japan, and a fresh “United Front” began between the Communists and the Nationalists, this time to fight the common enemy of Japan. Mao renamed the Red Army the National Revolutionary Army and placed it under Nanjing’s authority. “Had the Xian Incident not occurred,” writes the British author...

Bān Gù

Bān Gù (32–92 ce)   Reference library

Anthony E. CLARK

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
4,425 words
Illustration(s):
2

...an (later Xian). The proposal rested on the premise that Chang’an was a more magnificent city than Luoyang and would thus solicit more honor for the ruling clan. Emperor Ming was so enthusiastic to increase imperial prestige that he ordered palace construction immediately, but Ban Gu viewed this as pretentious extravagance. As a means of circuitous remonstrance, Ban Gu composed one of early China’s most celebrated literary works, the “Rhapsody on the Two Capitals,” which he structured as a debate between an advocate for moving the capital to Chang’an and...

Wáng Xīzhī

Wáng Xīzhī (303–c. 361 ce)   Reference library

Antje RICHTER

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
4,588 words
Illustration(s):
1

...Xizhi was an unexceptional youth who suffered from a speech impediment, possibly a stutter, and may have been prone to odd behavior. He allegedly first attracted attention as a twelve-year-old when he helped himself to a slice of ox heart ahead of other, more senior guests at a banquet. Another notorious anecdote describes how Wang Xizhi, probably when he was about twenty years old, managed to be chosen as the future husband of Xuán 郗璇 ‎ (d. 405 ce ). While everyone else tried to cut as fine a figure as possible to impress the distinguished Xi family’s...

Bái Jūyì

Bái Jūyì (772–846 ce)   Reference library

Xiaoshan YANG

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
5,686 words
Illustration(s):
2

...endure repeated frustration and humiliation. Bai took the examination at the prefectural level in Xuanzhou (modern Anhui Province) at the relatively late age of twenty-seven in 799 . His success earned him a recommendation for the literary examinations in the capital Chang’an (now Xian). There, in 800 , he became the youngest of seventeen successful candidates ( Wang 1960 , 43). Bai’s success was certainly well deserved, but luck also played a role. For years the results of the examinations had been heavily influenced by favoritism. That year, however, the...

Yáng Xióng

Yáng Xióng (53 bce–18 ce)   Reference library

Andrew COLVIN

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
4,363 words
Illustration(s):
1

...are still admired today. Introduction Despite having held low-ranking positions at the imperial court in Chang’an (modern day Xian)for nearly thirty years, Yang Xiong is remembered primarily for his philosophical and poetic works. A gifted writer and a multifaceted thinker, he produced important works in three different fields. His best-known writings include two important contributions in philosophy, the Supreme Mystery ( Tàixuán jīng 太玄经 ‎), an enigmatic manual of divination modeled on the Classic of Changes ( I Ching or Yìjīng 易经 ‎), and ...

Yuán Zhěn

Yuán Zhěn (779–831 ce)   Reference library

TAN Mei Ah

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
5,260 words
Illustration(s):
1

...their complaint about a chief minister. Bian Xiaoxuan and his disciple Yáng Jūn 杨军 ‎ suggest that the chief minister might have been Dù Yòu 杜佑 ‎ ( 735–812 ce ) ( Yang 2002 , 200–201). The demotion could have had a deeper effect on Yuan, but he soon returned to Chang’an (modern-day Xian) to fulfill the three-year mourning period for his mother, who had passed away when he was en route to Henan. It is clear, however, that he had already made enemies with powerful officials at court early in his career. A Crucial Turning Point: 809–810 The years 809 and...

Zhōu Ēnlái

Zhōu Ēnlái (1898–1976)   Reference library

Shelley Drake HAWKS

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
5,637 words
Illustration(s):
3

...it referred not to the 1789 event, but to the student unrest in Paris in 1968 .) Zhou exemplified the Chinese strength for thinking historically. He was flexible with his tactics, but always kept a long-term vision. For example, he is credited with ending the 1936 Xian Incident peacefully and helping to save Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek ’s 蒋介石 ‎ ( 1887–1975 ) life after he had been kidnapped by his own generals, who wanted Nationalist forces to focus on repelling the Japanese invasion. Many parties involved in the kidnapping wanted Chiang...

Xuanzong, Emperor (of Tang)

Xuanzong, Emperor (of Tang) (685–762 ce)   Reference library

Colin MACKERRAS

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
5,090 words
Illustration(s):
3

...from politics, becoming much more self-indulgent. The Ān Lùshān 安禄山 ‎ Rebellion broke out at the end of 755 , with Xuanzong fleeing to Sichuan just before its followers occupied the capital Chang’an (now Xian) in 756 . He abdicated soon after and died on 3 May 762 ce . Early Career Li Longji was born in the eastern capital Luoyang and grew up during the time his grandmother Wǔ Zétiān 武则天 ‎ ( 625–705 ce ) (also known as Empress Wǔ 武 ‎) was in control of China. At first she was an effective ruler as Empress Dowager, with her son, the...

Wáng Mǎng

Wáng Mǎng (45 bce–23 ce)   Reference library

John E. WILLS, Jr.

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
3,634 words
Illustration(s):
1

...himself “Emperor of the Great Peace” ( tài píng 太平 ‎). The emperor seemed to approve, but within months court power shifted and the advocates of the changes were killed. In 3 bce there were prophecies of the arrival of a deity called the Queen Mother of the West ( wáng mǔ 西王母 ‎), who dwelt in the high mountains to the west and claimed to help people attain immortality. Crowds gathered in the capital, lighting fires and climbing on roofs to gaze off to the west, but eventually the excitement died down. The Rise of the Wangs to Power The place...

Soong Mei-ling

Soong Mei-ling (1897–2003)   Reference library

Hannah PAKULA

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
6,706 words
Illustration(s):
2

...an ardent admirer of Mei-ling, turned against Chiang when the latter, determined to eliminate the Chinese Communists before dealing with foreign enemies, ordered him to attack a group of Chinese students instead of fighting the Japanese. Then, while Chiang was staying at a resort near Xian, he was kidnapped by soldiers of the Young Marshal in league with a local warlord named Yáng Hǔchéng 杨虎城 ‎. (A sidebar in the article on Chiang Kai-shek describes this “Xian Incident” in more detail.) After several others had tried and failed, Mei-ling flew to Xian...

Huìnéng

Huìnéng (638–713 ce)   Reference library

John M. THOMPSON

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
6,068 words
Illustration(s):
2

...bowed, and asked to be taught the Dharma. It was Yinzong who oversaw Huineng’s tonsure ceremony, the incident memorialized in the inscription mentioned earlier. Most accounts have Huineng retiring to Bǎolín Temple 宝林寺 ‎, but some say Emperor Zhongzong or Empress Wu ( Wǔ Zétiān 武则天 ‎ [ 625–705 ce ]) summoned him to the capital. Huineng declined, yet gave the imperial envoy a talk that provoked an intense realization. In response, the court issued an edict praising Huineng and bestowing special gifts upon him. One colorful episode in Huineng lore relates...

Lǐ Qīngzhào

Lǐ Qīngzhào (1084–1151)   Reference library

Nirmal DASS

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
4,069 words
Illustration(s):
1

...overturn in the lap of the winner, who got not a sip. Both of them greatly admired the paintings of Xu Xi, who lived in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 五代十国 ‎ ( 907–960 ce ) era, and they held in highest regard the poems of Táo Yuānmíng 陶渊明 ‎ ( 365–427 ce ) who flourished during the Six Dynasties period ( 220–589 ce ). This admiration was so great that they named the room in which they played their sport of knowledge, “Returning home” (“Guiqu lai xi ci”), which was the title of a celebrated poem by Tao Yuanming. Later, in 1114 , when Li Qingzhao’s...

Wen, Emperor (of Sui)

Wen, Emperor (of Sui) (541–604 ce)   Reference library

Victor Cunrui XIONG

The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2014
Subject:
History, Regional and National History, Social sciences, Regional and Area Studies
Length:
4,155 words
Illustration(s):
2

...the conflict with the Tujue was resolved, Emperor Wen began to channel some of his energies into building a new capital in Shaanxi (present-day Xian), southeast of the old capital, Han Chang’an. By the time Emperor Wen usurped the throne, Chang’an was almost eight hundred years old, and its brackish water and dilapidated buildings did not make for a pleasant urban environment. A nightmarish dream in which Chang’an was ravaged by flood convinced the emperor of the need to move to a new capital. When the resultant city, Dàxīngchéng 大兴城 ‎, named after Emperor...

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