Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Yu (the Great) (early cultural hero): Legendary figure credited with
quelling the floodwaters in antiquity.
Yuan Shikai (1859-1916): Late Qing militarist who sided with Sun
Yat-sen's early Chinese republic, only to betray it and try to become
emperor of his own dynasty.
Yue Fei (1103-1141): Southern Song Chinese patriot and general
who fought against the Jurchens during the twelfth century; executed
by Qin Gui; one of the most celebrated patriots in Chinese history.
Zeng Guofan (1811-1872): Chinese general who fought for the Qing
dynasty against the Taiping Rebellion of the nineteenth century and
ultimately quelled it in 1864.
Zhang Xueliang (1898-2001): Manchurian warlord general who in
the mid-1930s refused to continue the fight against the Chinese Com-
munists during the Japanese invasion of China; kidnapped Chiang
Kai-shek in late 1936 near Xi'an; under Chiang Kai-shek's house arrest
from this time until the 1980s. Became a Christian later in life and died
a centenarian in Hawaii in 2001.
Zhao Kuangyin (927-976): Founding emperor of Song dynasty; con-
centrated more military and political power into the emperor's hands.
Zhao Ziyang (1919-2005): General secretary of the CCP and a mod-
erate who favored reform and was sympathetic with the demands of
students demonstrating in Tiananmen Square in 1989; arrested after
Tiananmen Square Massacre and kept under house arrest; nemesis of
Jiang Zemin.
Zhou, Duke of: See Duke of Zhou.
Zhou Enlai (1898-1976): Prominent leader of the Chinese Commu-
nist movement from its early years until his death; suave and multilin-
gual, Zhou blunted some of the most harmful of Mao's Cultural
Revolution excesses; second only to Mao in prestige and influence; to-
day his memory is arguably more revered than Mao's.
Zhu De (1886-1976): Commander of the Red Army from the early
days of the Chinese Communist movement until his death.
