Jie Zhitui

Jie Zhitui
The Wen Duke recovering Jin, attributed to Li Tang (AD 1140)
Chinese
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Jiè Zhītuī Wade–Giles Chieh Chih-t‘ui

Jie Zhitui (fl. 7th century BC), also known as Jie Zitui, was a Han aristocrat who served the Jin prince Chong'er during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. Chinese legend holds that when Chong'er finally ascended to power as the duke of Jin ("Duke Wen"), Jie either refused or was passed over for any reward, despite his great loyalty during the prince's times of hardship. Jie then retired to the forests of Jin in what is now central Shanxi with his mother. Supposedly, the duke so desired to repay Jie's years of loyalty that, when Jie declined to present himself at court, he ordered a forest fire to compel the recluse out of hiding. Instead, Jie and his mother were killed by the fire on Mt Mian. By the Han, Jie was being revered in central Shanxi as a Taoist immortal. He was annually commemorated with a ritual avoidance of fire that, despite many official bans, eventually became China's Cold Food and Qingming Festivals.

Jie Zhitui or Jiezhi Tui is the name given to him in the oldest surviving records, with Jie Zitui or Jiezi Tui coming later.Sima Qian treats his name as though it were actually Jie Tui, with "Jiezi" serving as an honorific equivalent to "Master" or "Viscount Jie". A single 2nd-century source has "Jiezi Sui" (t , s , Jièzǐ Suí). Others state that the entire name Jiezi Tui was a posthumous title and that his real name had been Wang Guang.