Liu Yan (emperor)

Liu Yan
Reign	September 5, 917 – June 10, 942
Born	889
Died	June 10, 942
Full name Family name: Liú (劉) Given name: Originally Yán (巖), later Zhì (陟) (changed ~896), later Yán (巖) again (changed 911), later Gōng (龔) (changed 925), later Yǎn (龑) (changed 925) Era dates Qíanhēng (乾亨) 917–925 Báilóng (白龍) 925–928 Dàyǒu (大有) 928–942 Posthumous name Tiānhuáng Dàdì (天皇大帝) Temple name Gāozǔ (高祖)
Dynasty	Southern Han (known as Yue 917–918)

Full name
Family name: Liú (劉) Given name: Originally Yán (巖), later Zhì (陟) (changed ~896), later Yán (巖) again (changed 911), later Gōng (龔) (changed 925), later Yǎn (龑) (changed 925)
Era dates
Qíanhēng (乾亨) 917–925 Báilóng (白龍) 925–928 Dàyǒu (大有) 928–942
Posthumous name
Tiānhuáng Dàdì (天皇大帝)
Temple name
Gāozǔ (高祖)

Liu Yan (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Liú Yán, Vietnamese: Lưu Nghiễm; 889 – June 10, 942), né Liu Yan (劉巖), also known as Liu Zhi (劉陟) (from ~896 to 911) and briefly as Liu Gong (劉龔), formally Tianhuang Dadi (天皇大帝) with the temple name Gaozu (高祖), was the first emperor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Southern Han.

Liu Yan was born in 889, during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang. His father Liu Zhiqian (also known as Liu Qian) was then the prefect of Feng Prefecture (封州, in modern Zhaoqing, Guangdong) and was married to a Lady Wei, the niece of Wei Zhou (韋宙), a prior military governor (Jiedushi) of Lingnan East Circuit (嶺南東道, headquartered in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong), which Feng Prefecture belonged to. However, he also secretly had a concubine outside the home, a Lady Duan, and it was to Lady Duan that Liu Yan was born. When Lady Wei found out, she killed Lady Duan, but could not bear to kill the infant Liu Yan, and she took him back home to be raised as her own, as a younger brother to her own sons Liu Yin and Liu Tai (劉台).

As Liu Yan grew up, it was said that he was tall and capable in both horsemanship and archery. After Liu Yin became the commander of the army of the circuit (which had been renamed Qinghai (清海)) by that point under the military governor Li Zhirou the Prince of Xue in 896, Liu Yan was also given the title of military advisor to Li Zhirou as the Prince of Xue, and his name was changed from Liu Yan to Liu Zhi.

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Wikipedia