Guo Wei

Guo Wei
Guo Wei
Chinese	郭威
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Guō Wēi
Wade–Giles	Kuo1 Wei1
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping	Gwok3 Wai1
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ	Kok Ui

Names
	Surname: Guō (郭); Given name: Wēi (威); Courtesy name: Wénzhòng (文仲)
Era dates
	Guǎngshùn (廣順), began on 13 February 951; Year 1: 9 February 951 – 29 January 952; Year 2: 30 January 952 – 17 January 953; Year 3: 18 January 953 – 5 February 954; Xiǎndé (顯德); Year 1: 6 February 954 – 26 January 955
Regnal name
	Emperor Shengming Wenwu Rende (聖明文武仁德皇帝)
Posthumous name
	Emperor Shèngshén Gōngsù Wénwǔ Xiào (聖神恭肅文武孝皇帝)
Temple name
	Tàizǔ (太祖; "Grand Progenitor")

Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou
後周太祖
Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou; 後周太祖
Emperor of the Later Zhou dynasty
Reign	11 February 951 – 22 February 954
Successor	Chai Rong
Born	10 September 904; Yaoshan County, Xingzhou (modern Longyao County, Hebei, China)
Died	22 February 954 (aged 49); Kaifeng
Burial	Song Mausoleum (嵩陵; in modern Xinzheng, Henan); 34°32′17.95″N 113°41′55.90″E / 34.5383194°N 113.6988611°E
Spouse	See § Family
Issue	Chai Rong (adoptive son); others
Names
Names
	Surname: Guō (郭); Given name: Wēi (威); Courtesy name: Wénzhòng (文仲)
Era dates
	Guǎngshùn (廣順), began on 13 February 951; Year 1: 9 February 951 – 29 January 952; Year 2: 30 January 952 – 17 January 953; Year 3: 18 January 953 – 5 February 954; Xiǎndé (顯德); Year 1: 6 February 954 – 26 January 955
Regnal name
	Emperor Shengming Wenwu Rende (聖明文武仁德皇帝)
Posthumous name
	Emperor Shèngshén Gōngsù Wénwǔ Xiào (聖神恭肅文武孝皇帝)
Temple name
	Tàizǔ (太祖; "Grand Progenitor")
House	Guo
Dynasty	Later Zhou
Father	Guo Jian (郭簡)
Mother	Lady Wang (王氏)

Guo Wei (Chinese: 郭威) (10 September 904^[3] – 22 February 954^[4]), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou (後周太祖), was the founding emperor of the Chinese Later Zhou dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, reigning from 951 until his death in 954.

Nicknamed "Sparrow Guo" (郭雀兒) after a sparrow-shaped tattoo on his neck,^[5] he rose to a high position in the Later Han as an assistant military commissioner. He founded the Later Zhou in 951.

^ (太祖聖神恭肅文武孝皇帝, 姓郭氏, 諱威, 字文仲...) Wudai Shi, ch. 110.
^ (群臣上尊號曰聖明文武仁德皇帝。) Xin Wudai Shi, vol.11
^ According to Guo Wei's biography in "Old Histories of the Five Dynasties", he was born on the 28th day of the 7th month of the 1st year of the Tianyou era of the reign of Emperor Ai of Tang. This corresponds to 10 Sep 904 on the Julian calendar. (后以唐天祐元年甲子歲七月二十八日，生帝於堯山之舊宅。) Wudai Shi, ch. 110.
^ According to Guo Wei's biography in "Old Histories of the Five Dynasties", he died between 9am and 11 am on the renchen day of the 1st month of the 1st year of the Xiande era of his reign. This corresponds to 22 Feb 954 on the Julian calendar. ([顯德元年春正月]壬辰.....是日巳時，帝崩於滋德殿，聖壽五十一。) Wudai Shi, ch. 113.
^ (周太祖少賤，黥其頸上為飛雀，世謂之郭雀兒。) Wudai Shiji, ch. 70.

[1] (太祖聖神恭肅文武孝皇帝, 姓郭氏, 諱威, 字文仲...) Wudai Shi, ch. 110.

[2] (群臣上尊號曰聖明文武仁德皇帝。) Xin Wudai Shi, vol.11

[3] According to Guo Wei's biography in "Old Histories of the Five Dynasties", he was born on the 28th day of the 7th month of the 1st year of the Tianyou era of the reign of Emperor Ai of Tang. This corresponds to 10 Sep 904 on the Julian calendar. (后以唐天祐元年甲子歲七月二十八日，生帝於堯山之舊宅。) Wudai Shi, ch. 110.

[wds113-4] According to Guo Wei's biography in "Old Histories of the Five Dynasties", he died between 9am and 11 am on the renchen day of the 1st month of the 1st year of the Xiande era of his reign. This corresponds to 22 Feb 954 on the Julian calendar. ([顯德元年春正月]壬辰.....是日巳時，帝崩於滋德殿，聖壽五十一。) Wudai Shi, ch. 113.

[wdsj70-5] (周太祖少賤，黥其頸上為飛雀，世謂之郭雀兒。) Wudai Shiji, ch. 70.

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