Yue (state)

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State of Yue
越
Kingdom
←
 
←
?–222 BC →
 
→
Capital Kuaiji (Shaoxing), later Wu (Suzhou)
Religion Chinese folk religion, ancestor worship
Government Monarchy
 -  496–465 BC King Goujian
Historical era Spring and Autumn Period, Warring States Period
 -  Established  ?
 -  Conquered by Chu 334 BC
 -  Conquered by Qin 222 BC
Currency Chinese coin

Yue (Chinese: 越國; pinyin: Yuè Guó) was a state in China which existed during the Spring and Autumn Period (722–479 BCE) and the Warring States Period (475–221 BCE), in the modern province of Zhejiang. During the Spring and Autumn Period, its capital was in Kuaiji (会稽), near the modern city of Shaoxing. After the conquest of Wu, the kings of Yue moved their capital north, to Wu (modern Suzhou).

According to Sima Qian, its rulers claimed to be descended from Yu the Great. The annotation to the Guoyu mentions that their surname was Mi (芈).

Contents

Yue in History [edit]

A statue of a man, dating from the State of Yue era

Ancient Chinese texts do not mention Yue until the wars which opposed it to its northern neighbour, the state of Wu, in the late 6th century BC. After several decades of conflict, King Goujian of Yue managed to destroy and annex Wu in 473 BC, and Yue became one of the powerful states in the early Warring States Period.

In 334 BC, the State of Yue, under the rule of Wujiang (Chinese: 無彊), the sixth generation descendant of Goujian, was eventually defeated and annexed by Chu. The second son of Wujiang, Mingdi, was appointed by the king of Chu to administer Wucheng (in present day Wuxing District of Huzhou, Zhejiang), which was situated south of the Ouyang Ting (pavilion), so named because it was built on the south and yáng (sunny) side of the Ouyu Mountain, and hence was given the title of Marquess of Ouyang Ting. After Chu was conquered by Qin in 223 BC, the title was abolished by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Descendants of the former rulers took up the surname Ou (歐), Ouyang (歐陽) or Ouhou (歐侯, since disappeared) in remembrance of his official title.

The state was famous for the quality of its metalworking and in particular its swords. Examples include the extremely well preserved Sword of Goujian and sword of King Zhougou (州勾王). The beauty Xi Shi was also a native of the state.

Exile Government and Absorption into Han Dynasty [edit]

A model of a warship used by the state of Yue during the Warring States period between 475 BCE to 221 BCE. From the Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China.

After the fall of Yue, the ruling family moved south to what is now northern Fujian and set up the Minyue kingdom. This successor state lasted until around 150 BC, when it miscalculated an alliance with the Han Dynasty.

Minyue cities, neatly constructed from stone, have been excavated in Wuyishan City, which already contains a UNESCO natural and cultural heritage site.[1] Minyue tombs showing the Yue burial customs have recently been discovered.

Yue in astronomy [edit]

In Chinese astronomy, there are two explanations regarding what the star of Yue represents. The opinions are:

People from Yue [edit]

  1. Yuenü, swordswoman, whose exposition on the art of the sword is the earliest recorded theory on this topic[6]

surname [edit]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ The Wuyi Mountains
  2. ^ (Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 6 月 23 日
  3. ^ http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8C%97%E6%96%B9%E4%B8%AD%E8%A5%BF%E6%98%9F%E5%90%8D%E5%B0%8D%E7%85%A7%E8%A1%A8
  4. ^ Richard Hinckley Allen: Star Names – Their Lore and Meaning: Aquila
  5. ^ Richard Hinckley Allen: Star Names – Their Lore and Meaning: Capricornus
  6. ^ Hong Lee and Stefanowsky. p. 91.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Hong Lee and Stefanowsky (2007). Biographical dictionary of Chinese women: antiquity through Sui, 1600 B.C.E.-618 C.E. M.E. Sharpe, Inc. 

Further reading [edit]

  • Zhengzhang Shangfang [郑张尚芳]. 1990. "Some Kam-Tai Words in Place Names of the Ancient Wu and Yue States" [古吴越地名中的侗台语成份]. In Minzu Yuwen 6.

External links [edit]

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Spring and Autumn
Major states
Minor States
Warring States
Minor States
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