Liu An

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Líu Ān (Chinese: 劉安, 179 - 122 BC) was a Chinese prince and advisor to his nephew Emperor Wu of Han (武帝) of Han Dynasty in China and the legendary inventor of tai chi. With his book, the Huainanzi, he was responsible for further advancement in the studies of cartography and geography in ancient China.

1 Life
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Life

Noted for his literary ability, Liu An was reputed to be able to compose an elaborate prose after he woke up and before finishing breakfast. He was a grandson of the founding Han Dynasty (漢朝) emperor Liu Bang (劉邦), he became the King of Huainan (literally "south of the Huai River"), at the age of 16 after his father, Liu Chang (劉長) died. In a fate similar to his father, he committed suicide after a failed coup attempt.

In addition to composing literary pieces himself, Liu An also frequently invited other scholars as guests to his estate. Eight scholars in particular became known as the Eight Immortals of Huainan (淮南八仙). Together, these scholars and Liu An published a treatise in 139 B.C.E. known as the Huainanzi (淮南子), translated as "Book of the Master of Huainan", or the "Huainan Philosophers". This book is considered one of the cornerstones of Daoist philosophy, along with the works of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Along with the earlier Shu Jing (Classic of History) of the 5th century BC (Warring States era), this book provided further concrete information on geography, including descriptions of the topography of China.