Wangzhaojun Legend
01 · Historical Records
The Wang Zhaojun legend circulates mainly in Xingshan county of Hubei and Hohhot city of Inner Mongolia. According to such historical records as the Book of Han, Annals of Emperor Yuan, and the Book of the Later Han, Biographies of the Southern Xiongnu, Wang Zhaojun, named Qiang, was a native of Zigui in Nan commandery of the Western Han, present-day Xingshan in Hubei; chosen for the palace in the reign of Emperor Yuan of the Han, she was later married far away to the Xiongnu chanyu Huhanye and contributed to peace between the Han and the Xiongnu. Zhaojun village in Xingshan is said to be her birthplace, where there were formerly her old dwelling and related relics, and the custom of sacrificing to Zhaojun survives to this day.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
For more than two thousand years the story of Wang Zhaojun has been praised by the world in such forms as storytelling, ballad and drama, becoming a much-told tale. The legend of Wang Zhaojun circulates mainly in Xingshan county of Hubei and Hohhot city of Inner Mongolia; the historical facts on which it rests are scattered through many historical works. The legends of Wang Zhaojun in Xingshan fall mainly into several great categories: place-name legends, legends of good virtue and legends of later generations' longing for Wang Zhaojun. In its transmission the Zhaojun legend is attached to the scenery and customs of Xingshan, forming a Zhaojun culture rich in local features. The Zhaojun legends of Xingshan and Hohhot echo each other and jointly lodge the people's yearning for national unity and peace.
The Place-Name Legend of Zhaojun Village
One of the Xingshan legends about Zhaojun's birthplace.
The Legends of Zhaojun's Virtue
Legends showing Wang Zhaojun's fine virtue.
The Legend of Longing for Kin
Legends of later generations' longing for Wang Zhaojun.
The Custom of Sacrificing at Zhaojun Village
The traditional custom of sacrificing to and commemorating Zhaojun in the Xingshan area.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Wang Zhaojun legend takes Zhaojun village in Xingshan, Hubei, as its centre and, with the historical event of Zhaojun going beyond the frontier, spread to the Hohhot area of Inner Mongolia, forming a pattern of circulation answering north and south; in Xingshan there are such relics connected with the legend as Zhaojun village, the Zhaojun shrine and the Nanmu well. The core area of the legend's circulation coincides closely with the historical and geographical route of Zhaojun going beyond the frontier, and the people link the human memory of the two places through the story of Zhaojun.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Wang Zhaojun is the embodiment of beauty, a messenger of peace and a symbol of national unity; her legend has a certain literary, historical, ideological and humanistic value, and its rich cultural content accords with the theme of the times, the harmonious coexistence and common development of human society. The legend is rich in content, but there are now few who can tell and transmit it in full, and protection is urgently needed.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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