MUZIChinese Matrix
Writers › Writer / Poet
Southern Qi prince of Jingling, patron of letters and Buddhism, who in 489 gathered the capital's best chanting monks to create new styles of Buddhist hymn singing.
Mural of the cultural record “Buddhist Music”, which this person is tied to.
Also known as Zi Yunying · Prince Wenxuan of Jingling
Xiao Ziliang, styled Yunying, was the second son of Emperor Wu of Southern Qi, enfeoffed as Prince of Jingling, rising to Minister over the Masses and posthumously named Wenxuan. At his Jilong Hill residence he gathered the writers known as the Eight Friends of Jingling, among them Xiao Yan, Shen Yue and Xie Tiao. A devout Buddhist, he held vegetarian assemblies and called himself the Pure Dweller. The Biographies of Eminent Monks records that in 489 he summoned the capital's finest chanting monks to work out new hymn melodies; monks such as Sengbian carried them on, shaping the plaintive southern style of Buddhist chant. He died in 494.
Northern and SouthernXiao Ziliang began as grand administrator of Kuaiji; when the Shizu emperor took the throne he was made Prince of Jingling, then served as governor of Nan Xu and Nan Yan provinces and as commander of the guards. In 487 he was formally made Minister of the Masses with twenty ceremonial swords, and later raised to Grand Tutor with thirty.