Notable people
4 peopleFigures with the most linked events, works and records.
Writers
Cultural Persona
Figures created or shaped by poetry, drama, fiction and folk legend
21people
Mural guide
In lantern light and drifting smoke, a row of painted theatrical masks stands on a wooden rail beneath a glowing paper dragon lantern and hanging red lanterns; a folding screen painted with a river, a bridge and hills stands at the right, with a bronze burner and small lamps on the floor.
Cultural personas are figures shaped by poetry, drama, fiction, ballad and folk legend who have stayed in public memory, including fictional and legendary characters. Whether they existed cannot be shown, or the story told about them is far from the record. Each persona names its earliest source, and the page presents the figure the arts created, not a verified historical person. Unlike subjects of famous writings, they are not known to have been real people.
People in this role
- Houji (Ji Qi)Dates unknown; a traditional ancestor of the Zhou
- Emperor YaoDates unknown; traditionally one of the Five Emperors
- GaoyaoDates unknown; traditionally the chief of justice under Shun
- Emperor ShunDates unknown; traditionally one of the Five Emperors
- GunDates unknown; traditionally the father of Yu
- BoyiDates unknown; traditionally a helper of Yu in controlling the floods
- Cang JieDates unknown; a figure of the legendary age, traditionally a historian of the Yellow Emperor
- Xi ShiDates unknown; traditionally of Yue, late Spring and Autumn period
- Huangshi GongFirst attested in the Western Han Shiji; the Sanlue attribution is catalogued in the Tang-compiled Book of Sui
- Gan JiangFirst attested in the Eastern Han Wu Yue chunqiu; canonized in the Eastern Jin Soushen ji
- Mo YeFirst attested in the Eastern Han Wu Yue chunqiu; canonized in the Eastern Jin Soushen ji
- Dong YongFirst depicted on the Eastern Han Wu Liang Shrine reliefs; canonized in the Eastern Jin Soushen ji
- Jiao ZhongqingSet by the poem's preface in the Jian'an era of the late Han; first preserved in the Liang-dynasty Yutai xinyong
- Liu LanzhiSet by the poem's preface in the Jian'an era of the late Han; first preserved in the Liang-dynasty Yutai xinyong
- Hua MulanDates unknown; heroine of the Northern Dynasties Ballad of Mulan
- Su XiaoxiaoDates unknown; traditionally a famous courtesan of Qiantang in the Southern Qi
- Liu SanjieFirst attested in the Southern Song Yudi jisheng; the early Qing Guangdong xinyu places her, by legend, in the reign of Tang Zhongzong
- Lu Dongbin (Lu Yan)Dates unknown; the Song History calls him a recluse of Guanxi
- Zhang Sanfeng (Master Xuanxuan)Dates unknown; sought repeatedly in the early Ming, and the Ming History says his survival could not be known
- Diao ChanAttested in Yuan drama; canonized in Ming fiction
- Feng WanzhenDates unknown; the story is set in 1860
No people in this role for that dynasty.