Sarah Brennan Funny & Fabulous Blog

Some Chinese Heroes!

China’s history is bursting with the most extraordinary people! From famous philosophers to amazing inventors to fanatical rulers to wicked pirates, you’re bound to find some of your favourite heroes and villains – and discover even more – in the following 15 articles I wrote for the SCMP Young Post in Hong Kong from September to December 2014. Just click on the links. Have fun!

Confucius (551 – 479 BCE – Philosopher, teacher, politician and zither player! The wisest man leads way

Sun Tzu (544 – 496 BCE) – Military general, strategist and philosopher, author of The Art of War A warrior’s mind games

Qin Shi Huangdi (259 – 210 BCE) – Unifier, reformer and cruel despot Ruler who sought eternal life

Emperor Han Wudi (156 – 87 BCE) – Military genius and horse-lover! King with the upper Han

Sima Qian (145 – 87 BCE) – Astrologer, ancient historian and hero Astrologer historian and hero

The most brilliant Tang Dynasty Poets: Wang Wei (701 – 761 AD); Li Bai (701 – 762 AD) and Du Fu (721 – 770 AD) Three of the greatest Tang poets

Kublai Khan (1215 – 1294 AD) – Emperor, innovative reformer, scholar and poet Ruler who united China

Cai Lun (62 – 121 AD) – Inventor of paper and  Bi Sheng (990 – 1051 AD) – Inventor of moveable type printing Paper Trail leads to China

Xuanzang (602 – 664 AD) – Buddhist monk, epic traveller, distinguished scholar and famous folk hero Article to be uploaded shortly

Wu Zetian (624 – 705 AD) – China’s only female Emperor Forceful fierce Empress

Zheng He (1371 – 1433 AD) – China’s greatest seaman and naval explorer China’s greatest seaman

Li Shizhen (1518 – 1593 AD) – China’s finest doctor and author of the Bencao Gangmu, the greatest book on Chinese medicine ever published China’s greatest doctor

Ching Shih (1775 – 1844 AD) – The world’s most notorious Pirate Queen Queen who ruled the waves

Dowager Empress Cixi (1835 – 1908) – From concubine to ultimate power in a rapidly changing China Female power behind throne

The Soong sisters (1890 – 2003) – movers and shakers in a brave new People’s Republic of China