Duan Zhixing
Encyclopedia
Duan Zhixing was the 18th ruler of the Kingdom of Dali
(present-day Yunnan
, China
) between 1172 and 1200. Duan's reign was marred by the power struggles within the influential Gao family, whose power had long eclipsed the ruling Duan family.
in Hengshan Fort (橫山砦; in present-day Nanning
, Guangxi
). Li later removed Gao Shouchang (高壽昌), the Duke of Zhong (中國公), from power and replaced him with Gao Zhenming (高貞明; Gao Shouchang's nephew). Aji (阿機) rebelled and ousted Gao Zhenming, restoring Gao Shouchang back in his duke position. Gao Zhenming then occupied Heqing (鶴慶) and proclaimed himself the Duke of Ming (明國公) and gave himself a temple name
, effectively declaring independence from the Kingdom of Dali. Another member of the Gao clan, Gao Miaoyin (高妙音), also rebelled in Baiya (白崖) and occupied Shanchan (鄯闡). He made a pact with his nephews, Gao Chengxian (高成賢) and Gao Chengzheng (高成正), to prevent them from taking over Shanchan. However, Gao's nephews betrayed him later and started a war with their uncle. It is unknown if these developments had any long term consequences.
Duan initiated several construction projects in Dali. Being a devout Buddhist
like his predecessors, he repaired 16 Buddhist temples in 1190. In 1195, he ordered the building of defensive infrastructure at crucial entry points into Dali. Five years later, he died and was succeeded by his son, Duan Zhilian (段智廉).
novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes
and its sequel The Return of the Condor Heroes
. Duan is depicted as a formidable pugilist and is named as one of the Five Greats (the five most powerful pugilists in the jianghu
), alongside Wang Chongyang
, Huang Yaoshi
, Ouyang Feng
, Hong Qigong
. In the first novel, Duan emerges as one of the Five Greats after the first martial arts contest on Mount Hua
and earns himself the title of "Southern Emperor" (南帝). Duan is famous for his trademark martial arts technique, known as "Yiyang Finger" (一陽指).
, Duan is extremely obsessed with martial arts and neglects his concubine Liu Ying. Liu has an extra-marital affair with Zhou Botong
and conceives a son with Zhou secretly. However, the infant is critically wounded by a masked man in black (later revealed to be Qiu Qianren). Liu pleads with Duan Zhixing to save her child's life but Duan refuses and the infant dies. Liu swears vengeance on Duan and leaves him to lead a reclusive life in the Black Swamp, where she plots her revenge. Duan feels remorseful later and he abdicates to become a Buddhist monk under the alias "Reverend Yideng" (一燈大師). His top four government officials, Diancang Yuyin, Zhang Shaoshou, Wu Santong and Zhu Ziliu, follow him to practise Buddhism and they disguise themselves respectively as a fisherman, woodcutter, farmer and scholar.
When Huang Rong
is injured by Qiu Qianren later, Guo Jing brings Huang to Dali to seek help. They encounter Liu Ying (renamed to Yinggu), who directs them to Yideng. Yideng uses his immense inner energy
and the "Yiyang Finger" to cure Huang Rong, at the expense of his life. Yinggu appears after that to kill Yideng, as she knows that he is now deprived of energy and weakened. However, Guo and Huang intervene and stop Yinggu. Yideng recovers after Guo imparts the Nine Yin Manual to him. Yideng appears in the final chapters of the novel during the second martial arts contest held on Mount Hua
. Qiu is present there too and he falls off a cliff after losing his footing, but Yideng saves his life. Qiu is ashamed of his past misdeeds and grateful to Yideng for saving his life, such that he agrees to become a Buddhist monk to atone for his sins, with Yideng as his mentor.
's leadership, and they are forming a two-pronged attack on the Song Dynasty
from the north and south. Yideng participates in the Battle of Xiangyang
and helps the Song citizens fight the Mongol invaders. Yideng is also present at the battle in Passionless Valley, where he helps Yang Guo
and Xiaolongnü
deal with Gongsun Zhi and Qiu Qianchi.
Kingdom of Dali
Dali or Great Li was a Bai kingdom centred in what is now Yunnan Province of China. Established by Duan Siping in 937, it was ruled by a succession of 22 kings until the year 1253, when it was conquered by an invasion of the Mongol Empire. The capital city was at Dali.- History :The Kingdom of...
(present-day Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
) between 1172 and 1200. Duan's reign was marred by the power struggles within the influential Gao family, whose power had long eclipsed the ruling Duan family.
Reign
In 1173, Duan sent a party of 23 envoys, led by Li Guanyinde (李觀音得), to trade with the Song DynastySong Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
in Hengshan Fort (橫山砦; in present-day Nanning
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
). Li later removed Gao Shouchang (高壽昌), the Duke of Zhong (中國公), from power and replaced him with Gao Zhenming (高貞明; Gao Shouchang's nephew). Aji (阿機) rebelled and ousted Gao Zhenming, restoring Gao Shouchang back in his duke position. Gao Zhenming then occupied Heqing (鶴慶) and proclaimed himself the Duke of Ming (明國公) and gave himself a temple name
Temple name
Temple names are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Korean , and Vietnamese royalty. They should not be confused with era names. Compared to posthumous names, the use of temple names is more exclusive...
, effectively declaring independence from the Kingdom of Dali. Another member of the Gao clan, Gao Miaoyin (高妙音), also rebelled in Baiya (白崖) and occupied Shanchan (鄯闡). He made a pact with his nephews, Gao Chengxian (高成賢) and Gao Chengzheng (高成正), to prevent them from taking over Shanchan. However, Gao's nephews betrayed him later and started a war with their uncle. It is unknown if these developments had any long term consequences.
Duan initiated several construction projects in Dali. Being a devout Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
like his predecessors, he repaired 16 Buddhist temples in 1190. In 1195, he ordered the building of defensive infrastructure at crucial entry points into Dali. Five years later, he died and was succeeded by his son, Duan Zhilian (段智廉).
Era names
Duan Zhixing had five era names in the twenty-eight years of his reign.- Lizhen (利貞; 1172—1175)
- Shengde (盛德; 1176—1180)
- Jiahui (嘉會; 1181—1184)
- Yuanheng (元亨; 1185—1196?)
- Anding (安定; 1197—1200)
In fiction
Duan is featured as a character in Jin Yong's wuxiaWuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes
The Legend of the Condor Heroes
The Legend of Condor Heroes is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong, and the first part of the Condor Trilogy. It was first serialized between January 1, 1957 and May 19, 1959 in Hong Kong Commercial Daily...
and its sequel The Return of the Condor Heroes
The Return of the Condor Heroes
The Return of the Condor Heroes is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong, and the second part of the Condor Trilogy. It was first serialized between May 20, 1959 and July 5, 1961 on Ming Pao. The story revolves around Yang Guo and his lover Xiaolongnü in their adventure in the wulin fraternity, which does not...
. Duan is depicted as a formidable pugilist and is named as one of the Five Greats (the five most powerful pugilists in the jianghu
Jianghu
The jianghu is the milieu, environment, or sub-community, often fictional, in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set.In modern Chinese culture, jianghu is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set...
), alongside Wang Chongyang
Wang Chongyang
Wang Chongyang [Chinese calendar: 宋徽宗政和二年十二月廿二 – 金世宗大定十年正月初四] was a Chinese Taoist and one of the founders of the Quanzhen School in the twelfth century during the Song Dynasty. He was one of the Five Northern Patriarchs of Quanzhen...
, Huang Yaoshi
Huang Yaoshi
Huang Yaoshi is a fictional character in Jin Yong's Condor Trilogy. He appears in the first two novels The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes as a supporting character....
, Ouyang Feng
Ouyang Feng
Ouyang Feng is a fictional character in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes and its sequel The Return of the Condor Heroes...
, Hong Qigong
Hong Qigong
Hong Qigong is a fictional character in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes and its sequel The Return of the Condor Heroes...
. In the first novel, Duan emerges as one of the Five Greats after the first martial arts contest on Mount Hua
Mount Hua
Mount Hua or Hua Shan in Chinese is located in Shaanxi Province, about 120 kilometres east of the city of Xi'an, near the city Huayin in China. Also known as Xiyuè, Western Great Mountain, it is one of China's Five Sacred Taoist Mountains, and has a long history of religious significance...
and earns himself the title of "Southern Emperor" (南帝). Duan is famous for his trademark martial arts technique, known as "Yiyang Finger" (一陽指).
The Legend of the Condor Heroes
In his early years as the emperor of the Kingdom of DaliKingdom of Dali
Dali or Great Li was a Bai kingdom centred in what is now Yunnan Province of China. Established by Duan Siping in 937, it was ruled by a succession of 22 kings until the year 1253, when it was conquered by an invasion of the Mongol Empire. The capital city was at Dali.- History :The Kingdom of...
, Duan is extremely obsessed with martial arts and neglects his concubine Liu Ying. Liu has an extra-marital affair with Zhou Botong
Zhou Botong
Zhou Botong is a fictional character in the wuxia novels The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong....
and conceives a son with Zhou secretly. However, the infant is critically wounded by a masked man in black (later revealed to be Qiu Qianren). Liu pleads with Duan Zhixing to save her child's life but Duan refuses and the infant dies. Liu swears vengeance on Duan and leaves him to lead a reclusive life in the Black Swamp, where she plots her revenge. Duan feels remorseful later and he abdicates to become a Buddhist monk under the alias "Reverend Yideng" (一燈大師). His top four government officials, Diancang Yuyin, Zhang Shaoshou, Wu Santong and Zhu Ziliu, follow him to practise Buddhism and they disguise themselves respectively as a fisherman, woodcutter, farmer and scholar.
When Huang Rong
Huang Rong
Huang Rong is a fictional character in the wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong. She plays a supporting role in the sequel The Return of the Condor Heroes.-Character description:...
is injured by Qiu Qianren later, Guo Jing brings Huang to Dali to seek help. They encounter Liu Ying (renamed to Yinggu), who directs them to Yideng. Yideng uses his immense inner energy
Neigong
Neigong, also spelled nei kung, neigung, or nae gong, refers to any of a set of Chinese breathing, meditation and spiritual practice disciplines associated with Daoism and especially the Chinese martial arts...
and the "Yiyang Finger" to cure Huang Rong, at the expense of his life. Yinggu appears after that to kill Yideng, as she knows that he is now deprived of energy and weakened. However, Guo and Huang intervene and stop Yinggu. Yideng recovers after Guo imparts the Nine Yin Manual to him. Yideng appears in the final chapters of the novel during the second martial arts contest held on Mount Hua
Mount Hua
Mount Hua or Hua Shan in Chinese is located in Shaanxi Province, about 120 kilometres east of the city of Xi'an, near the city Huayin in China. Also known as Xiyuè, Western Great Mountain, it is one of China's Five Sacred Taoist Mountains, and has a long history of religious significance...
. Qiu is present there too and he falls off a cliff after losing his footing, but Yideng saves his life. Qiu is ashamed of his past misdeeds and grateful to Yideng for saving his life, such that he agrees to become a Buddhist monk to atone for his sins, with Yideng as his mentor.
The Return of the Condor Heroes
Yideng makes brief appearances in the sequel novel. By then, Dali has been conquered by the Mongols under Kublai KhanKublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
's leadership, and they are forming a two-pronged attack on the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
from the north and south. Yideng participates in the Battle of Xiangyang
Battle of Xiangyang
The Battle of Xiangyang also known as the Battle of Xiangfan was a six-year battle between invading Yuan Dynasty armies founded by the Mongols and Southern Song forces between AD 1267 and 1273. After the battle, the victorious Yuan forces pushed farther into the Song heartland...
and helps the Song citizens fight the Mongol invaders. Yideng is also present at the battle in Passionless Valley, where he helps Yang Guo
Yang Guo
Yang Guo, style name Gaizhi , is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong....
and Xiaolongnü
Xiaolongnü
Xiaolongnü is the fictional female protagonist of Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes. The author describes her physical appearances as "skin as white as snow, beautiful and elegant beyond convention and cannot be underestimated, but appears cold and indifferent" .-Name:It is...
deal with Gongsun Zhi and Qiu Qianchi.
Martial arts and skills
- Yiyang Finger (一陽指) - Yideng's trademark martial arts technique. The skill allows him to fire streams of energyNeigongNeigong, also spelled nei kung, neigung, or nae gong, refers to any of a set of Chinese breathing, meditation and spiritual practice disciplines associated with Daoism and especially the Chinese martial arts...
from his fingers and deal a great amount of damage at opponents. Yideng also uses this technique to save the lives of people who have been poisoned or have sustained internal injuries, by purging the venom from their bodies or clearing their meridiansMeridian (Chinese medicine)The meridian is a path through which the life-energy known as "qi" is believed to flow, in traditional Chinese medicine. There is no physically verifiable anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians.- Main concepts :...
to improve blood and energy circulation.
- First Heaven Skill (先天功)