Emperor Gaozu of Tang

Emperor Gaozu of Tang (566 – 25 June 635), born Li Yuan, courtesy name Shude, was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.

In 615, Li Yuan was assigned to garrison Longxi. He gained much experience by dealing with the Göktürks of the north and was able to pacify them. Li Yuan was also able to gather support from these successes and, with the disintegration of the Sui dynasty in July 617, Li Yuan – urged on by his second son Li Shimin (the eventual Emperor Taizong) – rose in rebellion. Using the title of "Great Chancellor" (大丞相), Li Yuan installed a puppet child emperor, Emperor Gong, but eventually removed him altogether and established the Tang Dynasty in 618 as Emperor. His son and successor Li Shimin honoured him as Gaozu ("high founder") after his death.

Emperor Gaozu's reign was concentrated on uniting the empire under the Tang. Aided by Li Shimin (李世民), whom he created the Prince of Qin, he defeated all the other contenders, including Li Gui, Dou Jiande, Wang Shichong, Xue Rengao and Liu Wuzhou. By 628, the Tang Dynasty had succeeded in uniting all of China. On the home front, he recognized the early successes forged by Emperor Wen of Sui and strove to emulate most of Emperor Wen's policies, including the equal distribution of land amongst his people, and he also lowered taxes. He abandoned the harsh system of law established by Emperor Yang of Sui as well as reforming the judicial system. These acts of reform paved the way for the reign of Emperor Taizong, which ultimately pushed Tang to the height of its power.

Liyuan (garden)

Liyuan garden is a garden on the shore of Li Lake. It was named after Fan Li, a senior official of the state of Yue who retired to his hometown after defeating the state of Wu. One day he went boating on what was then called Wuli Lake with one of the most beautiful women in ancient China named Xi Shi. Afterwards he decided to name the lake after himself, calling it Li Lake. The garden built on the shore of Li Lake was called Liyuan Garden.

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Coordinates: 31°31′10″N 120°15′17″E / 31.519540°N 120.254588°E / 31.519540; 120.254588

Li Yuan (politician)

Li Yuan (Chinese: 黎原) (1917 - December 18, 2008) was a People's Republic of China politician and People's Liberation Army major general. He was born in Xi County, Henan Province. He fought in the Battle of Shanghai in 1937. In the Chinese Civil War, he participated in the Liaoshen Campaign and Pingjin Campaign. During the Korean War, he was commander of the 140th Division of the People's Volunteer Army. In 1967, he became Chairman of the Hunan Revolutionary Committee after the removal of the governor, former Kuomintang general Cheng Qian.