Chen dynasty facts for kids
The Chen dynasty (pronounced "Chun") was a powerful Chinese ruling family that lasted from 557 to 589 AD. It was the fourth and final of the southern dynasties in China's history. The people who ruled were from the Han Chinese group.
Not many official records from the Chen dynasty have survived until today. However, the records we do have suggest that this dynasty was very strong and wealthy. Some stories even say the Chen dynasty had ten times more riches than all of Europe at that time!
The Chen dynasty had a clever system for collecting taxes and managing the country. This system was much like the famous Kang-Qian "flourishing age," which was a very rich time for China later on.
The Chen dynasty collected a huge amount of silver, which was used as money back then. Records show they had about 30 million "taels" of silver saved up. A silver tael was a weight, like about 30 grams. During this time, many people around the world wanted Chinese products. There was a big demand for things like silk, spices, beautiful porcelain, and artwork.
In the year 589, the Chen dynasty ended. The Sui dynasty took over after the last Chen Emperor decided to give up his position. This is called "abdication."
Who Were the Chen Emperors?
The Chen dynasty had several emperors who ruled during its 32 years. Each emperor had a special name given to them after they died, and they also had their family and personal names. They also had different "time periods" or eras during their rule.
| Names given after death | Family names and personal names | Years | Time periods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convention: Chen + posthumous name | |||
| Emperor Wu of Chen - Wu Di (武帝 wu3 di4) | Chen Ba Xian (陳霸先 chen2 ba4 xian1) | 557-559 | Yongding (永定 yong3 ding4) 557-559 |
| Emperor Wen of Chen - Wen Di (文帝 wen2 di4) | Chen Qian (陳蒨 chen2 qian4) | 560-566 | Tianjia (天嘉 tian1 jia1) 560-566 Tiankang (天康 tian1 kang1) 566 |
| Emperor Fei of Chen - Fei Di (廢帝 fei4 di4) | Chen Bo Zong (陳伯宗 chen2 bo2 zong1) | 567-568 | Guangda (光大 guang1 da4) 567-568 |
| Emperor Xuan of Chen - Xuan Di (宣帝 xuan1 di4) | Chen Xu (陳頊 chen2 xu4) | 569-582 | Taijian (太建 tai4 jian4) 569-582 |
| Emperor Houzhu of Chen (後主 hou4 zhu3) | Chen Shu Bao (陳叔寶 chen2 shu2 bao3 | 583-589 | Zhide (至德 zhi4 de2) 583-586 Zhenming (禎明 zhen1 ming2) 587-589 |
Images for kids
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Emperor Baxian
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Tang dynasty portrait of Emperor Wen by Yan Liben.
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Emperor Xu
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Emperor Shubao
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Park named in honor of the founding emperor Chen Baxian
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Chen Bozong
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A pixiu from the Yongning Tomb of Emperor Wen of Chen (about 566 AD). This is in Qixia District.
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Emperor Wu of Chen
See also
In Spanish: Dinastía Chen para niños
