Emperor Duanzong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Emperor Duanzong of Song宋端宗 |
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| Emperor of the Song dynasty | |||||||||||||
| Reign | 15 June 1276 – 8 May 1278 | ||||||||||||
| Coronation | 14 June 1276 | ||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Emperor Gong | ||||||||||||
| Successor | Zhao Bing | ||||||||||||
| Born | Zhao Shi 10 July 1270 Lin'an, Song dynasty (modern-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang) |
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| Died | 8 May 1278 (aged 7) Gangzhou, Song dynasty (modern-day Jiangmen, Guangdong) |
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| Burial | Yongfu Mausoleum (永福陵, in present-day Tung Chung, Hong Kong) | ||||||||||||
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| House | Zhao | ||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Song (Southern Song) | ||||||||||||
| Father | Emperor Duzong | ||||||||||||
| Mother | Lady Yang | ||||||||||||
| Emperor Duanzong of Song | |||||||
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| Chinese | 宋端宗 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | "Final Ancestor of the Song" | ||||||
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| Zhao Shi | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 趙昰 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 赵昰 | ||||||
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Emperor Duanzong of Song (born July 10, 1270 – died May 8, 1278) was a young emperor of China. His real name was Zhao Shi. He was the 17th emperor of the Song dynasty in China. He was also the eighth and second-to-last emperor of the Southern Song dynasty.
Zhao Shi was the fifth son of Emperor Duzong. He was an older brother to Emperor Gong, who was emperor before him. He was also an older brother to Zhao Bing, who became emperor after him.
Becoming Emperor
In 1276, the Southern Song capital city, Lin'an (which is now Hangzhou), fell. The previous emperor, Emperor Gong, and Empress Dowager Xie gave up to the Yuan dynasty.
Zhao Shi and his younger brother, Zhao Bing, managed to get away. They fled south to Fujian province. There, a new Song capital was set up. On June 14, 1276, Zhao Shi was crowned as the new Emperor Duanzong. His time as emperor was called "Jingyan," which means "bright flame."
Fleeing from Danger
In early 1278, the Yuan armies broke through the Song dynasty's last defenses. This forced Emperor Duanzong to run away again. He was joined by loyal officials like Lu Xiufu and Zhang Shijie. They all got on a ship and sailed further south to Guangdong Province.
In March 1278, while escaping from Yuan forces, a big hurricane hit. Zhao Shi fell off the boat and nearly drowned. After this scary event, he stayed for a short time in Hong Kong. Back then, Hong Kong was just a small fishing village.
His Death and Legacy
Emperor Duanzong died a few months later in Gangzhou (which is now Jiangmen) because he was sick. He was only seven years old when he died.
His seventh brother, Zhao Bing, became the next emperor. Zhao Bing was crowned in Mui Wo, the same village where Zhao Shi had almost drowned.
Zhao Shi's body is buried in Yongfu Mausoleum (永福陵). The exact spot of his tomb is still unknown today.
A historical stone monument in Hong Kong remembers Zhao Shi's escape. It is called Sung Wong Toi and is located in Kowloon City.
See also
- Chinese emperors family tree (middle)
- List of emperors of the Song dynasty
