King Mu of Zhou facts for kids

King Mu of Zhou (Chinese: 周穆王; pinyin: Zhōu Mù Wáng), whose personal name was Ji Man, was the fifth king of the Zhou dynasty in ancient China. He ruled for a very long time, around 55 years, from about 976 BC to 922 BC. He is known as one of the most important kings of the Zhou dynasty.

Life of King Mu

A painting from the Joseon period called Yoji yeondo. It shows King Mu visiting the goddess Queen Mother of the West at Yaochi, a mythical place on Kunlun Mountain.

King Mu became king after his father, King Zhao of Zhou, passed away. King Mu was a very active ruler. He brought in new ideas that changed how the Zhou government worked. Instead of leaders always being chosen by family, he wanted people to be picked for their skills and knowledge.

During King Mu's time, the Zhou Dynasty was very powerful. He tried to protect China from invaders in the west. He also wanted to make the Zhou kingdom bigger towards the east. In one big adventure, he led a huge army against a group called the Quanrong. They lived in the western part of China.

His travels helped him meet many different tribes. He convinced some to join the Zhou kingdom peacefully. Others had to be conquered by his army. This big trip might not have been a complete success. He only brought back a few white wolves and white deer. Some historians believe this trip accidentally caused problems later on. These same tribes invaded China in 771 BC.

Later, a group called the Xu Rong, likely from the state of Xu in the southeast, attacked near the capital city of Fenghao. The war ended with a peace agreement. The state of Xu gained land and power, but they agreed to be under the Zhou Dynasty's rule.

People have different opinions about King Mu. Some praise him for his victories. Others say that after his time, some border states stopped having good relationships with the Zhou Dynasty. However, an ancient book called the Shang Shu gives him credit for creating China's first organized set of laws.

Stories say that King Mu lived to be 105 years old. He was also said to have traveled to a magical place called Kunlun Mountain. A famous story about him is called the Tale of King Mu, Son of Heaven. His son, King Gong of Zhou, became king after him.

King Mu in Mythology

One famous Chinese myth tells a story about King Mu. He dreamed of becoming an immortal, which means living forever. He really wanted to visit the amazing paradise of Kunlun Mountain. There, he hoped to taste the legendary Peaches of Immortality.

A brave driver named Zaofu used his special chariot to take the king on this long journey. The book The Tale of King Mu, Son of Heaven, written a long time ago, describes King Mu's visit. It tells about his meeting with the mysterious Queen Mother of the West. A poet from the Tang dynasty, Li Shangyin, later wrote a short poem about this famous story.

The Amazing Automaton

In an ancient text from the 3rd century BC called the Liezi, there's a fascinating story. It describes an early meeting between King Mu of Zhou and a clever engineer named Yan Shi. Yan Shi was an "artificer," meaning he was skilled at making mechanical things.

Yan Shi proudly showed the king a life-sized, human-shaped figure he had built. It was a mechanical creation, like an early robot!

The king was amazed by the figure. It walked quickly and moved its head up and down, looking just like a real person. When Yan Shi touched its chin, it began to sing perfectly. When he touched its hand, it started to dance in time with the music.

As the show was ending, the robot winked and seemed to flirt with the ladies nearby. This made the king very angry! He was about to punish Yan Shi. But Yan Shi, scared, quickly took the robot apart. He wanted to show the king what it really was.

It turned out to be made only of leather, wood, glue, and paint. The king looked closely and found that all the inside parts were there. It had a liver, heart, lungs, and more, all made artificially. The king tried taking out the heart, and the robot could no longer speak. When he took out the liver, its eyes couldn't see. If he took out the kidneys, its legs couldn't move. The king was very impressed and happy!

King Mu's Family

King Mu had several important family members:

• His main queen was Wang Zu Jiang.
• He also had a concubine named Sheng Ji, who was buried with royal honors.

His sons included:

• Crown Prince Yihu, who later became King Gong of Zhou.
• Prince Bifang, who later became King Xiao of Zhou.
• Prince Baozong, who became the Viscount of Xu.

He also had a daughter named Shuqie.

See also

• Family tree of Chinese monarchs (ancient)