Yu Quan
Yu Quan
Main page
1144998

Yu Quan

logo
Community Hub0 subscribers
Read side by side
Yu Quan
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Yu·Quan (Chinese: 羽·泉; pinyin: Yǔ Quán) is a Chinese soft rock duet. They were founded in June 1998 as a duo between Chen Yufan (陈羽凡) and Hu Haiquan (胡海泉). They are from Beijing and Shenyang, Liaoning respectively. Both members were born in 1975. They were signed with Taiwanese music distributor Rock Records in 1999. Since then the duo has published a total of nine albums, with over seven million records sold. The duo is very well received in mainland China.[1]

Key Information

In 2013, the duo competed in the first season of Chinese reality TV show called I Am a Singer (renamed Singer since 2017); the duo won the competition, and the series saw a profound success. They tried to use their way to recall Chinese music among the young generation, and encourage Chinese young musicians to remember and rebuild Chinese music culture. They previously appeared in the show Let's Sing Kids. As of 2020 season of Singer, they remained as the only group winners (and contestants doubled with hosting roles) to win, as winners from succeeding seasons were both soloists and singers not doubling roles as hosts.

They were mentors in the original composition show Sing My Song (2014–2015). During fall 2016, they were judges for music show Sound of My Dream. The show ran from November 2016 to January 2017. Before the show ended, Yu Quan held their seventh consecutive Christmas concert Tree New Bee (Chinese: 树新峰).

Discography

[edit]

Studio album

[edit]
No. English title Chinese title Released
1 The Most Beautiful 最美 10 November 1999
2 Callous to the End 冷酷到底 2000
3 Ardently Love 热爱 2001
4 I can't Live without You 没你不行 2003
5 Thirty 三十 2005
6 Friends are Difficult 朋友难当 2006
7 Everyone Has a Yu Quan in His Heart 每个人心中都有一个羽泉 2009
8 @Myself @自己 2011
9 Regenerate 再生 2013
10 Dare to Love 敢爱 2014
11 Recalcitrate 不服 2015

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Yu Quan

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Yu Quan (Chinese: 鬻拳; pinyin: Yù Quán; died 675 BCE) was a high official of the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period, renowned as an exceptionally loyal minister who served under Chu Wen Wang. He is celebrated in historical accounts for his bold and extreme remonstrances, including threatening the king with a blade to compel wise decisions, self-inflicted foot amputation as atonement for his audacity, refusing entry to the defeated king at the city gate, and ultimately committing suicide after burying the king, actions interpreted as profound expressions of devotion and love for his ruler.[1][2] Early in his service, Yu Quan vigorously remonstrated with Chu Wen Wang but was ignored, prompting him to threaten the king with a blade to force compliance with his counsel; afterward, acknowledging the grave offense of threatening his lord, he cut off his own foot in self-punishment. The people of Chu appointed him Grand Gatekeeper (Taibo), a position made hereditary in recognition of his integrity and loyalty.[1] In 675 BCE, after Chu Wen Wang suffered a major defeat, Yu Quan, as gatekeeper, refused him entry to the capital. Following the king's death during a subsequent campaign, Yu Quan buried him, committed suicide, and was interred at the mausoleum gates. The Zuo Zhuan praises him through the Noble Man's commentary: "Yu Quan may be said to have cherished his lord. He counseled his lord and brought upon himself a mutilating punishment. And even once he had suffered that punishment, he did not cease to bring his lord into alignment with the good." This reframes his mutilated body not as a mark of disgrace but as a signifier of unwavering affection and commitment to moral guidance.[1]

Background

Origins and family

Yu Quan belonged to the Yu clan (鬻氏), with the personal name Quan (拳), during the Spring and Autumn period.[3][4] According to traditional accounts, the Yu clan traces back to Yu Xiong (鬻熊), an early figure associated with the origins of Chu who served as a teacher to King Wen of Zhou, with his line forming branches in the Chu lineage.[5] His exact birth date is unknown, but he died in 675 BCE.[3] As a member of this lineage, he is recognized in some historical traditions as part of the extended Chu royal descent group.[6][7]

Role in Chu state

Yu Quan was a high official in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period. As a member of the Yu clan, he was part of the state's aristocracy according to some historical accounts.[3] Under King Wen of Chu (r. 689–675 BCE), Yu Quan was known for his unwavering loyalty and righteousness as a minister, prioritizing the state's interests and earning recognition as a paragon of loyalty in historical records.[8] The people of Chu respectfully referred to him as Da Bo (大伯), a title associated with his esteemed status.[9] He was associated with the Hubei region, the core territory of Chu.

First remonstrance

Conflict over Cai Ai Hou

The conflict over Cai Ai Hou arose in 684 BCE following Chu's military victory over Cai. At the urging of Xi Hou, who sought revenge after Cai Ai Hou disrespected Xi Hou's wife (a sister of Cai Ai Hou's wife) during her passage through Cai territory, Chu Wen Wang attacked Cai, defeated its forces at Shen, and captured Cai Ai Hou (personal name Xian Wu). The king brought him back to Chu as a prisoner.[10]

Threat to Chu Wen Wang

In an earlier incident during his service, Yu Quan strongly remonstrated with Chu Wen Wang, but the king refused to listen. Yu Quan then confronted the king with weapons (lin zhi yi bing), frightening him into compliance.[11] The king relented and followed Yu Quan's advice out of fear.[11] This incident is recorded in the Zuo Zhuan as a retrospective note, describing how Yu Quan "confronted [the king] with weapons" (lin zhi yi bing), causing the king to comply out of fear.[11]

Self-punishment and gatekeeper role

Act of self-mutilation

After threatening Chu Wen Wang with a sword to compel the release of Cai Ai Hou, Yu Quan regarded his own act of brandishing a weapon against his sovereign as the gravest possible crime. Declaring that no offense was greater than frightening the ruler with arms, he imposed self-punishment by amputating his own foot, an extreme act of atonement to expiate his transgression and affirm his unwavering loyalty to the monarch.[12] This self-mutilation, recorded in the Zuo Zhuan, exemplified Yu Quan's rigid adherence to hierarchical propriety, where even a successful remonstrance conducted through improper means demanded severe personal retribution.[1]

Appointment and honors

Following his self-mutilation by cutting off his own feet as punishment for having threatened Chu Wen Wang with a weapon during his earlier remonstrance, Yu Quan received significant honors from the state of Chu. The people of Chu appointed him as the chief gatekeeper (大閽), a position responsible for controlling access to the gates of the capital, Ying (Yingdu).[13] This role reflected the high regard for his unwavering loyalty and commitment to guiding the ruler toward virtue, even at great personal cost. Chu people respectfully addressed him as "Da Bo" (大伯), signifying his esteemed status akin to a great elder or chief. The position was made hereditary, allowing his descendants to inherit the office of chief gatekeeper.[13] The Zuo Zhuan praises this outcome in the words of a gentleman: "Yu Quan may be said to have loved his ruler; he remonstrated and thereby brought himself under punishment, yet even in punishment he did not forget to lead his ruler to goodness."[13]

Second remonstrance

Defeat by Ba state

In the spring of 675 BCE, Chu Wen Wang led a military expedition against the Ba state, engaging its forces at Jin (津). The Chu army suffered a heavy defeat there.[14] Chu Wen Wang returned to the capital with his defeated army. Upon arrival, the city gate was guarded by Yu Quan, the loyal minister who had been appointed chief gatekeeper following his earlier act of self-mutilation.

Refusal to open gates

After the defeat of Chu forces by the state of Ba at Jin, Chu Wen Wang returned to the capital. Yu Quan, serving as the grand gatekeeper, refused to open the gates and admit the defeated ruler.[15] This act was motivated by the view that a defeated ruler should not immediately re-enter the city, as doing so would further shame the state and its ancestral altars. Yu Quan prioritized the honor of Chu over personal allegiance to the king, viewing the defeat as a humiliation to the state that took precedence over the ruler himself.[9] The refusal underscored Yu Quan's unwavering commitment to state prestige, reinforcing his reputation as a minister who placed Chu's dignity above the ruler's immediate comfort. The Zuo Zhuan presents this episode as part of Yu Quan's broader pattern of principled, self-sacrificing loyalty, even as it led the king to embark on a subsequent campaign to restore Chu's honor.[16]

Final events and death

Campaign against Huang state

After being denied entry into the capital by Yu Quan following the Chu army's defeat by the Ba state, Chu Wen Wang launched a campaign against the Huang state to redeem his military honor and compensate for the loss.[17] The Chu forces achieved victory over the Huang army at Qi Ling (踖陵).[18][19] This campaign demonstrated the indirect impact of Yu Quan's strict enforcement of honorable conduct on the king's actions.[17]

Chu Wen Wang's death

Following his campaign against the Huang state, in which he defeated the Huang army at Jiling, Chu Wen Wang fell ill while returning home. Upon reaching Jiao (湫), his illness took hold, and he died on the Gengshen day of the sixth month in the summer of 675 BCE.[16] He was buried at Xishi (夕室).[16]

Yu Quan's suicide

After Chu Wen Wang died of illness at Qiu during the return journey from the campaign against Huang, Yu Quan arranged the king's burial in the Evening Chamber (Xi Shi). He then committed suicide and was buried at the gates to the mausoleum (Die Huang), in front of the king's tomb.[1][13] Yu Quan conducted the king's burial before ending his own life. This final act fulfilled the principle of his role as guardian: having served as the Grand Gatekeeper in life—after his earlier self-mutilation for remonstrating the king—he guarded the king's tomb in death.[1]

Legacy

Evaluation in Zuo Zhuan

In the Zuo Zhuan's entry for the nineteenth year of Duke Zhuang (675 BCE), Yu Quan is presented as an exemplary loyal minister whose actions demonstrate profound devotion to his ruler. The text recounts his forceful remonstrance against Chu Wen Wang, his self-inflicted amputation as punishment for threatening the king with a blade, his later refusal to open the city gates to the defeated king, and his suicide after burying the king.[16] The account culminates in praise from the anonymous "gentleman" (君子曰): "Yu Quan can be said to have loved his lord; he remonstrated at cost of punishment, and even after punishment did not forget to guide lord to righteousness."[16] This evaluation highlights Yu Quan's exceptional loyalty, portraying his willingness to endure severe self-punishment and continue directing the ruler toward virtue as the essence of true devotion to one's sovereign.[1]

Later historical views

Later historical views on Yu Quan have been mixed, with some emphasizing his extreme loyalty and self-sacrifice as exemplary, while others have criticized his methods as a dangerous precedent that undermines ruler-subject hierarchy. In the Tang dynasty, poet Zhou Tan portrayed Yu Quan as a paragon of loyalty in his poem "Chunqiu Zhanguo Men: Yu Quan," writing: "鬻拳強諫懼威刑，退省懷慚不顧生。雙刖忍行留痛恨，惟君適足見忠誠。" This verse highlights Yu Quan's fearless remonstrance despite fear of punishment, his self-reflection without regard for his own life, and his enduring pain as proof of true devotion visible only to the ruler.[20] Commentators continued to grapple with the Zuozhuan's praise of Yu Quan as "devoted to his ruler" (aijun). Jin dynasty commentator Du Yu, responding to Gongyang commentator He Xiu's critique, argued that the term aijun itself implies Yu Quan's actions were not to be emulated as a standard for subjects, as such excessive emotion could hinder proper dutifulness.[12] Later imperial commentators found the Zuozhuan's endorsement alarming. Cheng Gongshuo (in Chunqiu fenji), Lu Can (in Zuozhuan fuzhu), and Zhu Heling (in Du Zuo Richao) condemned the portrayal of threatening a ruler with a weapon as loyal, viewing it as heterodox and potentially destabilizing to hierarchical order.[12] In the Ming dynasty, scholar Cheng Minzheng, in a piece preserved in Huang Ming Wen Heng, explicitly rejected the Zuozhuan's characterization of Yu Quan's actions as "love for the ruler." He argued that ministers must adhere to constant principles, admonishing sincerely up to three times before resigning if unheeded, rather than resorting to coercion or threats, which treats the ruler like a child and violates the distinctions established by ancient kings to prevent chaos. Cheng warned that praising such acts as loyal could enable treacherous ministers to justify usurpation under the guise of loyalty, with disastrous consequences for later generations.[21]
User Avatar
No comments yet.