Village official (亭长) who rose against the Qin, defeated 项羽 in the war between Chu and Han, and founded the Han dynasty in 202 BC as its first emperor.
Liu Bang contested for the empire against Xiang Yu.
Tips
history
On taking the Qin capital 咸阳 he replaced Qin's harsh code with just three laws, 约法三章, now an idiom for agreeing a few ground rules. He said he won because he could use three men who each outdid him in their field: 张良, 萧何 and 韩信.
culture
His song 《大风歌》 (大风起兮云飞扬) is one of the earliest and most famous imperial poems. Contrasted endlessly in literature with the aristocratic, doomed 项羽.
