望帝

Wàngdì
proper noun

Meanings

  1. 1 Wangdi, legendary king of ancient Shu, said to have turned into a cuckoo after his death

Examples

HSK 6
Wàngdì shì chuánshuō zhōng gǔdài Shǔguó de guówáng.
In legend, Wangdi was a king of the ancient state of Shu.
HSK 7-9
Chuánshuō Wàngdì sǐ hòu biànchéng le dùjuān, měi dào chūntiān jiù bùtíng de jiào.
Legend says that after Wangdi died he became a cuckoo, which calls without stopping every spring.

Tips

history
His name was 杜宇. In the legend he taught the people of 蜀 to farm, then gave up his throne to his minister 鳖灵, who had tamed a great flood and reigned as 丛帝. After his death his spirit became the cuckoo, which cries in spring until its mouth bleeds, the image behind 杜鹃啼血.
culture
李商隐 packed the legend into one line of 《锦瑟》: 望帝春心托杜鹃, 'Wangdi entrusted his spring longing to the cuckoo'. The cuckoo is also called 杜宇 after him.

Stroke Order

望 wàng
帝 dì