李自成 (Lǐ Zìchéng) · Li Zicheng, leader of the peasant…

Meanings

1 Li Zicheng, leader of the peasant rebellion that overthrew the Ming dynasty

About Li Zicheng

1606–1645 · 军事家 military leader

Leader of the peasant uprising of the late Ming, called 闯王. His army took Beijing in 1644 and the last Ming emperor hanged himself, but weeks later 吴三桂 let the Manchus through the Great Wall and they drove him out.

Also called 闯王、李鸿基

Characters

to accomplish; succeed

Examples

HSK 7-9

李自成攻入北京，明朝灭亡。

Lǐ Zìchéng gōngrù Běijīng, Míngcháo mièwáng.

Li Zicheng's army entered Beijing, ending the Ming dynasty.

HSK 7-9

李自成自称大顺皇帝。

Lǐ Zìchéng zìchēng Dà shùn huángdì.

Li Zicheng declared himself Emperor of the Great Shun.

Tips

history

He became the Communist Party's classic warning against complacency. Setting out for Beijing in March 1949, Mao called the move 进京赶考, 'going to the capital to sit the exam', and vowed not to end up like 李自成, who took the capital and lost it within weeks.

culture

Li Zicheng is a fixture in Chinese historical fiction and TV drama. 姚雪垠's five-volume novel 《李自成》 is one of the most ambitious 20th-century historical novels in Chinese.