Why was Zhang Sanfeng so famous?

Why was Zhang Sanfeng so famous? It was probably closely related to the Ming Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di.Zhu Di and Zhang Sanfeng.

Everyone knows that the capital of China is Beijing, and that the Great Wall and the Forbidden City are famous landmarks there.

In the 19th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty (1421), Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di moved the capital of the Ming Dynasty from Yingtian Prefecture (today’s Nanjing in Jiangsu Province) to Shuntian Prefecture in Beijing, an event of great historical significance in China, whose influence on Chinese politics, economy, and culture continues to this day.

The Forbidden City in Beijing was ordered to be constructed in 1406 by Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di.

As one of the most representative buildings in China, the Forbidden City in Beijing is undoubtedly a great miracle in the history of world architecture.

The Forbidden City stretches 961 meters from north to south and 753 meters from east to west. It is surrounded by walls 10 meters high and a moat 52 meters wide.

It covers a total area of over 720,000 square meters and has a construction area of around 150,000 square meters, with more than 70 palaces and over 9,000 rooms.

It is one of the largest and most completely preserved ancient wooden architectural complexes in the world.

So, what is the relationship between Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di and Zhang Sanfeng?

In the previous blog, we wrote about Zhang Sanfeng of the Yuan Dynasty.

In Night Talks in Huaicheng by the Ming scholar Li Yiheng, it is recorded:"Zhang Xuansu, a native of Yizhou in Liaodong, was born at the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty and was nicknamed Quanyi as a child.

He studied in his early years and was named Tong. He was exceptionally intelligent, well-versed in the classics and history, with a photographic memory.

After entering officialdom, he cared little for fame and fortune and preferred a reclusive life in the woods.

The gentleman was tall, shaped like a tortoise and boned like a crane, with large ears and square jaw, and a green beard like a halberd.

He first took Elder Baiyun of Biluogong as his teacher and comprehended the way of self-cultivation.

Later he met the Quanzhen Taoist Qiu Chuji and learned breathing techniques and attained enlightenment.

He left home to travel far, learned the Dao from Fire Dragon Zhenren, and acquired longevity techniques.

Later he went to Jintai Mountain in Baoji, delved into Taoist studies, and became known as Daoist Sanfeng.

After attaining the Dao, he traveled the world and arrived at Wudang, where he built a thatched hut at Yuxu Terrace, intensely studied Taiji, and founded a martial arts school of his own.

Using the yin-yang softness and hardness, the two modes and four symbols, he created the three Taiji arts: the 384-move Internal Elixir Taiji Sword, the 384-move Taiji Two Modes Fist, and the Yin-Yang Taiji Palm."

Zhang Sanfeng in the early Ming Dynasty

Zhang Sanfeng is recorded in the History of Ming. According to legend, his name was Quanyi, also known as Junbao. Sanfeng was his Daoist title.

The Biography of Zhang Sanfeng in History of Ming is the official historical record that investigates Zhang’s dates of birth and death and is a relatively authoritative historical source. It believes that the claim “he studied under the same teacher as Liu Bingzhong in the early Yuan” is unverifiable and focuses on how Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di searched for Zhang Sanfeng as its main content.

Therefore, the History of Ming favors the third version — that Zhang Sanfeng was a person from the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties.

The Authentic Biography of Master Sanfeng written by a Qing dynasty author records: In the 17th year of the Hongwu reign (1384) — the same year that a high monk from Gantong Temple in Dali brought a pot of camellias and a white horse to court, the flowers bloomed and the horse neighed — Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, who respected both Buddhism and Daoism, issued an edict summoning the Wudang Daoist Zhang Sanfeng to court.

After the edict was issued, Zhang Sanfeng could not be found for a long time.

In the 24th year of Hongwu (1391), Zhu Yuanzhang issued an order to “rectify” Buddhism and Daoism and dispatched eminent Daoists from the Three Mountains to spread the word: “If Zhang Xuanzhen (another of Zhang’s Daoist titles) is found, invite him to court.”

Zhu Yuanzhang also instructed the wealthy merchant Shen Wansan, who had close ties with Zhang Sanfeng, to invite him to court, but Zhang still refused to go.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s twelfth son, Prince Xiang Zhu Bai, was enfeoffed in Jingzhou, which is close to Wudang Mountain.

Zhu Bai himself was devout in Daoism. Upon hearing that his father revered Zhang Sanfeng, he personally went to Wudang to seek him, but failed to meet him as well.

Because Zhu Yuanzhang sought him multiple times, Zhang Sanfeng's fame grew even more, and his mysterious whereabouts attracted broad attention.

So, where did Zhang Sanfeng go? Did he really exist in history?

According to Ren Ziyuan, a Ming person closer to Zhang’s era, in The Record of Mount Taihe the Great Mountain, Zhang Sanfeng came to Wudang Mountain (also called Mount Taihe) in today’s Shiyan, Hubei, in the first year of the Hongwu reign, and thereafter practiced cultivation there for many years, traveling across all the peaks of Wudang.

Ren Ziyuan was a Ming dynasty Daoist. During the Yongle reign, he helped compile the Yongle Encyclopedia, and later assisted Hu Ying in searching for Zhang Sanfeng’s whereabouts.

His Record of Mount Taihe the Great Mountain is among the earliest records of Zhang’s activities and is considered highly credible.

It is said that Zhang Sanfeng built a thatched hut in Wudang, accepted disciples, and spread Daoist teachings.

Due to wars during the late Yuan period, many historical buildings within 800 li of Wudang were destroyed, and many temples turned to ruins.

While wandering the 72 peaks and 36 cliffs of Wudang, Zhang also led people to clear thorns and weeds, collect debris, and restore three of the nine palaces and eight temples of Wudang.

Later, Zhang Sanfeng roamed the world: “He waved his sleeve and departed, with no one knowing where he went.”

Before leaving, he said: “This mountain shall flourish greatly in the future.” These words predicted the glorious period when Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di “rebuilt the Forbidden City in the north and restored Wudang in the south,” turning Wudang into a royal Daoist site.

So, when Zhu Yuanzhang sent people to summon Zhang Sanfeng, it’s likely that Zhang was no longer in Wudang.

In the Yongle Period of the Ming Dynasty

After the death of Zhu Yuanzhang, his grandson Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne as Emperor Jianwen. But not long after, he was overthrown by his uncle Zhu Di, who launched the Jingnan Campaign under the pretext of "clearing out treacherous ministers and assisting the emperor." After Zhu Di ascended the throne, he became Emperor Chengzu.

After becoming emperor, Zhu Di did many things, among which two were the most famous:One was compiling the "Yongle Encyclopedia," and the other was sending people to find Zhang Sanfeng.

In 1403, Emperor Chengzu officially ordered the compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia.

This encyclopedic work covered astronomy, geography, Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, medicine, poetry, song lyrics, drama, technology, and other aspects of knowledge, and became the largest encyclopedic book in the world at the time, totaling 22,877 scrolls.

At the same time, Zhu Di issued an edict to search for the Daoist master Zhang Sanfeng.

This action is recorded in both the History of Ming and the Authentic Biography of Master Sanfeng.

It’s said that Emperor Chengzu had a dream in which he saw an immortal with "flying whisk and crane cloak, riding the wind and stepping on clouds." When he woke up, he asked his ministers who it was. Someone replied, “This resembles the Daoist master Zhang Sanfeng.”

Thus, Zhu Di was delighted and issued an edict to search for Zhang. He even appointed Hu Ying, a senior compiler of the Yongle Encyclopedia, to personally lead the search.

Hu Ying was a Jinshi (advanced scholar) during the Hongwu period and served as a senior editor in the Hanlin Academy. He was one of the main people responsible for compiling the Yongle Encyclopedia.

Zhu Di trusted him very much and ordered him to pause his encyclopedia work and travel around in search of Zhang Sanfeng.

Hu Ying led a group across mountains and rivers to Sichuan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Hubei, but returned without finding him.

In the Biography of Zhang Sanfeng in History of Ming, it is written:

“Chengzu sent an envoy to invite him. The envoy searched the famous mountains of Sichuan and Hubei and still could not find him. Those who saw Sanfeng said he was over 100 years old, with his appearance like that of a child. Sanfeng always said: ‘I thought the emperor was a Daoist too. But now I see he is merely a seeker of longevity.’ So he did not go.”

In other words, someone told Zhang Sanfeng:“The emperor issued a decree to summon you.”

But Zhang Sanfeng replied:“I originally thought he was a Daoist, but turns out he just wants to live longer, huh. Not going.”

So why was Zhang Sanfeng so famous?

It’s because Zhu Yuanzhang repeatedly summoned him,Zhu Di personally issued edicts to find him,and even paused compiling the national encyclopedia to send top civil officials on a nationwide search.

Think about it:If a president today personally wrote letters,and sent a national-level research team to find a person,and paused a national cultural project just to look for him,and couldn't find him for over ten years,wouldn't that person be famous?