Liu Bingzhong

Liu Bingzhong (Chinese: 劉秉忠, 1216-1274), or Liu Kan (Chinese: 劉侃), was born in Rui Prefecture, Jin Dynasty. In 1233, he entered the Jin's bureaucracy. He still was an officer after the Mongols replaced the Jin, but later he became a monk. However his teacher thought that his talent should not be buried, so he recommended Liu Bingzhong to Kublai Khan, to become his adviser. During this period, he was extolled as the Five Talented in Xintai.

Liu Bingzhong and Yao Shu made a plan "to canvass all talented to give well-governorship suggestions". Many Confucianists, such as Xu Heng, Wang Xun, Zhang Yi, were attracted to provide ruse to Kublai Khan, who later became the founder of the Yuan Dynasty.

After the Battle of Fishing Town, Möngke Khan died and Kublai Khan succeeded his post. Liu Bingzhong suggested to name the new dynasty as "Yuan" (Chinese: 元) with reference to The Changes, which was adopted by Kublai Khan in 1271. He also suggested Kublai Khan to adopt the Chinese law, and removed some Mongolian misgovernment.

Kublai Khan recognized Jin's Central Capital as the Capital of the Yuan, and renamed it to Dadu (Chinese: 大都, "The Great Capital"). Liu Bingzhong was appointed as the supervisor of the Capital Construction of Dadu. He also formulated the Time Service Calendar with Guo Shoujing. When he became the teacher of Zhenjin, who later became the Crown Prince (Chinese: 皇太子), he set up the Zishan College in Wuon Mountain to teach Confucianism and Natural Science.

In 1274, he died in Nanbing Mountain Villa.

Literary Work

*"Spring Corpus"
*"Spring Poetry Anthology"
*"Peotry Anthology"
*"Corpus"
*"Pingsha Jade Ruler"
*"Jade Ruler and New Mirror"