Person

Emperor Wen of Sui

541–604 · 6th century · Also known as Yang Jian

Emperor Wen of Sui, born Yang Jian, was a Northern Zhou official who seized power and founded the Sui dynasty in 581. He conquered the southern Chen dynasty in 589, reuniting China after nearly three centuries of division. He built the new capital Daxing, reformed law and administration and began the Grand Canal works continued by his son Emperor Yang.

Emperor Wen of Sui
Image: Yan Li-pen · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 state histories

Western Liang (555-587)Northern ZhouSui Dynasty

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Emperor Wen of Sui. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wen-of-sui
MLA
“Emperor Wen of Sui.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wen-of-sui. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Emperor Wen of Sui.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wen-of-sui.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Emperor Wen of Sui’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wen-of-sui (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻