Person

Li Gao

351–417 · 4th century · Also known as Duke Wuzhao of Western Liang

Li Gao was a Chinese official of the Longxi Li family who governed Dunhuang under Northern Liang and in 400 declared himself duke, founding Western Liang, the westernmost of the Sixteen Kingdoms. He moved his capital to Jiuquan in 405 and kept Chinese learning alive on the far frontier. The Tang emperors later claimed him as their ancestor.

Li Gao
Image: 1917年修《安徽黟县鹤山李氏宗谱》 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Western Liang

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Li Gao. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/li-gao
MLA
“Li Gao.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/li-gao. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Li Gao.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/li-gao.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Li Gao’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/li-gao (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻