Liu Bowen
Formulated the 'Three Strategies of Liu Bowen' for Zhu Yuanzhang, a military-political doctrine that secured the founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368.
1311–1375 (age 64)·Chinese philosopher and politician·Birthday: July 1
Biography
Liu Bowen presented Zhu Yuanzhang, the rebel leader, with a systematic plan to unify China in 1360. His 'Three Strategies' advised securing a base area, eliminating rival warlords sequentially, and only then assaulting the Mongol Yuan capital. Zhu followed this counsel, declaring himself the Hongwu Emperor and founding the Ming Dynasty in 1368. Liu, a scholar from Qingtian County who passed the imperial examinations in 1333, served as the emperor's chief strategist and president of the Censorate. He co-designed the Ming legal code and helped establish the 'Weisuo' military garrison system that stabilized the empire for 200 years. After his death in 1375, popular legends attributed prophetic powers to him, compiling texts like the 'Shaobing Song' under his name. Historical records, primarily the 'Ming Shi', document his role in institutional design rather than mysticism. Liu Bowen's lasting impact was architectural: he helped transform a peasant rebellion into a bureaucratic state, embedding strategic foresight into the administrative foundations of one of China's most enduring dynasties.
#1 When Liu Was Born
The biggest hits of 1311
Liu's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1311Born
1316Started school
1324Became a teenager
1327Could drive
1329Could vote
1332Turned 21
1341Turned 30
1351Turned 40
1361Turned 50
1371Turned 60
1375Died at 64
Key Achievements
- Appointed President of the Censorate (Yushi Zhongcheng) by the Hongwu Emperor, helping draft the Ming legal code.
- Co-architect of the 'Weisuo' military system that organized Ming frontier defense.
- Authored several military treatises, including 'One Hundred War Formulas' and 'Eighteen Strategies'.
Did You Know?
A folk legend claims he predicted the rise of the Ming Dynasty using a song about a baked wheat cake ('Shaobing Song').
His hometown of Qingtian in Zhejiang province maintains a museum and ancestral hall dedicated to him.
He is often depicted in folklore as a rival to the Taoist mystic Zhang Zhongjing.
“When the empire is united, a wise man should hide; when the empire is divided, a wise man should appear.”
