Li Zanhua
Sinicized Khitan prince and painter
Yelü Bei(耶律倍) (899–January 11, 937), also known as Yelü Tuyu(耶律突欲), was given the names Dongdan Muhua(东丹慕华) and Li Zanhua(李赞华) by the Later Tang. He belonged to the Khitan ethnicity and was a member of the Khitan (Liao) royal family during the Five Dynasties period, being the eldest son of Liao's founder, Yelü Abaoji(耶律阿保机). He was made crown prince early in life and, after the fall of the Balhae Kingdom, was honored with the title 'King of Human Sovereignty' and granted the title King of Dongdan. After his death, he was posthumously honored as Emperor Rangguo and the Revered and Righteous Emperor of Literature, with the temple name Yizong, and was buried at Xianling on Yiwulü Mountain. In 916, after Yelü Abaoji declared himself emperor, Yelü Bei was made crown prince. He later participated in campaigns against the Ugu tribe and the administration of Yan territory, expanding Khitan lands. In 926, he followed Abaoji to conquer the Balhae Kingdom and governed Dongdan; in the same year, Abaoji fell ill and died. His mother, Shulu Ping, wanted to have the second son Yelü Deguang succeed, so Yelü Bei reluctantly abdicated. He was then kept under the supervision of Deguang until 930, when he crossed the sea to seek refuge with the Later Tang, where he was granted the surname Dongdan and named Muhua, later changed to Li Zanhua, and was appointed a military governor. In 936, during the Later Tang turmoil, the last emperor Li Congke sent people to kill him before he self-immolated. Yelü Bei was 38 years old at the time. Yelü Bei was one of the most sinicized members of the early Liao royal family. He once suggested to Abaoji to place Confucius at the top position in sacrifices and promoted the introduction of Confucian culture among the Khitan. He built the Wanghai Hall on Yiwulü Mountain to house ten thousand volumes, including many rare texts that were scarce in central China, contributing to the preservation of ancient cultural heritage. He was skilled in yin-yang, music, medicine, and was fluent in both Khitan and Chinese. His paintings of horses and riders were praised by Song dynasty critics as 'strong in structure and lively, neither bad nor weak.' The Northern Song's 'Xuanhe Huapu' records 15 of his paintings. His poem 'Poems on the Sea' is one of the few complete early Liao poems that has survived. Only one of his poems, 'Poems on the Sea,' survives today. Known paintings include 'Riding and Archery,' 'Deer Hunting,' and 'The King of Dongdan on a Journey,' with some works preserved at institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the National Palace Museum in Taipei. His father was Emperor Taizu of Liao, Yelü Abaoji, and his mother was Empress Shunqin, Shulu Ping. His second brother was Emperor Taizong of Liao, Yelü Deguang, and his third brother was Yelü Lihu. He had five sons and one daughter; his eldest son was Emperor Shizong of Liao, Yelü Ruan, and his daughter Yelü Aboli married Xiao Han. The 'History of Liao' notes that Yelü Bei's abdication was extremely rare at the early stage of the dynasty. Although he died far from home, most of the wise rulers in the later Liao dynasty were his descendants. His admiration for Chinese culture also laid the foundation for the sinicization of Liao institutions in later periods.