King Huai of Chu

King Huai of Chu , personal name Xiong Huai, was from 328 BC to 299 BC the king of the Chu state.

King Huai succeeded his father, King Wei, who died in 329 BC. In 299 BC, King Huai was trapped and held hostage by King Zhao of Qin when he went to the Qin state for negotiation. King Huai's son, King Qingxiang, then ascended the Chu throne. King Huai managed to escape but was recaptured by Qin. Three years later, he died in captivity.

One of his grandsons was later reinstated as King of Chu as the Qin dynasty descended into chaos, under the regnal name "King Huai of Chu".

Culture Detail of shou jie (shipping transit pass) issued to Prince Qi. Gold inscriptions on bronze in the shape of bamboo, issued by King Huai of Chu to the subkingdom of E, in 323 BCE.

King Huai's historical fame is especially due to the poetry of Qu Yuan, and other early Classical Chinese poetry, as preserved in the Chu ci: particularly and seminally the poem "Li Sao" (sometimes translated as "Encountering Sorrow") is thought to reflect the political and personal relationships between Qu Yuan or the poet writing in his persona and King Huai. The main themes of "Li Sao" and the poems of the Sao genre include Qu Yuan's falling victim to intrigues in the court of Chu, his resulting exile, his desire to nevertheless remain pure and untainted by the corruption that was rife in the court, and his lamentations at the gradual decline of the once-powerful state of Chu. At the very end the poet, resigned, states his resolve to die, by drowning in the river.

In fiction and popular culture Portrayed by Peng Bo in The Qin Empire II: Alliance (2012). Portrayed by Cao Zheng in The Legend of Mi Yue (2015).