Liu Bowen [Photo/whzt.zjcnt.com]

Liu Ji, whose courtesy name was Bowen, was born in Wencheng county in Zhejiang province.

Liu was one of the most outstanding military strategists, statesmen and writers in Chinese history. He helped Zhu Yuanzhang, first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), unify the whole country.

The legends of Liu have a long history, and are especially popular in Liu's hometown -- Qingtian and Wencheng counties in southern Zhejiang. People created various folk tales relying on Liu's life experience.

The legends of Liu Bowen can be divided into four categories. The first shows the characteristics of a mountain culture in southern Zhejiang. The second expresses the people's distinct feelings and desires for fairness and justice with Liu as the embodiment of disinterested officials. Since Liu was a rare military and political genius in China's history, people created tales to praise his achievements. Thirdly, Liu Bowen was a wise man, skilled in astronomy and geography. The last category was to see Liu as a symbol of wisdom.

The legends of Liu Bowen were included in the second list of national representative intangible cultural heritages in 2008.

Puppet show of the legends of Liu Bowen [Photo/whzt.zjcnt.com]