Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin (927-97611October), the founder of the Northern Song Dynasty in China, was born in Zhuozhou (now Hebei), and his temple name was Taizu. Born in a military family, Gao Zu Zhao Yi, grandfather, second son Zhao. In 948, Guo Wei, the envoy of the Tang Dynasty, made great contributions. In 19951year, Guo Wei proclaimed himself emperor. After the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin was appointed as an imperial envoy, and Zhou Shizong was inspected from the official to the front of the temple. After Zhou Shizong's death, Zhou Shizong acceded to the throne. In the first year of Stegosaurus (960), in the name of "pacifying the two countries", he lied that Qidan joined the Northern Han Dynasty to invade the south on a large scale, led troops to war, launched a mutiny in Chen Qiao, proclaimed himself emperor on behalf of Zhou Dynasty, established the Song Dynasty, and made Kaifeng its capital.

After Zhao Kuangyin proclaimed himself emperor, he successively conquered the separatist regimes of Houshu, Nanhan and Nantang.

During Zhao Kuangyin's reign, he learned the lesson that the eunuch's autocracy and separatist regime in Tang Dynasty led to his demise, and cut off the power of the military attache, so as to emphasize literature over martial arts and strengthen centralization, so that the problem of eunuch's autocracy and separatist regime did not exist in Song Dynasty. Song Taizu vigorously promoted Confucianism and increased the number of imperial examinations. Compared with other dynasties, the society in Song Dynasty was more stable and fair, and literature, philosophy, art, science and technology and education were more developed. However, the result of emphasizing literature over martial arts also led to the lack of military strength in the Song Dynasty, and most foreign wars ended in failure.

In the ninth year of Kaibao (976), Zhao Kuangyin was on the way to the northern expedition to Qidan, drinking with his brother Zhao Guangyi and staying in the palace. The next morning, 49-year-old Zhao Kuangyin died suddenly. In July the following year, he was buried in Yongchang Mausoleum.