Emperor Yuanhong of the Northern Wei Dynasty: Xiongcai moved the capital to Luoyang to the Han system

Emperor Yuanhong of the Northern Wei Dynasty (467-499 AD), originally surnamed Tuoba, later changed his surname to Yuan, and was named Hong, Xianbei. He was a brilliant politician in Chinese history who vigorously promoted Sinicization reforms during his reign.

In June of the third year of the Reign of the Northern Wei Dynasty (469 CE), Tuoba Hong, who was less than two years old, was made crown prince. He was raised by his grandmother Empress Feng since childhood and was deeply influenced by Han culture. In August of the fifth year of Emperor Xing's reign (471 CE), he succeeded to the throne at the age of 5 and was ruled by Empress Feng. In September of the fourteenth year of Taihe (490 AD), Empress Feng died, and Emperor Xiaowen began to pro-government.

In the seventeenth year of Taihe (493 AD), Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang. Subsequently, Emperor Xiaowen increased the intensity of Sinicization reforms. The first is to start with the custom of dressing and talking. In December of the eighteenth year of Taihe (494 AD), Emperor Xiaowen issued an edict prohibiting xianbei people from wearing hufu and changing them to Hanfu. In June of the following year, he banned the use of xianbei dialect and changed to Chinese. In terms of specific implementation, he considered the age factor and stipulated that those over the age of 30 could not be forced for the time being, and those under the age of 30 must speak Chinese in the dprk, otherwise they would be demoted and dismissed. At the same time, he also stipulated that all Xianbei people who moved to Luoyang should take Luoyang, Henan as their original hometown, and all would be buried in Luoyang after death, and they would not be allowed to return to the north; Change the Xianbei Fu surname to a single surname, such as the imperial Tuoba clan to the Yuan surname, the Dugu clan to the Liu clan, etc.; The Xianbei people wanted to intermarry with the Han people, and he himself took a han woman with a big surname to fill the harem, and then married the Han woman as a wife for his 5 younger brothers, and married his own daughter to the Han people.

In addition, Emperor Xiaowen also reformed the official system and the laws of etiquette, and obeyed the Han system. He attached great importance to Han culture and education, and in August of the nineteenth year of Taihe (495 AD), he decreed the establishment of Guozi Xue, Tai Xue, Si Xue and court schools in Luoyang to cultivate talents for the country.

Through a series of Sinicization reforms, the Northern Wei Dynasty made a relatively rapid transition from slavery to feudalism. As the Sinicization reform expanded the basis of its rule, the social system, economy, and culture have all developed relatively rapidly.

Emperor Xiaowen's reforms were not all smooth sailing. The resistance came first and foremost from the prince. In August of the 20th year of Taihe (496 CE), Emperor Xiaowen made an inspection of Mount Song, and Crown Prince Gong conspired with his cronies to flee back to Pingcheng. When Emperor Xiaowen learned of this, he immediately returned to Luoyang, reprimanded him, reprimanded him, imprisoned him, and then put him to death. In the winter of the same year, the Xianbei nobleman Mu Tai and Lu Rui colluded with the general Yuan Siyu of Zhenbei to launch a coup d'état in Pingcheng. Emperor Xiaowen decisively sent Yuan Cheng, the king of Rencheng, to lead an army to quell the rebellion. These actions dealt a heavy blow to the conservative forces of the Xianbei aristocracy and ensured the smooth progress of the Sinicization reform.

In April of the 23rd year of Taihe (499 AD), Emperor Xiaowen, who was only 33 years old, died of illness during the Southern Expedition due to overwork. Later, he was buried on the North Mountain of Luoyang, known as Changling.

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