Zhuge Liang (Kong Ming):
The Original "Hidden Dragon"

In 1984, the Chengdu Wuhou Temple Museum was founded as a historical research center to collect the materials about Zhuge Liang and the Three Kingdoms. Here a budding scholar can find many tablets containing quotations, poems, and accounts of the life of Zhuge Liang.

The following is a poem from Du Fu, the great poet of the Tang Dynasty, praising Zhuge Liang:

His Excellency's shrine, where would it be found?
Past Damask Town, where cypresses grow dense.
Its sunlit court, gem-bright greens—a spring unto themselves.
Leaf-veiled, the orioles' sweet notes to empty air.
Thrice to him Liu Bei sued, keen to rule the realm:
Two reigns Kong Ming served—steady old heart
To die, his host afield, the victory herald yet to come
Weep, oh heroes! Drench your fronts, now and evermore.
--translated by Moss Roberts

Yet another Du Fu poem eulogizes Zhuge:

Zhuge's mighty name hangs proudly on the upper sphere;
Stern and grand, the royal liege man's likeness claims respect.
In the tri-part world below he spun deep schemes.
In the age-old realm of cloud, one single plume unites our gaze.
Who rank his peers? Yi Yin and Jiang Ziya;
In command he was more sure than Xiao or Cao.
But the stars had turned; he could not save Han's reign,
Toiling to the end, body broken, will unbroken.
--translated by Moss Roberts

With so many accolades, Zhuge Liang was made a Confucian saint by the government of the Ching Dynasty in 1724.

Zhuge Liang's Writings

A translation of Zhuge Liang's The Way of General can be found in the Thomas Cleary book Mastering the Art of War. This book clearly delineated Zhuge Liang's thoughts on strategy, organization, and leadership. Some of the topics range from how to successfully develop an organization to running a state. Cleary's book also includes Liu Ji's (another famous Chinese statesman-general) serious commentary on the original framework of Sun Tzu principles, then extends the parameters. His explanations include stories from various historical periods, showing how they were wisely used by ancient martial strategists. Basically this book is an in-depth study of The Art of War, detailing the practical applications of waging war both materially and mentally, with a focus toward leadership and strategic thinking.

Those readers who enjoy books on strategy, organization, and leadership, will find that Zhuge Liang did a superb job of explaining Sun Tzu's military principles and that it is a good extension to Sun Tzu's Art of War.

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