Cao Cao (155–220) was a warlord who rose to power towards the final years of the Eastern Han dynasty and became the de facto head of government in China. He laid the foundation for what was to become the state of Cao Wei (220–265), founded by his son and successor Cao Pi, in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280). Poetry, among other things, was one of his cultural legacies.
A Ming dynasty portrait of Cao Cao from the Sancai Tuhui.
Cao Cao citing the Short Song Style while facing the rising moon at Mount Nanping. From Yoshitoshi's One Hundred Aspects of the Moon series of ukiyo-e woodblock prints
Cao Cao, courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty, ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation for what was to become the state of Cao Wei (220–265), established by his son and successor Cao Pi, who ended the Eastern Han dynasty and inaugurated the Three Kingdoms period (220–280). Beginning in his own lifetime, a corpus of legends developed around Cao Cao which built upon his talent, his cruelty, and his perceived eccentricities.
A Ming dynasty illustration of Cao Cao in the Sancai Tuhui.
A mural showing chariots and cavalry, from the Dahuting Tomb of the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 CE), located in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China
Statue of Cao Cao in Wuhan
Fresco of a tomb in Luoyang dated to the Cao Wei period (220–266 AD), showing seated men wearing hanfu silk robes
