I am indebted to Thomas Chan who first drew my attention to these characters in April-May 2000. He provided me with sources and scans.

In the XinTangShu (New Tang Chronicles 新唐書,Vol. 76 卷七十六,Chronicle of Empresses 后妃傳,Empress Zetian 則天武后傳 ), the following is recorded about specific characters either created by her or used during her reign. The numbers represent Chinese characters (some of which are found in computer encodings).

載初中,又享萬象神宮,以太穆,文徳二皇后配皇地祇,引周忠孝太后從配.作 , ¹ , ² , ³ , ⁴ , ⁵ , ⁶ , ⁷ , ⁸ , ⁹ , ¹⁰ , ¹¹ , ¹², 十又二文.太后自名曌.改詔書為制書.

In other sources, the character form can differ, giving rise to multiple variants. For example, the second Zetian character entry ^{see 2 above} of tian1 (heaven/sky) in Hanyu Dacidian gives

The characters in the quote above is recreated below. The phrase reads "Jun Chen Jia Tian Di", 'Rulers and ministers must be good to heaven and earth'.

君	臣	佳	天	地

Character 7 in XinTangShu represents the jun (ruler) character, note that it is different from that given above.

The total number of characters she created is unsure. XinTangShu says there are twelve, however, in another quote on the Zetian Wenzi for 生, it mentions nineteen.

同"生".唐武則天所造字.《宣和書譜》卷一:"(武氏)增減前人筆劃,自我作古,為十九字,曰:天,地,.....,生.

#	則天文字 Empress Wu's Characters	正字 Actual Character	Comment
1	a b c d e f g	照	1a :[新唐書] 太后自名曌.改詔書為制書. [New TangShu] Empress' own name 曌. Alters 詔書 to be 制書. 1b :[唐書武后紀] 名曌與照同 [TangShu Chronicles of Empresses] The name "曌" and "照" are the same (KX 1484) 1c : [字彙] 同照. 按正字通唐武后自制十九字以瞾為名與照音義同从明非从二目也後譌為曌字彙改作瞾字彙補又作 (#1f) 竝非 [Zi Hui] The same as zhao4 照. From ZhengZiTong 正字通 Tang Empress Wu invented nineteen character of which 瞾 was for her name 名 and was to be the same as 照 in both pronunciation and meaning. It is not derived from 明 but rather from two 目 characters. Later it was wrongly written 曌, ZiHui corrects it to 瞾, however ZiHuiBu (字彙補) also writes (#1f) and is also wrong. (KX 747) The following are interesting variants are not Zetian characters by Empress Wu, but show how various elements may have influenced the variants in 1abc where 同照 means the same as 照 1d :[龍龕] 同照 (KX 1537) 1e :[龍龕] 同照 (KX 1528) 1f :[龍龕] 同照 (KX 1537) 1g :[川篇] 同照 (KX 1528)
2	a b c d	天	2a: [字彙補] 同天武后製. (KX 52) [ZiHuiBu] Same as 天, created by Empress Wu 2b: [新唐書] 同天唐武則天所造字. [New TangShu] same as 天 Tang Wu Zetian created this character. 2c: [漢語大辭典] The following are not Zetian Characters 2d: [玉篇] 古文天字 (KX6)
3		地	3: [玉篇] 古地字註詳三畫 [前漢趙充國傳] 令不得歸肥饒之埊O按類篇謂唐武后作埊非 [YuPian] Ancient 地 character, see three strokes. [Former Han - Chronicles of Zhao TongGup] 令不得歸肥饒之埊 In LeiPian (類篇) it attributes Tang Empress Wu as creating 埊, but is wrong. (KX 157)
4	a b	日	4a: [集韻] 入質切同日[說文] 實也太陽之精不虧從囗一象形唐武后作[*4] [JiYun] fanqie spelling "入質切" the same as 日 [ShuoWen JieZi] 實也太陽之精不虧從囗一象形 Tang Empress Wu created [*4a] (KX 144) 4b: [新唐書]
5	a b	月	5a. 又[集韻] 魚厥切音刖與月同武后所作 Aslo {Jiyun} Fanqie spelling 魚厥 with same reading as 刖, and is the same as 月, created by Empress Wu (KX 144) 5b. [字彙補] 與月同武則天製見大周泰山碑 [ZiHuiBu] The same as 月. Wu Zetian creation. See DaZhou TaiShanBei (大周泰山碑 Great Zhou Mount Tai Stele) (KX83)
6		星	6: The ancient character for 'star' is sometimes represented by three circles ○ in a triangular formation, in other variant characters which becomes 品 over 生 in Kangxi, three 'sun' characters 晶 atop 生 character to form 曐. Shuowen Jiezi 說文解字 entry for 曐 states: 萬物之精.上為列星.从晶,生聲.一曰象形,从○. Essense of all things.The above entry is star 星. From 晶 with 生 phonetic. One viewpoint is that it is a pictograph, from ○. According to http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA000964/html/zero.htm (March 2000), the site states : さらに「則天文字」の「星」という文字があります。字形は「○」です。 「○」は689年に公布された文字です。 Sotsuten Moji「星」 character。The character is a ring 「○」。 「○」was used from 689 AD as a character form。
7	a b c d e	君	7a: [新唐書] 7b: ［漢語大辭典］　See entry for 2c 7c: [字彙補] 唐武后所製君字 [ZiHuiBu] Tang Empress creation for 君 (jun1 ruler) character {KX 117} The following are not Zetian Characters 7d: [集韻] 君古作 7d [JiYun] 君 was written as 7d in olden times. (KX 117) 7e: [字彙補] 古文君字 [ZiHuiBu] Ancient form of 君 character. (KX 117)
8		臣	8: [字彙補] 古文臣字註詳部首 [ZiHuiBu] Ancient 臣 character assigned tothis bushou (radical 生). (KX 311)
9		除	9: The character given here appears in XinTangShu [新唐書] but it doesn't appear in [唐書] . See quote above.
10	a b c	載	10a : [字彙補] 武則天所製載字 [ZiHuiBu] Wu Zetian created 載 character (KX 1478) Notice that 10a looks quite like the previous character 9 above, but this cannot be found in the KangXi Dictionary. 10b: [新唐書 卷七十六 后妃傳 則天武后傳] 載初中,又享萬象神宮,以太穆,文徳二皇后配皇地祇,引周忠孝太后從配.作曌,...{10b}...,十又二文.太后自名曌.改詔書為制書. The following is not attributed to Empress Wu. 10c: [龍龕] 同載 {KX 1519}
11	a b c	年	11a : 與年同武則天製見大周泰山碑 [唐書] 作(*11b) The same as 年. Wu Zetian creation. See DaZhou TaishanBei (大周泰山碑 Great Zhou Mount Tai Stele) [TangShu] written as (*11b) (KX 85) 11b : see 11a 11c : [新唐書] (see quote above)
12	a b	正	12a: [字彙補] 武后所製正字. [ZiHuiBu] Empress Wu creation for 正 character. (KX 63) 12b: [新唐書] (see quote above)
13		人	13: [字彙補] 與人同唐武后製 [ZiHuiBu] The same as 人. Created by Tang Empress Wu. (KX 683)
14		幼	14: [字彙補] 與幼同武則天製 [ZiHuiBu] The same as 幼 created by Wu ZeTian. (KX 1482)
15	a b c	初	15a: [字彙補] 武則天所製初字 [ZiHuiBu] Wu ZeTian character created for 初. (KX 1477) The following are not Zetian Characters 15b: [五音集韻] 同初 [WuYin ZiYun] The same as 初 (KX 254) 15c: [WuYin ZiYun] Ancient form of 初 character see 刀 radical, five strokes (KX 12541) [康熙字典] 初古文 [KangXi Dictionary] 初 ancient form (KX 65)
16	a b	國	16a: [玉篇] 古文國字註詳八畫唐武后所作[正字通] 武后時有言國中或者惑也請以武鎮之又有言武在囗中與困何異復改為圀 [YuPian] Ancient form of 國 character see 8 strokes. Tang Empress Wu creation. [ZhengZiTong] Empress Wu era speaks of 或 inside 國 as 惑. 請以武鎮之 also it is said that 武 inside 囗 with 困 (original meaning: hemmed in) no difference, and later changed to圀. (KX 146) 16b: 圀 古字. 囗部五画(ニ〇八　ページ)を見よ。 「解字」 唐の則天武后が國の中に或 「惑˙まだい」 があるのをきらい、{16b} に改め、さらに圀に変えて 国家の理嘗想をこめとした。
17		生	17: [宣和書譜] 唐武后生改作(*17) [XuanHe ShuPu] Tang Empress changed 生 to be written as (*17) (KX 81)
18		應	18: [字彙補] 同應 唐武后製見大周泰山碑 [ZiHuiBu] The same as 應. Created by Empress Wu, see DaZhou TaiShan Bei (大周泰山碑 Great Zhou Mount Tai Stele). (KX 89)
19	a b c d e f g h	聖	19a: [字彙補] 武則天所製聖字見[太周泰山碑] 又[後山叢談] 作{18b}[集韻] 作{18c}誤也 [ZiHuiBu] Wu Zetian created character for 聖. See DaZhou TaiShanBei [太周泰山碑 Great Zhou Mount Tai Stele] also [HouShan CongTan 後山叢談] written as{18b}[JiYun] written as {18c} which is incorrect. (KX 1257) 18b: see 19a 18c: see 19a The following are not attributed to Empress Wu, 與聖同 or 同聖 means "the same as 聖". 19d: [龍龕] 與聖同 {KX 1550} 19e: [字彙補] 同聖 {KX 1550} 19f: [字彙補] 與聖同 {KX 1534} 19g: 19h:
20		*	20: 唐武宗製{*20,*21}二字以試王起音義俱闕. Tang Wu Clan (Empress Wu) created {*20,*21} two characters to test Wang Qi (王起). Sound and meaning are both unknown. (KX 1521)
21		*	21: 唐武宗製音義闕 Tang Wu Clan (Empress Wu) creation. Sound and meaning unknown. (KX 1513)
#A	寶	璽	#A: 武后改諸璽皆為寶. Empress Wu altered all 璽 (seals or chops) to be known as 寶.{KX 672} It is said that during her time, the character 璽 sounded similar to 死 (to die), and she decided that all seals would henceforth be called 寶 (precious).
#B	制	詔	#B: [新唐書] 太后自名曌.改詔書為制書. [XinTangShu] Empress own name 曌. Changed 詔書 to be 制書. 曌 (照) was homophonous with 詔 (廣韻), therefore she changed 詔書 to become 制書 instead.
#C	1 2	證	#C1 : [六書略] 唐武后改證字作 (#C1) [LiuShuLue] Tang Empress Wu changed 證 character to be written as (#C1) (KX 1253) #C2 : 證 [集韻] 唐武后作 (#C2) 證 [JiYun] Tang Empress Wu wrote (#C2) (for this character) (KX 1108)
#D	1 2	授	#D1: [集韻] 承呪切音授付也 又姓出[姓苑] [字彙] 唐武后改授作 #D [JiYun] fanqie spelling 承呪切 prounced as 授, to mean "付" confer/give to/hand over. Also surname as found in [XingYan 姓苑] [ZiHui] Tang Empress Wu changes 授 to be written as #D(KX 788) #D2: 授 [集韻] 或作 (#D1) 唐武后改授作 #D2 授 [JiYun] or written as (#D1) Tang Empress Wu changes 授 to be written as #D2. (KX 364)

Above, there are two characters which have no pronunciation or meaning created by Empress Wu to test the scholar Wang Qi 王起, (see #20 and #21). Wang Qi is known to have also failed to recognise other characters, as other entries in Kangxi Dictionary states. The following are two which can be found in the Kangxi Dictionary, please note that they are not Zetian Characters.

During Empress Wu's reign, she decreed that certain characters must be used instead of the usual ones. This may be that the character sounds too much like one or more personal names, or that they sound like taboo words. In the case of "imperial seal" 璽, she decreed the use of "precious" 寶 instead. This is by no means setting a precedent, since rulers before her had already used 寶 instead of 璽. Similarly, other characters were substituted, such as 詔, 證, and 授.

The Kangxi Dictionary entry for the character 瞾 refers to a former character dictionary called ZhengZiTong 正字通 says that the Tang Empress created nineteen characters, we have found nineteen 照, 天, 地, 日, 月, 星, 君, 臣, 除, 載, 年, 正, 人, 幼, 初, 國, 生, 應, and 聖. Of these 月, 年, 應, 聖 are characters found on the Great Zhou Mount Tai Stele (大周泰山碑). A character attributed to Empress Wu 埊 is found not to be one of her creations, but is in fact an ancient character. Another ancient character 圀 was adopted during her reign. One character which cannot be found in Kangxi Dictionary is ○, which was for 星. Amongst other character which aren't her creations or attributed to her as her creations are 璽, 詔, 證, and 授 which are subtituted by other characters.

Most of the characters can be seen to have more than one variant, probably due to minor scribal errors.

Sources

KX : KangXi Dictionary 康熙字典 中華書局 (1997) ISBN 962 231 0060
XTS : XinTangShu 新唐書

© Dylan W.H. Sung 2004

This page was created on Sunday 30th May 2004
and recently updated on Wednesday 5th April 2006