Emperor Wen of Sui (隋文帝; 21 July 541 – 13 August 604), personal name
Yang Jian (楊堅),
Xianbei name
Puliuru Jian (普六茹堅), nickname
Naluoyan (那羅延), was the founder and first
emperor of
China's
Sui Dynasty (581–618 AD). He was a hard-working administrator and a
micromanager. As a
Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state. He is regarded as one of the most important emperors in Chinese history, reunifying China in 589 after centuries of division since the fall of
Western Jin Dynasty in 316. During his reign began the construction of the
Grand Canal.