On the subject of Ming Dynasty founder, Zhu Yuanzhang , and the 'Hong Quan - Red Fist ’ and the meaning of ‘Hong’ in 'Hong Quan - Vast Fist '.
This is a complex story but I hope this can give a bit of context to this discussion. The origin of the of the character ‘red’ in the northern Hong Quan (Fist) needs to be placed in context of sectarian rebels (Red Turban Army - Hong Jin Jun; Chin.: ) during the late Yuan (1279-1368) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). However the symbolism of ‘Red’ comes from the much earlier Han Dynasty (206 BC 220). The name “Hong jin jun,” (Red Turban army) was also used during the Jurchen conquests in 1127 during the fall of the northern Song.
The ancient Han Dynasty is commonly considered by Chinese to be one of the greatest periods their history. At one point during the Han Dynasty, Wang Mang, a “usurper” seized the throne. The Han dynasty was restored with the help of a grass roots group calling itself the Red Eyebrows, “Hong Chi Mei”. This event became legendary, and the symbolic reason for the use of “red” by subsequent groups fighting against ‘alien’ rule.
The intentions of the 12 century rebellious military leaders of the northern Red Turban (Hong Jin - ) in the mid Yuan Dynasty (1300’s) movement was "restoring of the “Song” dynasty - which was part of their ideology. They were instrumental in spreading both Hong Quan and its connection to Zhao Kuangyin , (Emperor Taizu- the founder of the Song Dynasty). During this last half of the Yuan Dynasty, there was an militarization of the Chinese population that has few precedents. The center of this militarization was Red Turban sectarian rebels who championed a restoration of the Song Dynasty. During the first part of his career Zhu Yuanzhang the future founder of the Ming Dynasty was a rising leader of the rebels who at first supported this idea for political and ideological reasons. The massive scale and significance of these movements seems to be escaping most of the forum discussion. You can say that Hong Quan is really a range of related styles connected to the rebellious military, polarized by Zhu Yuanzhang, and Red Turban commanders. This why most, if not all of the northern Hong Quan (Red Fist-) styles give Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty credit for Hong Quan styles. Throughout these struggles, Shaolin used the characters for Hong Quan (at least the tradition I practice) and it also attributes its invention to Zhao Kuangyin of the Song dynasty (more on that later). During the later part of the Yuan dynasty 1348 AD to 1353 AD, many groups organized throughout the country for the sole purpose of fostering rebellion against the alien Yuan.
There were two independent groups of Hong insurgents; the northern Hong headed by Zhao Kuangyin and the southern (or western) branch headed by Chen Youliang. Both Red Turban (Hong Jin Jun - ), helped militarize the population against the Yuan Dynasty. Their styles of Hong Qaan thus spread widelyand diversely in the northern China plain as well as in the south. Zhu Yuanzhang eventually inherited the leadership of all the northern Red Turbans, and then after defeating Chen Youliang (the southern leader of the Hong), Zhu Yangzhang relocated himself in lower Yangzi region for strategic reasons. Once he gained control, he slowly disassociated himself from the Red Turbans and the Song dynasty. This helps to account for why northern Hong (Red) Quan still maintains the Zhao Kuangyin / Song connection but the south generally does not.
The scale of this militarization was massive and wide spread, which why it is not possible to give any one person credit for any Hong system, let alone a particular set. Hong Quan (both northern and southern) also spread greatly during the middle and late part of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) as part of the Taiping Rebellion. This was during the time of Hong Xiuquan (Chin.: ; a Hakka Chinese who led the Taiping Rebellion..
Han military insurgents practiced Hong Quan in preparations for uprising against the Manchu occupation during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The red color symbolized the Han revolutionaries against the Manchu, as it had centuries before in the late Song period, as well as in the late Yuan period.
Oral and recorded legend gives Zhao Kuangyin (960-976 ), the first Song Emperor (posthumous temple name -Taizu) original credit for creating Hong Quan. Zhao came from a military family in Luoyang, (not far from Shaolin Si). Here is what is passed on concerning development of Hong Quan by Huang Baoshan to one of his students in 1993. Huang Baoshan was a very knowledgeable Hong Quan practitioner from the town of Tianshui, Gansu province. Huang and his older generations, believed that the major systematization of the contemporary versions of northern Hong probably happened during the Qing Dynasty (1368-1911) in the provinces of Shandong and Shaanxi and was spread by teachers connected with the military. As per my post concerning Huang Baoshan - (1905-1998); his teachers; Sun Yanbiao (1884-1981); Sun Yanbiao’s teacher - General Shao Yinhuan (1862-1930); General Gao Zhankui (one of the three important generals to spread Hong Quan in Shaanxi during the mid and late 1800’s) all attributed Hong to Zhao Kuangyin of the Song dynasty. Note that unlike Shaolin these northern Hong Quan traditions use the character - red in Hong Quan. In the tradition of Shaolin that I practice the character hong ‘vast’ is used (some people translate this as ‘flood’ but the term is used to mean - expansive/vast) instead of , ‘red’. Why?
It is not because Shaolin Hong Quan was unrelated in either technique or history to other northern Hong Quan styles. Shaolin also attributes Hong Quan to Hong to Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty and technically it is similar to other northern Hong Quan systems. The use of ‘vast’ instead of ‘red’ had more to do with politics.
During this rebellious period the Yuan government was well aware of the “Hong” army and the meaning of Hong/red . The Qing government as well as the Buddhist administrators were also very much aware of the involvement of some Buddhists groups who were spreading this sectarian rebellion under the name of "Hong ". For this reason Shaolin Si, being an Imperial monastery, had to distance itself from the Red Turbans by avoiding the term. Keep in mind as well, the Red Turban armies had also relied on pillaging to support their forces. At one point even Shaolin monks had to fight off Red Turban looters.
In summary Zhu Yuanzhang , the founder of the Ming Dynasty, began his careers as a Red Turban leader, and in the end was its only leader. However his scholar advisers recommended he distance himself from this movement. In fact eventually even to mention that Zhu Yuanzhang had been a Red Turban leader became taboo. However because many of his officers and soldiers and people still were believes in the Red Turban ideology. Zhu Yuanzhang adopted the rein name of Hongwu . Hongwu, means “Vast Military,” which references the massive army of the people that put him into power (Also see note below). It also sounded like Hong ‘red’, giving it a positive ring to the old guard. The use of "vast’ and not ‘red’ for Hong Quan by Shaolin in its two sets; Xiao and Da Hong Quan and , suggests to me that that these sets were absorbed there (or possibly renamed), sometime during the mid or late Yuan Dynasty.
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There is also a subtle reference to ‘red’ in the word 'ming as used in ‘Ming Dynasty’. Ming is a split character made of sun and moon . The sun is always represented by red in China.