# Empress Lü

_Empress Regent of the Han dynasty (241–180 BC)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/empress-lu
Last updated: 2026-11-10

> Lü Zhi, courtesy name Exu (娥姁), and commonly known as Empress Lü and formally Empress Gao of Han, was the empress consort of Gaozu, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty. They had two known children, Liu Ying and Princess Yuan of Lu. Lü was the first woman to assume the title of "empress of China" and paramount power. After Gaozu's death, she was honored as empress dowager and ruled as regent during the short reigns of Emperor Hui and his successors Emperor Qianshao and Emperor Houshao.

## Quick facts

- **Place of birth:** Shan County ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q298039#P19))
- **Place of death:** Han dynasty ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q298039#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Han dynasty ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q298039#P27))
- **Occupation:** ruler ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q298039#P106))
- **Spouse:** Emperor Gaozu of Han ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q298039#P26))
- **Positions held:** empress consort; empress Dowager; regent ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q298039#P39))

## Questions

**What positions has Empress Lü held?**  
Positions held by Empress Lü include: empress consort; empress Dowager; regent.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Empress Lü](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_L%C3%BC) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q298039](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q298039) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: WUL-he21 01467 新鐫繪像東西漢全傳 01 (呂后).jpg by 鍾 惺, 1574-1624 (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WUL-he21_01467_%E6%96%B0%E9%90%AB%E7%B9%AA%E5%83%8F%E6%9D%B1%E8%A5%BF%E6%BC%A2%E5%85%A8%E5%82%B3_01_(%E5%91%82%E5%90%8E).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Empress Lü, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: WUL-he21 01467 新鐫繪像東西漢全傳 01 (呂后).jpg — 鍾 惺, 1574-1624, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Empress Lü". DigiNepal. Last updated 10 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/empress-lu. Retrieved 12 November 2026.