Huizong, << hway dzoong >> (reigned A.D. 1101-1126), also spelled Hui-tsung, the last major emperor of the Northern Song dynasty of China, was the greatest imperial patron of art. He was a fine calligrapher and probably the most accomplished painter of all the Chinese emperors, specializing in colorful, realistic birds and flowers. Huizong tried to keep court art at a high level of quality by supervising the training at the Imperial Academy. His art interests made him an ineffective ruler, however, and he was overthrown and captured by nomadic invaders. He died in captivity.
