Emperor Xizong of Tang
Wang Yanqiu was born either in 869 or 873, during the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang. He was from the Tang eastern capital Luoyang — although the "History of the Five Dynasties" expressed some skepticism, indicating that the Luoyang origin was "self-claimed," while the "New History of the Five Dynasties" did not express such skepticism. In his youth, much of the Luoyang region was overrun by agrarian rebellions, and he was taken captive by the army of one of the rebels, Qin Zongquan. He later was taken in by a man named Du at Bian Prefecture (汴州, in modern Kaifeng, Henan) and adopted as a son, and therefore took on the family name of Du.