In A.D. 60, Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han dynasty honored 28 founding generals of the dynasty, who had served his father Emperor Guangwu, by painting their portraits on the Cloud Terrace (Yuntai) of the South Palace in the capital Luoyang. They became known as the twenty-eight generals of the Cloud Terrace (or Yuntai) (雲台二十八將).
One criterion Emperor Ming used for his selection was that the men honored must not be relatives of the imperial family. Thus, Ma Yuan (whose daughter was Emperor Ming's empress) and Lai Xi (来歙, Emperor Guangwu's uncle-in-law) were not selected, despite their great contributions.
Unusual in Chinese history, the 28 generals all had natural deaths or died while in service to Emperor Guangwu. Guangwu himself was lauded for his trust of these men who helped him forge his empire.
In addition to the 28 generals, Emperor Ming hung the portraits of four other men in the Cloud Terrace. They are:
