 Yuwen Xian was born in 544, as the fifth son of Yuwen Tai, the paramount general of Western Wei.His mother was Yuwen Tai's concubine Lady Dabugan, who was ethnically Rouran.He was initially created the Duke of Fucheng and was said to be intelligent from his youth, and he and his older brother Yuwen Yong (by another concubine, Lady Chinu) studied the "Shi Jing" and the "Zuo Zhuan" together.