Battle of Red Cliffs
Part of the wars of the Three Kingdoms
Engravings on a cliff-side mark one widely-accepted site of Chìbì, near modern Chibi City, Hubei. The Three Kingdoms period ( is a period in the History of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of Chibi City ( Chinese: 赤壁市 Pinyin: Chìbì Shì) is a Chinese city of about 133000 in Xianning, Hubei province ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. The engravings are at least a thousand years old.
Date Northern Winter 208 Location Debated. Winter is one of the four Seasons of Temperate zones Calculated astronomically, it begins on the Solstice and ends on the Equinox Referred to as Chibi (Red Cliffs), on the southern bank of the Yangtze River Result Decisive Sun Quan and Liu Bei victory
Belligerents
Sun Quan (Sun Chuan), Liu Bei (Liu Pei)	Cao Cao (Ts'ao Ts'ao)
Commanders
Zhou Yu (Chou Yü), Cheng Pu, Liu Bei	Cao Cao
Strength
50,000	220,000–240,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown, though described as significant

The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, (traditional Chinese: 赤壁之戰; pinyin: chìbì zhī zhàn) was a decisive battle immediately prior to the period of the Three Kingdoms in China in the northern winter of 208 CE between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan, and the numerically superior forces of the northern warlord Cao Cao. Sun Quan ( (182 - 252 son of Sun Jian, courtesy name Zhòngmóu (仲謀 formally Emperor Da of (Eastern Wu was the founder of Eastern Wu Liu Bei (161– June 21 223) styled Xuándé (玄徳 was a general warlord and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Cáo Cāo ( 曹[[wikt 操|操]] 155 &ndash March 15, 220) was a regional Warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of the Zhou Yu (周瑜 175-210 was a famous and one of the most capable military strategists for Sun Ce and his successor Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms era the Cheng Pu (stylename Demou 德謀) was a veteran warrior who served the Sun family for three generations in the Kingdoms of Wu during the Three Kingdoms Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use The Three Kingdoms period ( is a period in the History of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Winter is one of the four Seasons of Temperate zones Calculated astronomically, it begins on the Solstice and ends on the Equinox Liu Bei (161– June 21 223) styled Xuándé (玄徳 was a general warlord and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Sun Quan ( (182 - 252 son of Sun Jian, courtesy name Zhòngmóu (仲謀 formally Emperor Da of (Eastern Wu was the founder of Eastern Wu Cáo Cāo ( 曹[[wikt 操|操]] 155 &ndash March 15, 220) was a regional Warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of the Liu Bei and Sun Quan successfully frustrated Cao Cao's effort to conquer the land south of the Yangtze River and reunite the territory of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The allied victory at Red Cliffs ensured the survival of Liu Bei and Sun Quan, gave them control of the Yangtze (de Crespigny 2004:273), and provided a line of defence that was the basis for the later creation of the two southern kingdoms of Shu Han (蜀) and Eastern Wu (吳). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Shu Han ( Traditional Chinese: 蜀漢 Pinyin: Shǔ Hàn sometimes known as the Kingdom of Shu (蜀 shǔ was one of the Three Kingdoms competing Eastern Wu ( Chinese: 東吳 Pinyin: Dōng Wú also known as Sun Wu ( Traditional Chinese: 孫吳 pinyin Sūn Wú refers to a For these reasons, it is considered a decisive battle in Chinese history. The recorded military history of China extends from about 1500 BC to the present day

Descriptions of the battle differ widely on details; in fact, even the location of battle is still fiercely debated (de Crespigny 2004:256 78n). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Although its precise location remains uncertain, the majority of academic conjectures place it on the south bank of the Yangtze River at some location southwest of present-day Wuhan and northeast of Baqiu (modern Yueyang city in Hunan province). ( is the capital of Hubei province and is the most populous city in central People's Republic of China. Administration The Yueyang metropolitan area is made up of six outlying districts two special districts and the city proper Administration The Yueyang metropolitan area is made up of six outlying districts two special districts and the city proper ( is a province of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence the name Hunan, meaning The most detailed account of the battle comes from the biography of Zhou Yu in the 3rd-century historical text Records of Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Zhi). Zhou Yu (周瑜 175-210 was a famous and one of the most capable military strategists for Sun Ce and his successor Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms era the The Records of Three Kingdoms ( is the official and authoritative historical text on the period of Three Kingdoms covering from 189 to 280, An exaggerated and romanticised account is also a central event in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Romance of the Three Kingdoms ( written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese Historical novel based upon events in The Four Great Classical Novels, or Four Major Classical Novels ( of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly counted by scholars to be the greatest and most Chinese literature extends back thousands of years from the earliest recorded dynastic court Archives to the mature fictional Novel that arose during the Ming Dynasty

Background

By the early 3rd century, the Eastern Han Dynasty, which had ruled China for four centuries (albeit with a 16-year interruption) was crumbling. Wang Mang ( (45 BC&ndashOctober 6 23 Courtesy name Jujun (巨君 was a Han Dynasty official who seized the throne from the Liu family Emperor Xian had been merely a figurehead since 189, with no control over the actions of the various warlords controlling their respective territories. Emperor Xian of Han ( Traditional 漢獻帝 Simplified 汉献帝 Pinyin Hàn Xiàn dì, Wade-Giles Han Hsien-ti; The most powerful ruler in northern China was the warlord Cao Cao, who was proclaimed as Imperial Chancellor of Han, a position which gave him unquestioned power over the entire imperial government (de Crespigny 1969:253, 465 6n). The Chancellor ( variously translated as Prime Minister, Premier or Chief Councillor, was a generic name given to the highest-ranking official in the The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three By the year 200, Cao Cao had unified northern China and retained absolute control over the North China Plain. The North China Plain ( is based on the deposits of the Huang He (Yellow River and is the largest Alluvial plain of eastern Asia. He completed a successful campaign against the Wuhuan in the winter of 207, thus securing his northern frontier. The Wuhuan ( were a nomadic people who inhabited northern China, in what is now the provinces of Hebei, Liaoning, Shanxi, the municipality Shortly afterwards, in the autumn of 208, his army began a Southern Campaign.

The Yangtze River in the area of Jing province (which roughly corresponded to modern Hubei and Hunan provinces) was key to the success of this strategy. ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. ( is a province of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence the name Hunan, meaning A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division If Cao Cao were to have any hope of reuniting the sundered Han empire, he had to achieve naval control of the middle Yangtze and the strategic naval base at Jiangling as a means of access to the southern region (de Crespigny 2003). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Two warlords controlled the area of the Yangtze that was a key objective for Cao Cao: Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province, controlled the river west of the mouth of the Han, roughly encompassing the area around the city of Xiakou and all territory south of that region. Liú Biǎo (? - August208 AD was the governor of the Jing province during the late Eastern Han Dynasty Hankou ( Wade-Giles: Hankow is one of the three towns together with Wuchang and Hanyang, which are included in modern day Wuhan, the capital Sun Quan controlled the river east of the Han and the southeastern territories abutting it (de Crespigny 2007:773). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three A third ally, Liu Bei, was living in refuge with Liu Biao at the garrison in Fancheng (modern Xiangfan), having fled the northeast to the Jing Province, following a failed plot to assassinate Cao Cao and restore power to the imperial dynasty (de Crespigny 2007:480; de Crespigny 1969:258). Fancheng District ( Chinese: 樊城区 is a district of Xiangfan, Hubei, China. Administration The Prefecture-level city of Xiangfan administers 8 county-level divisions, including 2 districts, 3 county-level cities The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

Cao Cao

The initial stages of the campaign were an unqualified success for Cao Cao, as the command of the Jing Province had been substantially weakened and the Jing armies had been exhausted by conflict with Sun Quan to the south (de Crespigny 2007:486). Cáo Cāo ( 曹[[wikt 操|操]] 155 &ndash March 15, 220) was a regional Warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of the The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Factions had arisen supporting one or the other of Liu Biao's two sons in a struggle for succession. The younger son prevailed, and Liu Biao's dispossessed eldest son, Liu Qi departed to assume a commandery in Jiangxia (de Crespigny 2004:241). Liú Qí (? - 209 was the first son of Liu Biao and a general in the Three Kingdoms period of China. The commandery ( 郡 in Pinyin: jùn was a historical administrative level of China. Jiangxia (江夏 was an ancient Commandery in Hubei, China (probably in modern day Yunmeng County) The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Liu Biao died only a few weeks later, while Cao Cao was advancing from the north and under these circumstances Liu Biao's younger son and successor Liu Cong quickly surrendered. Liu Cong was the second son of the famous warlord Liu Biao during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Cao Cao thus captured a sizeable fleet and secured the naval base at Jiangling. This gave him with a key strategic military depot, and a base to harbour his massive fleet of ships.

When Jing fell, Liu Bei quickly fled south, accompanied by a refugee population of civilians and soldiers. This disorganised band was pursued by Cao Cao's elite cavalry, and was surrounded and decisively beaten at the Battle of Changban (near the modern-day city of Dangyang in Hubei). The Battle of Changban ( took place at Changban (near the modern-day city of Jingmen in Hubei Province) China in the year 208. Dangyang City (当阳市 in Hubei Province China, lies 70 km east of the Gezhouba Dam on the Yangtze River. ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. Liu Bei fled further east to Xiakou, where he liaised with Sun Quan's emissary Lu Su. Hankou ( Wade-Giles: Hankow is one of the three towns together with Wuchang and Hanyang, which are included in modern day Wuhan, the capital Lu Su (172 - 217 styled Zijing (子敬 was an advisor for the Kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. At this point historical accounts are inconsistent; Lu Su may have successfully encouraged Liu Bei to move even further east, to Fankou (樊口). ^[1] In either case, Liu Bei was later joined by Liu Qi and levies from Jiangxia (de Crespigny 2004:255). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Liu Bei's main advisor, Zhuge Liang, was sent to Chaisang (柴桑) to negotiate forming a mutual front against Cao Cao with the state of Wu (de Crespigny 1969:263). Zhuge Liang (181–234 was Chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

By the time Liu Bei arrived, Cao Cao had already sent Sun Quan a letter boasting of commanding 800,000 men and demanding Sun Quan's surrender. The faction led by the Sun Quan's Chief Clerk Zhang Zhao advocated surrender, citing Cao Cao's overwhelming numerical advantage. Zhang Zhao (156 – 236 was a civil officer who served Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. However, on separate occasions, Lu Su, Zhuge Liang, and Wu's chief commander, Zhou Yu, all presented arguments to persuade Sun Quan to agree to the alliance against the northerners. Sun Quan finally decided on war and chopped off a corner of his desk during an assembly, saying: "Anyone who still dares argue for surrender will be [treated] the same as this desk. " He then assigned Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, and Lu Su with 30,000 men to aid Liu Bei against Cao Cao (de Crespigny 1996). Cheng Pu (stylename Demou 德謀) was a veteran warrior who served the Sun family for three generations in the Kingdoms of Wu during the Three Kingdoms The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

Although Cao Cao had boasted that he had 800,000 men, Zhou Yu estimated Cao Cao's full troop strength to be closer to 220,000, but this total included 70,000 troops from the armies of the recently defeated Liu Biao, so the loyalty and morale of a large number of Cao Cao's force was uncertain (Eikenberry 1994:60). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three With the 20,000 soldiers that Liu Bei gathered, the alliance consisted of approximately 50,000 marines who were trained and prepared for battle.

Battle

 Battle of Red Cliffs, and Cao Cao's retreat (also shown: Battle of Changban). The Battle of Changban ( took place at Changban (near the modern-day city of Jingmen in Hubei Province) China in the year 208. Note that the battlefield location is marked at the site near Chibi City; see Location of Red Cliffs. Chibi City ( Chinese: 赤壁市 Pinyin: Chìbì Shì) is a Chinese city of about 133000 in Xianning, Hubei province  

The Battle of Red Cliffs unfolded in three stages: an initial skirmish at Red Cliffs followed by a retreat to the Wulin battlefields on the northwestern bank of the Yangtze, a decisive naval engagement, and Cao Cao's disastrous retreat along Huarong Road.

The combined Sun-Liu force sailed upstream from either Xiakou or Fankou to Red Cliffs, where they encountered Cao Cao's vanguard force. Plagued by disease and low morale due to the series of forced marches they had undertaken on the prolonged Southern Campaign (de Crespigny 2003), Cao Cao's men could not gain an advantage in the small skirmish which ensued, so Cao Cao retreated to Wulin (north of the Yangtze River) and the allies pulled back to the south. The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

Cao Cao had moored his ships from stem to stern, possibly aiming to reduce seasickness in his navy, which comprised mostly northerners who were not used to living on ships. Observing this, divisional commander Huang Gai sent Cao Cao a letter feigning surrender and prepared a squadron^[2] of capital ships described as mengchong doujian (蒙衝鬥艦). Huang Gai was a military general for the Kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. A squadron is a small unit or formation of Cavalry, armour, Aircraft (including Balloons) or Warships Army The capital ships of a Navy are its "important" warships the ones with the heaviest Firepower and Armor. ^[3] The ships had been converted into fire ships by filling them with bundles of kindling, dry reeds, and fatty oil. A fire ship, used in the days of wooden rowed or Sailing ships was a ship filled with combustibles deliberately set on fire and steered (or where possible allowed to drift As Huang Gai's "defecting" squadron approached the midpoint of the river, the sailors applied fire to the ships before taking to small boats. The unmanned fire ships, carried by the southeastern wind, sped towards Cao Cao's fleet and set it ablaze. Within a short time smoke and flames stretched across the sky, and a large number of men and horses either burned to death or drowned (Chen c. 280:54. The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three 1262-63).

Following the initial shock, Zhou Yu and the allies led a lightly armed force to capitalize on the assault. The northern army was thrown into confusion and was utterly smashed. Seeing the situation was hopeless, Cao Cao then issued a general order of retreat and destroyed a number of his remaining ships before withdrawing (Chen c. 280). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

Cao Cao's army attempted a retreat along Huarong Road, including a long stretch passing through marshlands north of Dongting Lake. Lake Dongting, or Dongting Lake ( is a large shallow Lake in northeastern Hunan Province of China. Heavy rains had reduced the track to a thick mire, making the road so treacherous that many of the sick soldiers had to carry bundles of grass on their backs and use them to fill the road, to allow the horsemen to cross. A bog or mire is a Wetland type that accumulates Acidic Peat, a deposit of dead plant material &ndash usually Mosses but also Many of these soldiers drowned in the mud or were trampled to death in the effort. To the misery of Cao Cao's army, the allies, led by Zhou Yu and Liu Bei, gave chase over land and water until they reached Nan Commandery (南郡). Combined with famine and disease, this decimated Cao Cao's remaining forces. Cao Cao then retreated north to his home base of Ye, leaving Cao Ren and Xu Huang to guard Jiangling, Yue Jin stationed in Xiangyang, and Man Chong in Dangyang (Chen c. 280). Ye ( was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County Henan. Cao Ren (168 &ndash 223 was a military general under the powerful warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Xu Huang (169 &ndash 227 was a prominent military general under the powerful warlord Cao Cao and his successor Cao Pi during the late Eastern Han Dynasty Yue Jin (? &ndash 218 was a military general under the powerful warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Xiangyang ( Traditional Chinese: 襄陽 Simplified Chinese: 襄阳 Pinyin: Xiāngyáng was a Chinese city famous for the Siege of Xiangyang Man Chong (? &ndash 242 courtesy name Boning (伯寧 was an officer for the Kingdom of Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of China. The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

The allied counterattack might have vanquished Cao Cao and his forces entirely. However, the crossing of the Yangtze River dissolved into chaos as the allied armies converged on the riverbank and fought over the limited number of ferries. To restore order, a detachment led by the allied general Gan Ning established a bridgehead in Yiling to the north, and only a staunch rearguard action by Cao Ren prevented further catastrophe (Eikenberry 1994:60; de Crespigny 2007:239). Gān Níng (175&ndash219/220? was a military general for Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China Yichang (宜昌 Pinyin: Yíchāng is a Prefecture-level city in Hubei province of China. The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

Analysis

One type of ship used in the battle - the mengchong (蒙衝): leather-covered assault warship designed to break enemy lines.

A combination of Cao Cao's strategic errors and the effectiveness of Huang Gai's ruse had resulted in the allied victory at the Battle of Red Cliffs. Zhou Yu had previously observed that Cao Cao's generals and soldiers comprised mostly cavalry and infantry, and few had any experience in naval warfare. Cao Cao also had little support among the people of Jing province, and thus lacked a secure forward base of operations (Eikenberry 1994:60). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Despite the strategic acumen Cao Cao had displayed in earlier campaigns and battles, in this case he had simply assumed that numerical superiority would eventually defeat the Sun and Liu navy. Cao's first tactical mistake was converting his massive army of infantry and cavalry into a marine corps and navy: with only a few days of drills before the battle, Cao Cao's troops were ravaged by sea-sickness and lack of experience on water. Tropical diseases, to which the southerners had long been immune, also plagued the soldiers of the north with the debilitating effects of sickness rampant in Cao Cao's camps. Although numerous, Cao Cao's men were already exhausted by the unfamiliar environment and the extended southern campaign, as Zhuge Liang observed: "Even a powerful arrow at the end of its flight cannot penetrate a silk cloth" (Military Documents 1979:193).

The uncharacteristically poor preparation and miscalculations displayed by Cao Cao during this campaign may have been partly due to the recent death of his strategist and advisor Guo Jia. Guo Jia (170 &ndash 207 styled Fengxiao (奉孝 was a strategist and advisor to the powerful warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty Cao Cao himself had commented: "Had Guo Jia been with us, I would never have got into such trouble" (Chen c. 280:14:433). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Another key advisor, Jia Xu, had recommended after the surrender of Liu Cong that the overtaxed armies be given time to rest and replenish before engaging the armies of Sun Quan and Liu Bei, but Cao Cao disregarded the advice (Eikenberry 1994:60). Jia Xu (賈詡 (147 - 224 AD styled Wenhe (文和 was an important strategist and advisor during the Three Kingdoms era of China. The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Cao Cao's own thoughts regarding his failure at Red Cliffs suggest that he held his own actions and misfortunes responsible for the defeat, rather than the strategies utilised by his enemy during the battle: "…it was only because of the sickness that I burnt my ships and retreated. It is out of all reason for Zhou Yu to take the credit for himself. " (Chen c. 280:54:1265). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

Aftermath

By the end of 209, the post Cao Cao had established at Jiangling fell to Zhou Yu. The borders of the land under Cao Cao's control contracted about 160 kilometres (100 miles), to the area around Xiangyang (de Crespigny 2004:291). Xiangyang ( Traditional Chinese: 襄陽 Simplified Chinese: 襄阳 Pinyin: Xiāngyáng was a Chinese city famous for the Siege of Xiangyang The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Liu Bei, on the other hand, had gained territory by taking over the four commanderies south of the Yangtze River. Sun Quan's troops had suffered far greater casualties than Liu Bei's in the extended conflict against Cao Ren following the Battle of Red Cliffs (de Crespigny 2004:291–292), and the death of Zhou Yu in 210 resulted in a drastic weakening of Sun Quan's strength in the Jing province (de Crespigny 2004:297). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Liu Bei also occupied the Jing province that Cao Cao had recently lost—a strategic and naturally fortified area on the Yangtze River that Wu claimed for itself. The control of Jing provided Liu Bei with virtually unlimited access to the passage into Shu and important waterways into Wu, as well as dominion of the southern Yangtze River.

Never again would Cao Cao command so large a fleet as he had at Jiangling, nor would a similar opportunity to destroy his southern rivals present itself again (de Crespigny 2007:37). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three The Battle of Red Cliffs and the capture of Jing province by Liu Bei confirmed the separation of Southern China from the northern heartland of the Yellow River valley, and also foreshadowed a north-south axis of hostility which would resonate for centuries (de Crespigny 2004:260). The Yellow River or Huang He / Hwang Ho ( Hatan Gol Queen river) is the second-longest river in China (after the Yangtze River) and the The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

Location

 Three possible locations of the Battle of Red Cliffs. A fourth possibility is an undefined locale in Jiayu County, downriver (northeast) of the Chibi City location.

The precise location of the Red Cliffs battlefield has long been the subject of both popular and academic debates, but has never been conclusively established. ^[4] Scholarly debates have continued for at least 1,350 years (Zhang 2006:215), and a number of arguments in favour of alternative sites have been put forward. The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three There are clear grounds for rejecting at least some of these proposals, but four alternative locations are still advocated. According to Zhang (2006), many of the current debates stem from the fact that the course and length of the Yangtze River between Wuli and Wuhan has changed since the Sui and Tang dynasties (Zhang 2006:225). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three The Sui Dynasty ( 581 - 618 AD and in the undertaking of other construction projects including the reconstruction of the Great Wall. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three The modern-day debate is also complicated by the fact that the names of some of the key locations have changed over the following centuries. For example, although modern Huarong city is located in Hunan, south of the Yangtze, in the 3rd century the city of that name was due east of Jiangling, considerably north of the Yangtze (Zhang 2006:229; de Crespigny 2004:256 78n). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Moreover, one candidate site, Puqi (蒲圻), was renamed "Chibi City" (赤壁市) in 1998 in a direct attempt to tie this location to the historical battlefield. Chibi City ( Chinese: 赤壁市 Pinyin: Chìbì Shì) is a Chinese city of about 133000 in Xianning, Hubei province ^[5]

Historical records state that Cao Cao's forces retreated north across the Yangtze after the initial engagement at Red Cliffs, unequivocally placing the battle site on the south bank of the Yangtze. For this reason, a number of sites on the north bank have been discounted by historians and geographers. Historical accounts also establish east and west boundaries for a stretch of the Yangtze which encompasses all possible sites for the battlefield. The allied forces travelled upstream from either Fankou or Xiakou. Since the Yangtze flows roughly eastward towards the ocean (with northeast and southeast meanders), Red Cliffs must at least be west of Fankou, which is farther downstream. A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse also known as an oxbow loop or simply an Oxbow. The westernmost boundary is also clear, since Cao Cao's eastern advance from Jiangling included passing Baqiu (modern Yueyang city in Hunan province) on the shore of Dongting Lake. Administration The Yueyang metropolitan area is made up of six outlying districts two special districts and the city proper ( is a province of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence the name Hunan, meaning Lake Dongting, or Dongting Lake ( is a large shallow Lake in northeastern Hunan Province of China. The battle must also have been downstream (northeast) of that location (de Crespigny 2004:256–257; Zhang 2006:217). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

One popular candidate for the battle site is Chibi Hill in Huangzhou, sometimes referred to as "Su Dongpo's Red Cliffs" or the "Literary Red Cliffs" (文赤壁). Su Shi ( 1037–1101 was a writer, poet, Artist, calligrapher, Pharmacologist, and Statesman of the Song Dynasty Support for this conjecture arises largely due to the famous 11th-century poem "First Rhapsody on the Red Cliffs," which equates the Huangzhou Hill with the battlefield location. The pinyin Romanization of this cliff's name is "Chibi", the same as the pinyin for Red Cliffs. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use However, the Chinese characters are completely different (赤鼻) as is their meaning ("Red Nose Hill"). This site is also on the north bank of the Yangtze, and is directly across from Fankou rather than upstream from it (Zhang 2006:215). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Moreover, if the allied Sun/Liu forces left from Xiakou rather than Fankou, as the oldest historical sources suggest,^[1] then the hill in Huangzhou would have been downstream from the point of departure, a possibility which cannot be reconciled with historical sources.

Puqi, now named Chibi City, is perhaps the most widely accepted candidate. To differentiate from Su Dongpo's Red Cliffs, the site is also referred to as the "Military Red Cliffs" (武赤壁). It is directly across the Yangtze from Wulin. This argument was first proposed in the early Tang Dynasty (Zhang 2006:217). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three There are also characters engraved in the cliffs (see image at the top of this page) suggesting that this is the site of the battle. The origin of the engraving can be dated to between the Tang and Song dynasties, making it at least 1,000 years old (Zhang 2006:219;228). The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

Some sources mention the south banks of the Yangtze in Jiayu County (嘉鱼县) in the prefecture-level city of Xianning in Hubei province as a possible location. A prefecture-level city ( or prefecture-level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and Xianning ( Simplified Chinese: 咸宁 Pinyin: Xiánníng is a Prefecture-level city in China 's Hubei province ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. This would place the battlefield downstream from Puqi (Chibi City), a view that is supported by scholars of Chinese history such as Rafe de Crespigny, Wang Li and Zhu Dongrun, following the Qing Dynasty historical document Shui Jing Zhu (de Crespigny 2004:256). Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River ( valley in the Neolithic era Dr Rafe de Crespigny (full name Richard Rafe Champion de Crespigny; born 1936 is a retired Adjunct Professor with the China and Korea Centre Australian National University Wang Li ( or Wang Liaoyi (王了一 (1900-1986 was a Chinese linguist. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China Shui Jing Zhu ( literally "Commentary on the Waterways Classic" is a work on the ancient Geography of China it is the annotated text of an older text The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

Another candidate is Wuhan, which straddles the Yangtze at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers. ( is the capital of Hubei province and is the most populous city in central People's Republic of China. It is east of both Wulin (and Chibi City across the river) and Jiayu. This metropolis was incorporated by joining three cities. There is a local belief in Wuhan that the battle was fought at the junction of the rivers, southwest of the former Wuchang city, which is now part of Wuhan (de Crespigny 2004:256 n 78). ( is the capital of Hubei province and is the most populous city in central People's Republic of China. Wuchang District ( is one of the three towns together with Hankou and Hanyang, which are included in modern day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Zhang (2006:215;223) asserts that the Chibi battlefield was one of a set of hills in Wuchang that were levelled in the 1930s so that their stone could be used as raw material. The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three ^[6] Citing several historical-geographical studies, Zhang (2006) shows that earlier accounts place the battlefield in Wuchang. The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Sheng Honzhi's 5th-century Jingzhou ji in particular places the Chibi battlefield a distance of 160 li (approximately 80 kilometres; 50 miles) downstream from Wulin, but since the Paizhou and Luxikou meanders increased the length of the Yangtze River between Wuli and Wuchang by 100 li (approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi); see map) some time in the Sui and Tang dynasties (Zhang 2006:225), later works do not regard Wuchang as a possible site. This article is about two traditional Chinese units of length This article is about two traditional Chinese units of length The Sui Dynasty ( 581 - 618 AD and in the undertaking of other construction projects including the reconstruction of the Great Wall. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

Fictionalised account

The romantic tradition that originated with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms differs from historical accounts in many details. Romance of the Three Kingdoms ( written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese Historical novel based upon events in For example, Cao Cao's army strength was exaggerated to over 800,000 men. This may be attributed to the ethos of later times, particularly of the Southern Song Dynasty (de Crespigny 2007:483). The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three The Shu kingdom in particular was viewed by later literati as the "legitimate" successor to the Han empire, so fictionalised accounts assign greater prominence than the historical records warrant to the roles of Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and other heroes from Shu. Liu Bei (161– June 21 223) styled Xuándé (玄徳 was a general warlord and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Zhuge Liang (181–234 was Chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China This is generally accomplished by minimising the importance of Wu commanders and advisors such as Zhou Yu and Lu Su (de Crespigny 2004:xi). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three While historical accounts describe Lu Su as a sensible advisor and Zhou Yu as an eminent military leader and "generous, sensible and courageous" man, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms depicts Lu Su as unremarkable and Zhou Yu as cruel and cynical (de Crespigny 2004:300; 305–306 29n). The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Both are depicted as being inferior to Zhuge Liang in every respect.

The romances added wholly fictional and fantastical elements to the historical accounts and these were repeated in popular plays and operas. Examples from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms include Zhuge Liang using magic to call forth favourable winds for the fire ship attack, his strategy of "using straw boats to borrow arrows", and Guan Yu capturing and releasing Cao Cao at Huarong Trail. Zhuge Liang (181–234 was Chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China Guan Yu ( Chinese: 關羽 Guān Yǔ was a general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of The fictionalised accounts also name Zhuge Liang as a military commander in the combined forces, which is not historically accurate.

Modern and cultural impact

Modern day Chibi City in Hubei province was formerly named Puqi. Chibi City ( Chinese: 赤壁市 Pinyin: Chìbì Shì) is a Chinese city of about 133000 in Xianning, Hubei province ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. In 1998, the Chinese State Council approved the renaming of the city in celebration of the battle at Red Cliffs. The State Council ( which is largely synonymous with the Central People's Government ( is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China Cultural festivals held by the city have dramatically increased tourism and boosted business and investment in the region. (Xinhua 1997). In 1983, a statue of prominent Song Dynasty poet, Su Shi, was erected at the Huangzhou site of 'Su Dongpo's Red Cliffs' in tribute to his writings regarding Red Cliff. The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Su Shi ( 1037–1101 was a writer, poet, Artist, calligrapher, Pharmacologist, and Statesman of the Song Dynasty

Popular video games based around the Three Kingdoms era (such as the Dynasty Warriors series, Sangokushi Koumeiden, Destiny of an Emperor and Kessen II) have scenarios that include the battle. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. is a series of tactical action Video games created by Koei. The award-winning series Games Original game Sangokushi Koumeiden (三國志孔明伝 is the second installment in the Sangokushi Eiketsuden Tactical role-playing series developed by is a traditional Role-playing game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. is a Strategy game loosely based on the Three Kingdoms period of China. Other games utilise the Battle of Red Cliffs as their central focus. These include titles popular in Asia, such as the original Japanese version of Warriors of Fate and Dragon Throne: Battle of Red Cliffs. Warriors of Fate is the English adaptation of the Japanese Arcade game,, which uses the manga Tenchi wo Kurau (based on the Romance of the

A 2008 film, directed by John Woo and entitled Red Cliff,^[7] will serve to showcase the Red Cliff legacy in the lead up to the 2008 Summer Olympics being hosted by China. John Woo Yu-Sen (born May 1, 1946) is an internationally and critically acclaimed Chinese Film director and producer. Red Cliff ( alternatively known as The Battle of Red Cliff, is a Chinese Epic film based on the Battle of Red Cliffs

Notes

References

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. Mojibake is the happenstance of incorrect unreadable characters (garbage characters shown when Computer software fails to render a text correctly according to its associated A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese (