About the Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs was fought in 208 (Winter, 13th year of Jian'an (Later Han)) at Red Cliffs on the Yangtze, Jing Province. A south-east wind blows across the winter Yangtze, and Huang Gai's fire ships burn the chained armada. The night of fire that decided the division of China into three kingdoms.
- Year
- 208Winter, 13th year of Jian'an (Later Han)
- Place
- Red Cliffs on the Yangtze, Jing Province
- Era
- Late Han (Three Kingdoms)
The two armies
Cao Cao's army Commander-in-chiefCao Cao 349,00010 units 
Sun–Liu allied army Commander-in-chiefZhou Yu 80,5008 units Troop strengthTotal of the units shown in 3D
Fought 349,000
Fought 80,000Did not fight 500
Cao Cao's armyBy troop strength
- Cao Cao 曹操 Commander-in-chief 100,000
- Cao Cao's Navy (Chained Fleet) 曹操水軍(連環の船団) 60,000
- Chained Fleet (east wing) 連環の船団(東翼) 40,000
- Chained Fleet (west wing) 連環の船団(西翼) 40,000
- Chained Fleet 連環の船団 30,000
- Chained Fleet 連環の船団 30,000
-
Zhang Liao 張遼 15,000 - Yu Jin 于禁 12,000
- Xu Huang 徐晃 12,000
- Wen Ping (navy) 文聘(水軍) 10,000
Sun–Liu allied armyBy troop strength
- Zhou Yu 周瑜 Commander-in-chief 30,000
- Cheng Pu 程普 15,000
-
Liu Bei 劉備 10,000 - Han Dang 韓当 9,000
-
Gan Ning 甘寧 8,000 -
Guan Yu 関羽 6,000 -
Huang Gai (fire ships) 黄蓋(火船隊) 2,000 -
Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮 Did not fight 500
Portraits are public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (some are later imagined depictions).
How the battle unfoldedTimes follow the 3D clock
- 4:00 PMCh. 1
HostA Host Said to Be a Million
Winter, the 13th year of Jian'an under the Later Han. Having subdued Jing Province, Cao Cao's great army fills Wulin on the north bank of the Yangtze. It is proclaimed a million strong; in truth some 200,000. Against it the allied army of Sun Quan and Liu Bei numbers a mere 50,000.
- 5:00 PMCh. 2
ChainsThe Chained Ships
The northern soldiers suffer from seasickness. Cao Cao chains his warships together and lays planks between them to kill the rolling: the stratagem of the linked chain. The fleet becomes as stable as dry land. But chained ships cannot scatter.
- 6:00 PMCh. 3
RuseThe Ruse of Self-Injury
A secret letter arrives from the old Wu general Huang Gai: "Wu cannot win; I wish to surrender." The Romance tells of Huang Gai's feigned defection after being beaten with a staff on Zhou Yu's order. On the appointed night twenty ships head for the north bank, loaded with oil and dry straw.
- 7:00 PMCh. 4
WindThe South-East Wind
A south-east wind, impossible on the winter Yangtze, begins to blow. The Romance credits Zhuge Liang's sorcery at the Seven-Star Altar; history calls it a fickle winter wind. Either way, the wind pushed the fire ships onward.
- 9:00 PMCh. 5
FireFire Devours the Chain
"Now! Light the fires!" Huang Gai's ships burst into flame all at once and drive into Cao Cao's fleet on the wind. The chained ships have nowhere to flee, and the fire runs from vessel to vessel. The winter Yangtze becomes as bright as day.
- 10:00 PMCh. 6
BlazeWulin in Flames
The fire spreads to the camps on the shore, and the allied army goes over to the pursuit all together. Zhou Yu's main force pushes across the Yangtze, and Cao Cao's army flees through the smoke.
- 12:00 AMCh. 7
HuarongThe Huarong Road
Cao Cao leads the survivors north along the muddy Huarong Road. The dream of unifying the empire dies this night, and the age of the Three Kingdoms, Wei, Wu and Shu, begins.
In Ultra detailBattle Pass
The same scene in the standard quality and in Ultra detail. Drag the line to compare, and switch between "Wide" and "Close-up". Ultra detail adds rugged mountains, forests and rocks in 3D, rippling seas and rivers, rows in the fields and soldiers as figures. Chapter 1 of every battle can be watched in Ultra detail without the Battle Pass.
FAQ
What was the Battle of Red Cliffs?
A south-east wind blows across the winter Yangtze, and Huang Gai's fire ships burn the chained armada. The night of fire that decided the division of China into three kingdoms.
When and where did the Battle of Red Cliffs take place?
It took place in 208 at Red Cliffs on the Yangtze, Jing Province (Winter, 13th year of Jian'an (Later Han)).
Who fought in the Battle of Red Cliffs?
Cao Cao of the Cao Cao's army, Zhou Yu of the Sun–Liu allied army were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Battle of Red Cliffs in 3D?
Yes. This page plays a free three-minute 3D animated overview showing the deployments, the movements of each army and how the battle was decided.