About the Battle of Hefei
The Battle of Hefei was fought in 215 (20th year of Jian'an (Later Han)) at Hefei, Yang Province. Sun Quan's 100,000 close on Hefei, held by Zhang Liao, Li Dian and Yue Jin with barely 7,000. Zhang Liao storms the enemy camp with 800 picked men and then runs the retreating Sun Quan to ground at the Xiaoyao Ford. The battle that gave birth to the legend "Liao is coming!"
- Year
- 21520th year of Jian'an (Later Han)
- Place
- Hefei, Yang Province
- Era
- Late Han (Three Kingdoms)
The two armies
Cao Cao's army Commander-in-chiefZhang Liao 6,8003 units 
Sun Quan's army Commander-in-chiefSun Quan 75,3004 units Troop strengthTotal of the units shown in 3D
Fought 6,800
Fought 75,300
Cao Cao's armyBy troop strength
- Yue Jin 楽進 4,000
- Li Dian 李典 2,000
- Zhang Liao 張遼 Commander-in-chief 800
Portraits are public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (some are later imagined depictions).
How the battle unfoldedTimes follow the 3D clock
- Day 1Ch. 1
ArrivalSun Quan's 100,000 March on Hefei
In the 8th month of the 20th year of Jian'an, while Cao Cao was away campaigning in Hanzhong, Sun Quan bore down on Hefei with 100,000 men. The city was held by Zhang Liao, Li Dian and Yue Jin with a little over 7,000. Cao Cao's sealed instructions read: "If the enemy comes, Zhang Liao and Li Dian are to sally; Yue Jin is to hold the city."
- Night 1Ch. 2
Picked MenEight Hundred Braves
Zhang Liao resolved to "break their spirit before their ranks are formed." Li Dian, long at odds with him, answered: "Shall I forget the public good for a private grudge?" That night Zhang Liao recruited 800 brave men, slaughtered oxen and feasted them. At dawn they threw open the gates and sallied out.
- Day 2, dawnCh. 3
Charge"Zhang Liao Is Here!"
Zhang Liao rode at the head, cutting down dozens as he burst into Sun Quan's camp. The startled Sun Quan fled to a mound and defended himself with a long halberd. The Wu soldiers saw how few the attackers were and surrounded them, but Zhang Liao broke through ring after ring, then turned back into the enemy to rescue the men left behind. No one in the Wu army dared face him.
- Siege, day 10Ch. 4
SiegeTen Days at the Walls
Their spirit broken, Sun Quan's army nevertheless assaulted Hefei for more than ten days. But Yue Jin's defence held, and sickness spread through the camp. Sun Quan at last decided to withdraw and sent his commanders home ahead. The rear guard was Sun Quan himself, with the picked men of Gan Ning, Ling Tong and Lü Meng.
- WithdrawalCh. 5
FordPursuit to the Xiaoyao Ford
Zhang Liao did not miss it when Sun Quan's main body departed and the rear guard was left at the Xiaoyao Ford on the Shi River. Struck by Zhang Liao's sudden sortie from the city, Sun Quan was cut off short of the bridge. Ling Tong fought to the death with his 300 bodyguards, Gan Ning shot back with his bow, and Lü Meng and Jiang Qin held the line. The planks of the bridge had already been removed.
- Xiaoyao FordCh. 6
LeapSun Quan Jumps the Ford
"Fall back and take a run at it!" At Gu Li's word Sun Quan whipped his horse and leapt the plankless bridge to the far bank. Ling Tong lost all 300 of his men and swam the river in his armour to survive. Zhang Liao did not know Sun Quan by sight, and missed him by a hair.
- AftermathCh. 7
LegendCrying Children Fall Silent
Having driven off 100,000 with 7,000 and come within a step of killing Sun Quan, Zhang Liao's fame made the whole of Jiangdong tremble. Afterwards, it was said, a crying child in Wu would fall silent at the words "Liao is coming!" Cao Cao promoted him to General Who Conquers the East, and Hefei stood unshaken as Wei's eastern bastion.
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 Hefei?
Sun Quan's 100,000 close on Hefei, held by Zhang Liao, Li Dian and Yue Jin with barely 7,000. Zhang Liao storms the enemy camp with 800 picked men and then runs the retreating Sun Quan to ground at the Xiaoyao Ford. The battle that gave birth to the legend "Liao is coming!"
When and where did the Battle of Hefei take place?
It took place in 215 at Hefei, Yang Province (20th year of Jian'an (Later Han)).
Who fought in the Battle of Hefei?
Zhang Liao of the Cao Cao's army, Sun Quan of the Sun Quan's army were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Battle of Hefei 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.