Battle of Gaixia
Gaixia, Guzhen County, Anhui, China
What happened
The Han army of Liu Bang, with its brilliant general Han Xin, fought the Western Chu army of Xiang Yu. After the fall of the Qin dynasty, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu fought for control of China. At Gaixia, Han Xin's army surrounded Xiang Yu's troops. At night, Han soldiers sang songs from Chu, Xiang Yu's homeland, so his men thought their own people had joined the enemy, and many left; Xiang Yu broke out with a few hundred riders and died soon after at the Wu River.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It ended the war between Chu and Han. Liu Bang became the first emperor of the Han dynasty.
What came next
In 202 BCE Liu Bang took the throne as Emperor Gaozu of Han. The story of Xiang Yu's last night became a famous Beijing opera, 'The Hegemon-King Bids His Lady Farewell'.
Did you know?
The battle gave Chinese the idiom 'surrounded by Chu songs on all sides', which means being alone with no help in sight.
Timeline
- 206 BCEThe Chu-Han war begins after the Qin dynasty falls.
- Late 203 BCEHan Xin surrounds Xiang Yu at Gaixia.
- 202 BCEXiang Yu dies at the Wu River.
- 202 BCELiu Bang becomes Emperor Gaozu, founding the Han dynasty.