Battle of Mount Dingjun
Mount Dingjun, Mian County, Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China
What happened
Liu Bei's forces, led in the attack by Huang Zhong with the adviser Fa Zheng, fought Cao Cao's army under Xiahou Yuan. Liu Bei had been fighting Cao Cao for the region of Hanzhong since late 217. One night his troops set fire to the fence around Xiahou Yuan's camp at the foot of Mount Dingjun. When Xiahou Yuan split his forces, Huang Zhong charged down from higher ground, Xiahou Yuan fell, and his army was routed.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was a major milestone in the Hanzhong Campaign. Liu Bei went on to take Hanzhong.
What came next
Huang Zhong became famous, and the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms names him one of the 'Five Tiger Generals'. Later, the statesman Zhuge Liang asked to be buried on Mount Dingjun.
Did you know?
A 1905 recording of a Peking opera about this battle, called Dingjun Mountain, is considered the first Chinese film.
Timeline
- December 217The Hanzhong Campaign begins.
- February 219Liu Bei's forces win at Mount Dingjun.
- 1905The film Dingjun Mountain is made.