Pang Tong

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Pang.

Commandery, and Pang continued to serve as a minor ofcial under Zhou. When Zhou Yu died in 210, Pang Tong
travelled to Jiangdong to attend Zhous funeral, where he
was warmly received by many people, who had heard of
him before. Pang Tong met Lu Ji, Gu Shao ( ) and
Quan Cong, and he appraised each of them. They were all
very pleased with Pang Tongs comments and befriended
him.[6]

Pang Tong (179214),[1][2] courtesy name Shiyuan,

was an adviser to the warlord Liu Bei in the late
Eastern Han dynasty. Originally a minor ocial in
Nan Commandery in Jing Province (covering present-day
Hubei and Hunan), Pang Tong came to serve Liu Bei in
209 after the latter was appointed as the provincial governor. In the early 210s, he accompanied Liu Bei on a
military campaign to seize control of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) from the war- 2 Serving Liu Bei in Jing Province
lord Liu Zhang, but was killed by a stray arrow in a battle
at Luo County (north of present-day Guanghan, Sichuan) Pang Tong became a subject of Liu Bei after the latter asin 214.
sumed governorship of Jing Province in late 209. He initially served as an Assistant Ocer ( ) and as the Prefect ( ) of Leiyang County (
; present-day Leiyang,
Hunan), but was later dismissed from oce due to poor
1 Early life
performance. Sun Quans general Lu Su wrote to Liu Bei,
recommending Pang Tong as a talent. Liu Beis strategist
Pang Tong was from Xiangyang Commandery (
; Zhuge Liang also recommended Pang Tong, so Liu Bei
present-day Xiangyang, Hubei). In his youth, he looked recruited Pang to be an Assistant Ocer in the Head). Liu Beis treatment towards
plain and simple, so he was not highly regarded. When quarters Oce (
Pang
Tong
was
second
to
that of Zhuge Liang. He later
he reached adulthood (around 19 years old), he visited
appointed
both
Pang
Tong
and Zhuge Liang as Military
Sima Hui, who was famous for spotting and recommendAdvisor
Generals
of
the
Household
(
).[7]
ing men of talent. They came to a mulberry tree, where
Sima Hui climbed up to get the fruit while Pang Tong
sat below, and they chatted for a whole day until nightfall. Sima Hui felt that Pang Tong was an extraordinary 3 Assisting Liu Bei in the conquest
person and called Pang the crown of learned men in
of Yi Province
Jing Province". Subsequently, Pang Tong started gaining
[3]
more recognition among the scholar-gentry. Pang Tong
was nicknamed Fledging Phoenix ( ; also translated Further information: Liu Beis takeover of Yi Province
as Young Phoenix) by his uncle Pang Degong (
).[4]
Pang Tong later served as an Ocer of Merit ( ) in
Nan Commandery ( ; in present-day Jingzhou, Hubei).
He was an appraiser, and his reviews of persons focused
more on their personal virtues rather than their abilities.
He was fond of ethical lessons and consistently strove
to maintain his moral standards. He usually overpraised
when he was asked to assess a person. At times, people
were puzzled so they questioned him on why he did that,
to which he replied, The country is currently in a state of
disorder. Good people are overwhelmed by the evil. I desire to change the social norm through encouraging good
people by giving them a better (exaggerated) reputation,
so they can serve as role models for others.[5]

Around the early 210s, Pang Tong successfully persuaded Liu Bei to seize Yi Province (covering presentday Sichuan and Chongqing) in western China and use
its resources to compete with Cao Cao for supremacy
over China. Liu Bei heeded Pang Tongs suggestion.[8]
In 211, Liu Bei led an army from Jing Province into Yi
Province on the pretext of helping Yi Provinces governor
Liu Zhang counter an invasion from the warlord Zhang
Lu in Hanzhong. Zhuge Liang remained behind to guard
Jing Province while Pang Tong followed Liu Bei to Yi
Province.[9]

Liu Zhang received Liu Bei at Fu County ( ; in presentday Fuling District, Chongqing). Pang Tong urged Liu
In 209, Zhou Yu, a general under the warlord Sun Quan, Bei to use the opportunity to capture Liu Zhang and force
occupied Nan Commandery after the Battle of Jiangling. the latter to hand over Yi Province, but Liu Bei refused
Zhou Yu was appointed as the Administrator ( ) of Nan on the grounds that he was new to Yi Province and had
1

IN FICTION

yet to establish a strong reputation there. Liu Zhang later present-day Baimaguan Town (
), Luojiang County,
returned to Yi Provinces capital Chengdu.[10]
Deyang, Sichuan. On 25 May 2006, it became a Major
and Cultural Site Protected at the National
Pang Tong outlined three plans for Liu Bei to choose Historical
[14]
Level.
from:
The upper plan: Select the best soldiers to form an
elite force and advance quickly towards Chengdu, 5 Family and descendants
and force Liu Zhang to surrender and hand over
Yi Province. Pang Tong also commented that Liu After Pang Tongs death, Liu Bei appointed Pangs father
Zhang was not competent in military aairs and was whose name was not recorded in history as a Consulunprepared, so the chances of success were high.
tant ( ) and later promoted him to a Counsellor Remonstrant (
).[15]
The middle plan: Spread false news that Liu Bei was
returning to Jing Province, then lure Liu Zhangs Pang Tong had a younger brother, Pang Lin ( ), who
generals Yang Huai and Gao Pei ( ) away from the served as an Assistant Ocer in Jing Province's Head). He participated in the Battle
fortied mountain passes they were defending, kill quarters Oce (
them and take control of their positions and troops, of Xiaoting in 221222 together with the general Huang
Quan and was tasked with defending the northern ank
and nally advance towards Chengdu.
from possible attacks by Shu's rival state, Wei. After Liu
The lower plan: Retreat to Baidicheng near Jing Bei was defeated by Sun Quan's general Lu Xun at XiProvince and wait for another opportunity to attack. aoting, Pang Lin and Huang Quan were separated from
Liu Beis remaining forces and could not return to Shu, so
Liu Bei chose the middle plan and executed it he killed they brought along their troops and surrendered to Wei.
Yang Huai and Gao Pei, led his forces towards Chengdu Pang Lin served as the Administrator ( ) of Julu Comand conquered several of Liu Zhangs territories along the mandery (
) in Wei and received a marquis title.[16]
way.[11]
Pang Tong had a son, Pang Hong ( ), whose courtesy
When Liu Bei expressed joy during a banquet in Fu name was Jushi ( ). Pang Hong, who served in the
County to celebrate his victory over Liu Zhang so far, Shu government, was known for being frugal, upright and
Pang Tong chid him, saying that celebrating the invasion outspoken. He oended Chen Di ( ), the Director of
of others territory is not what a man of ren should do. the Imperial Secretariat (
), and was repressed in his
The drunk Liu Bei retorted angrily, "King Wu of Zhou career by the latter. He died in oce while serving as the
also rejoiced after his victory over King Zhou of Shang. Administrator ( ) of Fuling Commandery (
).[17]
Is he not an example of a man of ren? You're wrong, so
get out now!" After Pang Tong left, Liu Bei regretted his
words so he invited Pang back. Pang Tong returned to his
seat and did not say anything, so Liu Bei asked, When 6 In ction
that quarrel happened just now, whose fault do you think
it was?" Pang Tong replied, It was both yours and mine. Pang Tong is featured as a character in the historical novel
Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong,
Liu Bei laughed and the banquet continued.[12]
which romanticises the historical events before and during the Three Kingdoms period. In the novel, Pang
Tong
was portrayed as a brilliant military strategist who
4 Death
equalled Zhuge Liang. Sima Hui recommended Pang
Tong and Zhuge Liang as talents to aid Liu Bei through
See also: Pang Tong Shrine and Tomb
the following lines: Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix.
If you can get either of them, you will be able to pacify
Pang Tong later participated in a battle against Liu the empire.[18]
Zhang's forces at Luo County ( ; north of present-day In Chapter 47, prior to the Battle of Red Clis, Pang Tong
Guanghan, Sichuan). He was hit by a stray arrow while was introduced by Jiang Gan to Cao Cao and he presented
attacking the city and died from his wound. He was 36 a chain links strategy (
) to Cao. The plan involved
years old (by East Asian age reckoning) at the time of his linking Cao Caos battleships together with strong iron
death. Liu Bei was deeply saddened by Pang Tongs death chains, so as to make the ships more stable when they
and he would weep whenever Pang was mentioned. Pang were sailing, as well as to reduce the chances of Caos
Tong was posthumously granted the titles of a Secondary soldiers falling seasick due to excessive rocking. This
Marquis (
) and Marquis Jing ( ) after Liu Bei contributed to Cao Caos defeat as his battleships were
founded the state of Shu Han in 221.[13]
unable to separate from each other during the re attack
Liu Bei had a shrine and tomb constructed for Pang Tong in the battle, and when one ship is set aame, the other
near Luo County. The shrine and tomb is located in ships linked to it caught re as well.[19]

3
Pang Tongs death during the war between Liu Bei and
Liu Zhang was highly dramatised in Chapter 63. At
the outset of the battle at Luo County ( ; presentday Guanghan, Sichuan), before Liu Bei and Pang Tong
would split forces for a two-pronged attack, Pang Tongs
horse reared and threw him o its back. This was regarded as a bad omen. Liu Bei then let Pang Tong borrow his famous steed, Dilu ( ). However, Dilu was also
said to bring bad luck to its rider despite saving Liu Beis
life earlier. Liu Zhangs general Zhang Ren, who planned
an ambush near Luo County, recognized Dilu and mistook its rider to be Liu Bei, so he ordered his archers
to re at the rider. Pang Tong was hit by several arrows which pierced through his body and he died on the
spot. His place of death was called "Valley of the Fallen
Phoenix".[20]

[9] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 37.

[10] (
,
Sanguozhi vol. 37.

[11] (...
:
,
Sanguozhi vol. 37.

[12] (
,
,
:
Sanguozhi vol. 37.
[13] (

Pang Tong is featured as a playable character in Koei's

Dynasty Warriors, Warriors Orochi and Dynasty Tactics
video game series.

,
,

:
,

,
,

...

001 [Zhaohua Gucheng 001] (4 June 2014). "

[Pang Tong Shrine and Tomb]". zhjmg.com (in Chinese).
Retrieved 1 January 2015.

[15] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 37.

[16] (
,
Sanguozhi vol. 37.

Modern references

, ,
) Sanguozhi vol. 37.

,
[14]

[17] (
,
,
guozhi vol. 37.

,
,

)
San-

[18] Sanguo Yanyi ch. 35.

[19] Sanguo Yanyi ch. 47-50.

In Koihime Musou, Pang Tong appears as a shy and reserved young girl called Hinari Shigen Houtou. First ap- [20] Sanguo Yanyi ch. 63.
pearing in episode 10 of Shin Koihime Musou, Hinari lives
with Zhuge Liang / Shuri Koumei Shokatsuryou teacher.
Chen, Shou. Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).

Luo, Guanzhong. Romance of the Three Kingdoms

(Sanguo Yanyi).

See also
List of people of the Three Kingdoms

Pei, Songzhi. Annotations to Records of the Three

Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).

References

[1] The Sanguozhi stated that Pang Tong died at the age of 36
(by East Asian age reckoning) in 214 CE. By calculation,
his birth year should be around 179.
[2] de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A biographical dictionary of
Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23220 AD). Brill. p.
689. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.
[3] (...
,
Sanguozhi vol. 37.

[4] (
:
,
,
,
Xiangyang Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 37.
[5] (
,
Sanguozhi vol. 37.

[6] (
,
Sanguozhi vol. 37.
[7] (
,
Sanguozhi vol. 37.

,
,

,
,

[8] (
:
:
,
,
,
,
,
Jiuzhou Chunqiu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 37.

,
,

:
,

,
:

,
,

10

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10.1

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