Two Qiaos
Encyclopedia
The Two Qiaos refer to two sisters who lived during the late Han Dynasty
period of Chinese history
. Their names were not recorded, so in later times they are referred to simply as Da Qiao (literally: "elder Qiao") and Xiao Qiao (literally: "younger Qiao"). They were from Wan County, Lujiang Commandery (present-day Qianshan County
, Anhui
). Da Qiao married the warlord Sun Ce
, who established the foundation of the state of Eastern Wu
; while Xiao Qiao was married to the general Zhou Yu
, who served Sun Ce and his successor Sun Quan
.
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, the two Qiaos were said to be the daughters of Qiao Xuan
. They were described to be famous beauties in the region south of the Yangtze River
. They were said to be one of the causes of the Battle of Red Cliffs
, because Cao Cao
attacked Sun Quan's lands to take the sisters for himself. In chapter 44, in a conversation between Zhuge Liang
and Zhou Yu
, Zhuge said that he had a plan to cause Cao Cao's forces to retreat, by sending Cao the Two Qiaos. Zhuge pretended that he did not know who the Two Qiaos were married to. When Zhou asked Zhuge for evidence that Cao was after the Two Qiaos, Zhuge mentioned that he heard that Cao Cao asked his son Cao Zhi
to write a poem titled Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Platform (銅雀臺賦). Zhuge recited the poem and pointed out that Cao Cao's desire to take the Two Qiaos for himself was evident in the poem. The enraged Zhou hardened his decision to ally with Liu Bei and fight Cao Cao.
The Bronze Sparrow Platform (銅雀臺) was built in the winter of 210, nearly three years after the end of the Battle of Red Cliffs. Cao Zhi's poem Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Platform was written in 212, two years after the platform was constructed. Besides, the poem in Romance of the Three Kingdoms contains seven additional lines that were not present in the original version recorded in Cao Zhi's biography in Records of Three Kingdoms. Therefore, the story in Romance of the Three Kingdoms about Zhuge Liang using the poem to incite Zhou Yu's anger towards Cao Cao is purely fiction.
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. Their names were not recorded, so in later times they are referred to simply as Da Qiao (literally: "elder Qiao") and Xiao Qiao (literally: "younger Qiao"). They were from Wan County, Lujiang Commandery (present-day Qianshan County
Qianshan County
Qianshan County is a county in Anhui Province, People's Republic of China under the jurisdiction of Anqing City. It has a population of 570,000 and an area of . The government of Qianshan County is located in Meicheng Town...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
). Da Qiao married the warlord Sun Ce
Sun Ce
Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the oldest of the children of Sun Jian who was killed during the Battle of Xiangyang when Sun Ce was only 16. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's overlord, Yuan Shu, and headed to...
, who established the foundation of the state of Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
; while Xiao Qiao was married to the general Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu was a military general and strategist who served his close friend, the warlord Sun Ce, during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
, who served Sun Ce and his successor Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
.
In fiction
In Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, the two Qiaos were said to be the daughters of Qiao Xuan
Qiao Xuan
Qiao Xuan , style name Gongzu , was an official who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Biography:...
. They were described to be famous beauties in the region south of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
. They were said to be one of the causes of the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan...
, because Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
attacked Sun Quan's lands to take the sisters for himself. In chapter 44, in a conversation between Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
and Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu was a military general and strategist who served his close friend, the warlord Sun Ce, during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
, Zhuge said that he had a plan to cause Cao Cao's forces to retreat, by sending Cao the Two Qiaos. Zhuge pretended that he did not know who the Two Qiaos were married to. When Zhou asked Zhuge for evidence that Cao was after the Two Qiaos, Zhuge mentioned that he heard that Cao Cao asked his son Cao Zhi
Cao Zhi
Cao Zhi was a poet who lived during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. His poetry style, greatly revered during the Jin Dynasty and Southern and Northern Dynasties, came to be known as the Jian'an style....
to write a poem titled Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Platform (銅雀臺賦). Zhuge recited the poem and pointed out that Cao Cao's desire to take the Two Qiaos for himself was evident in the poem. The enraged Zhou hardened his decision to ally with Liu Bei and fight Cao Cao.
Historical inaccuracy
Qiao Xuan died in 183 while the Qiao sisters married Sun Ce and Zhou Yu in 200, so Qiao Xuan could not have possibly been present at the time of the marriages. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the Qiao sisters were the daughters of Qiao Xuan. Besides, if the Qiao sisters were indeed the daughters of Qiao Xuan, the Chinese character for "Qiao" in their names should be "橋" instead of "喬".The Bronze Sparrow Platform (銅雀臺) was built in the winter of 210, nearly three years after the end of the Battle of Red Cliffs. Cao Zhi's poem Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Platform was written in 212, two years after the platform was constructed. Besides, the poem in Romance of the Three Kingdoms contains seven additional lines that were not present in the original version recorded in Cao Zhi's biography in Records of Three Kingdoms. Therefore, the story in Romance of the Three Kingdoms about Zhuge Liang using the poem to incite Zhou Yu's anger towards Cao Cao is purely fiction.
Modern references
- Both the Two Qiaos are featured as playable characters in Koei's Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriorsis a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
and Warriors OrochiWarriors Orochi, is a PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 hack and slash video game developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors...
video game series.
- Taiwanese supermodel Lin Chi-lingLin Chi-lingLin Chi-ling , is a Taiwanese model and actress. Famed for her gentle demeanor and physical beauty, Lin has been referred to as "The First Face of Taiwan" by members of the Taiwanese media, and has been an official spokesperson for both China Airlines and Longines since 2006...
played the role of Xiao Qiao in John WooJohn WooJohn Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
's 2008 epic film Red Cliff. In the film, it is surmised that Cao Cao's infatuation with Xiao Qiao is the reason why he invaded Sun Quan's lands and initiated the battle. Chinese actress Huang YiHuang Yi (actress)Huang Yi is a Chinese actress and singer. She graduated from the TV Film Department of the Shanghai Institute of Oriental Culture.- Filmography :Film references:- Discography :...
played Xiao Qiao in Just Another Pandora's BoxJust Another Pandora's BoxJust Another Pandora's Box, also known as Once Upon a Chinese Classic, is a 2010 Hong Kong parody film directed by Jeffrey Lau and starring Ronald Cheng, Gigi Leung, Betty Sun, Eric Tsang, Huang Bo, Guo Degang, Gillian Chung, and Patrick Tam. It is a spiritual successor to Lau's two-part 1994 film...
, a spoof film of Red Cliff.
- Cai Hancen and Tsai Yi-chen played Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao respectively in the 2009 television drama K.O.3an GuoK.O.3an GuoK.O.3an Guo is a Taiwanese drama starring George Hu, Xiu, Kirsten Ren and three out of four members of Fahrenheit as special guests, who starred in the prequels. The title is pronounced as "K.O.-san-guo". It is the third installment of the Zhong Ji series; preceded by KO One and The X-Family...
, a spoof of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a modern setting.
- The Two Qiaos, known by their Japanese names (Daikyō and Shōkyō), are referenced in the visual novel and anime series, Koihime MusōKoihime Musois a Japanese adult visual novel and strategy game based on the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It was developed by BaseSon, and was first released on January 26, 2007, for the PC as two DVD-ROMs, followed by a re-release on April 11, 2008, containing an extra CD-ROM...
. Both sisters serve as Shūyu (Zhou YuZhou YuZhou Yu was a military general and strategist who served his close friend, the warlord Sun Ce, during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
)'s personal "pets" that have the sole purpose of entertaining her. They both are recurring characters who are famous singers from the Kingdom of GoEastern WuEastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
. Daikyō is a hermaphrodite while Shōkyō is fully female.
- In Ikki Tousen, Xiao Qiao is the only of the sisters who is lost in the underworld, under the name of Shoukyou (the Japanese writing of her name). She makes her appearance in the Great Guardians anime, arriving to the house of Hakufu (Sun CeSun CeSun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the oldest of the children of Sun Jian who was killed during the Battle of Xiangyang when Sun Ce was only 16. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's overlord, Yuan Shu, and headed to...
's reincarnation), Goei (Madame WuLady WuLady Wu was the wife of the warlord Sun Jian, who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. She had five children: four sons, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Yi, Sun Kuang, and a daughter, Lady Sun...
's) and Koukin (Zhou Yu's) and masquerading as the incarnation of Sun Ce's brother, Sun QuanSun QuanSun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
(alias Sonken Chuubou). Chuubou/Shoukyou helps Hakufu and Koukin in their ordeals as much as she can, while holding feelings for Koukin as the reincarnation of his wife; however, when he gently turns her down, she immediately accepts the fact and keeps aiding them until the end. She is voiced by actress Yui HorieYui Horieis a popular Japanese singer and voice actress. She is sometimes affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans.She hosts a radio show called and is the founding member of the singing group, Aice5. She is also a member of the band Kurobara Hozonkai, with the name YUIEL...
.