Pang Tong
Encyclopedia
Pang Tong was an advisor to Liu Bei
during the late Han Dynasty
period of Chinese history
. He was nicknamed "Young Phoenix" (鳯雛; Fèngchú) by his uncle Pang Degong due to his ugly appearance but great capabilities and talent (just like how the baby phoenix is very ugly, but grows to be a beautiful and legendary creature). Pang Tong rose to fame after he met Sima Hui
, a reclusive scholar who named him as one of the great talents in southern Jing Province after spending a whole day chatting with him.
. He appeared plain and dumb-witted in his youth and his talent was not recognized by anyone. When Pang Tong came to of age, he visited Sima Hui
, who was famous for spotting and recommending men of talent. Sima Hui and Pang Tong sat below a mulberry tree and had a long discussion until late at night. Sima Hui felt that Pang Tong was an extraordinary person and remarked that Pang was "the crown of scholars in the southern province". Since then, Pang Tong gradually gained more recognition among the scholar-gentry.
Pang Tong was later appointed as an Officer of Merit (功曹) in Nan commandery (南郡; in present-day Jingzhou
, Hubei
). He was an appraiser, and his reviews on people were focused more on their personal virtues rather than their abilities. He was fond of ethical lessons and consistently strived to maintain his moral standards. He usually overpraised when asked to assess a person. At times, people were puzzled and questioned him on why he did that, to which he replied, "The nation 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."
In 209, Zhou Yu
, a general serving under the warlord Sun Quan
, occupied Nan Commandery after the Battle of Jiangling
. Zhou Yu was appointed as Administrator of Nan Commandery while Pang Tong continued serving as an Officer of Merit under Zhou. When Zhou Yu died in 210, Pang Tong travelled to Jiangdong
to attend his funeral. There, he met Lu Ji
(陸勣), Gu Shao (顧劭) and Quan Cong
, who had heard of his name and wanted to see him. They were very pleased with the comments Pang Tong gave on each of them, and befriended him. They told Pang Tong, "When peaceful times come, we'll have a discussion with you on all the scholars in the world." Pang Tong joined Liu Bei
's service later.
) to help Liu Zhang
defend against Zhang Lu's invasion, Pang suggested to Liu Bei to take Liu Zhang hostage when they meet and force Liu to hand over Yi Province. Liu Bei declined and allowed Liu Zhang to return to Chengdu
(capital city of Yi Province), on the grounds that he did not want to take the risk and that he was still unfamiliar in the area. When relations between Liu Bei and Liu Zhang deteriorated until the point of war, Pang Tong offered three options for his lord to take, namely the upper, middle and lower plans. The upper plan involved sending an elite special task force to invade Chengdu secretly, take Liu Zhang by surprise and force him to surrender. The middle plan was to spread false information that Liu Bei was returning to Jing Province, then lure Liu Zhang's generals Yang Huai
and Gao Pei away from their positions, kill them and take over their castles and armies, and finally advance towards Chengdu. The lower plan entailed retreating to Jing Province and await for another time to attack Yi Province. Liu Bei chose the middle one and requested reinforcements from Liu Zhang to deal with Zhang Lu. Liu Zhang sent him only a small number of troops with low fighting capability and a mediocre amount of supplies. Liu Bei rallied his troops to turn against Liu Zhang and killed Yang Huai and Gao Pei, on charges of showing disrespect towards him, and took over command of their armies. Liu Bei's forces then attacked Liu Zhang's city of Luo, which was defended by Liu Zhang himself, and besieged the city for over a year.
Liu Bei expressed joy during a banquet in Fucheng (涪城) to celebrate his victory over Liu Zhang so far, and Pang Tong chided him, saying that "celebrating the invasion of others' territory is not what a man of ren (仁; a Confucian
value which advocates showing kindness) should do". The drunk Liu Bei retorted angrily, "King Wu of Zhou
also rejoiced after his victory over King Zhou of Shang
. Is he not an example of a man of ren? You're wrong, so get out now!" After Pang Tong left, Liu Bei regretted for making that response and invited Pang back. Pang returned to his seat and did not apologise to Liu. Liu asked, "When that happened, whose fault did you think it was?" Pang replied, "It was both yours and mine." Liu laughed and the banquet continued.
. Liu Bei wept whenever the incident was mentioned and Zhuge Liang
attended Pang's funeral personally. Pang was conferred the posthumous titles of Marquis of Guannei (關內侯) and Marquis Jing (靖侯) after the founding of Shu Han
.
Pang Tong's son Pang Hong was appointed as the governor of Fu later while his brother Pang Lin surrendered to Cao Wei
sometime later.
, Pang Tong is portrayed as a brilliant military strategist who equalled Zhuge Liang
. Sima Hui
recommended Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong as talents to aid Liu Bei
in his ambitious plans, by the following words: "Sleeping Dragon, Fledging Phoenix - receive one, and you can settle all things under Heaven."
Like Sima Hui, Pang Tong was first introduced as a reclusive scholar in Xiangyang. He made his first appearance in the events prior to the Battle of Red Cliffs
and played a major role in Liu Bei and Sun Quan
's victory over Cao Cao
. When Cao Cao's guest advisor Jiang Gan
paid a second visit to Zhou Yu
for the purpose of leaking back military information back to Cao, Zhou accused him of stealing secret information about enemy generals Cai Mao
and Zhang Yun
during his earlier visit (which was a ruse staged by Zhou) and had Jiang locked up in a temple. Jiang met Pang Tong in the temple and they returned to Cao Cao's camp together. Cao Cao was overjoyed and received Pang Tong warmly. Pang suggested to Cao Cao to link his battleships together with iron chains, so as to minimise the ships from rocking when they sailed on the river. Cao Cao heeded Pang's suggestion and his decision proved to be a fatal mistake later on.
Pang Tong appeared again after the death of Zhou Yu, when Lu Su
recommended Pang to Sun Quan as an advisor. Sun granted Pang an audience but Pang's ugly appearance immediately put him off. Sun then asked Pang about his abilities as compared to Zhou Yu, to which Pang haughtily replied that he was "different" from Zhou. Greatly offended by his appearance, and his attitude towards Zhou (who Sun Quan greatly respected), Sun dismissed Pang as a common fool who boasted about his knowledge.
After leaving Sun Quan, Pang went to serve Liu Bei and presented his plan for the occupation of Liu Zhang
's territory in Yi Province (present-day Sichuan
). Zhuge Liang had mentioned earlier in his Longzhong plan
that Yi Province would be Liu Bei's home base for his future conquests. Pang followed Liu Bei to Yi Province on the invitation of Liu Zhang to deal with Zhang Lu. During the first meeting between Liu Bei and Liu Zhang, Pang ordered Wei Yan
to assassinate Liu Zhang during the banquet under the guise of performing a sword dance. Liu Bei was unwilling to harm Liu Zhang, as the latter was from the imperial clan just as he was, and stopped Wei Yan.
Pang Tong continued to provide strategies for Liu Bei in his subsequent battles against Liu Zhang's forces after relations between Liu Bei and Liu Zhang deteriorated to the point of war. Before Liu Bei's forces set off to attack Luocheng, Pang suggested to Liu Bei to lead a smaller contingent and take a shortcut, while he would lead the main army to attack Luocheng head-on. Liu Bei refused and decided that Pang should take the shortcut instead. Before leaving the camp, Pang's horse reared on its hind legs and threw him off. Liu Bei noticed that it was a bad omen and wanted to call off the battle, but Pang insisted. Liu Bei then offered his own steed Dilu (said to bring ill luck to its rider, however it saved Liu's life once so he thought it was a horse of good luck) to Pang instead. Pang was ambushed at the Valley of the Fallen Phoenix
(落鳯坡) by archers under the command of Liu Zhang's general Zhang Ren
. He died under showers of arrows along with his men. As if his death was predestined by Heaven's will, his place of death was called "Valley of the Fallen Phoenix", in which the "Phoenix" referred to Pang, as Pang's nickname was "Young Phoenix".
, Warriors Orochi
and Dynasty Tactics
video game series.
In Koihime Musou, Pang appears as a shy and reserved young girl called Hinari Shigen Houtou. First appearing in episode 10 of Shin Koihime Musou, Hinari lives with Zhuge Liang / Shuri Koumei Shokatsuryou teacher.
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
during the late Han Dynasty
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...
. He was nicknamed "Young Phoenix" (鳯雛; Fèngchú) by his uncle Pang Degong due to his ugly appearance but great capabilities and talent (just like how the baby phoenix is very ugly, but grows to be a beautiful and legendary creature). Pang Tong rose to fame after he met Sima Hui
Sima Hui
Sima Hui, style names Decao and Shuijing , was a hermit who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was from Yingchuan , and lived in northern Jing Province...
, a reclusive scholar who named him as one of the great talents in southern Jing Province after spending a whole day chatting with him.
Early life
Pang Tong was a native of XiangyangXiangyang
Xiangzhou District is a district of Xiangyang, Hubei, China. The district itself was formerly known as Xiangyang. It was a city famous for the Siege of Xiangyang by invading forces of the Mongol-founded Yuan Dynasty...
. He appeared plain and dumb-witted in his youth and his talent was not recognized by anyone. When Pang Tong came to of age, he visited Sima Hui
Sima Hui
Sima Hui, style names Decao and Shuijing , was a hermit who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was from Yingchuan , and lived in northern Jing Province...
, who was famous for spotting and recommending men of talent. Sima Hui and Pang Tong sat below a mulberry tree and had a long discussion until late at night. Sima Hui felt that Pang Tong was an extraordinary person and remarked that Pang was "the crown of scholars in the southern province". Since then, Pang Tong gradually gained more recognition among the scholar-gentry.
Pang Tong was later appointed as an Officer of Merit (功曹) in Nan commandery (南郡; in present-day Jingzhou
Jingzhou
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
). He was an appraiser, and his reviews on people were focused more on their personal virtues rather than their abilities. He was fond of ethical lessons and consistently strived to maintain his moral standards. He usually overpraised when asked to assess a person. At times, people were puzzled and questioned him on why he did that, to which he replied, "The nation 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."
In 209, 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...
, a general serving under the warlord 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....
, occupied Nan Commandery after the Battle of Jiangling
Battle of Jiangling
The Battle of Jiangling was fought by the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei against Cao Cao during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
. Zhou Yu was appointed as Administrator of Nan Commandery while Pang Tong continued serving as an Officer of Merit under Zhou. When Zhou Yu died in 210, Pang Tong travelled to Jiangdong
Jiangnan
Jiangnan or Jiang Nan is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including the southern part of the Yangtze Delta...
to attend his funeral. There, he met Lu Ji
Lu Ji
Lu Ji , style name Shiheng , was a writer and literary critic of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:Lu Ji was a direct descendant of the founders of Eastern Wu and son of the general Lu Kang...
(陸勣), Gu Shao (顧劭) and Quan Cong
Quan Cong
Quan Cong , style name Zihuang , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He married Sun Quan's oldest daughter Sun Luban. During the subjugation of the Shanyue, Quan achieved great success. Quan afterwards marched with Lu Xun to attack the Cao Wei...
, who had heard of his name and wanted to see him. They were very pleased with the comments Pang Tong gave on each of them, and befriended him. They told Pang Tong, "When peaceful times come, we'll have a discussion with you on all the scholars in the world." Pang Tong joined Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
's service later.
Assisting Liu Bei in the conquest of Yi Province
When Liu Bei led his army to Yi Province (covering the Sichuan BasinSichuan basin
The Sichuan Basin is a lowland region in southwestern China. Despite its historical name, it is not only synonymous to Sichuan province, comprising its central and eastern portions as well as part of Chongqing Municipality...
) to help Liu Zhang
Liu Zhang (warlord)
Liu Zhang was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He became governor of Yi Province , succeeding his father Liu Yan and ruled the region until 214, when he surrendered to Liu Bei...
defend against Zhang Lu's invasion, Pang suggested to Liu Bei to take Liu Zhang hostage when they meet and force Liu to hand over Yi Province. Liu Bei declined and allowed Liu Zhang to return to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
(capital city of Yi Province), on the grounds that he did not want to take the risk and that he was still unfamiliar in the area. When relations between Liu Bei and Liu Zhang deteriorated until the point of war, Pang Tong offered three options for his lord to take, namely the upper, middle and lower plans. The upper plan involved sending an elite special task force to invade Chengdu secretly, take Liu Zhang by surprise and force him to surrender. The middle plan was to spread false information that Liu Bei was returning to Jing Province, then lure Liu Zhang's generals Yang Huai
Yang Huai
Yang Huai was a military general under the warlord Liu Zhang during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was in charge of guarding Baishui Gate during Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province. He plotted with Gao Pei to assassinate Liu Bei, but the plan was exposed and they were captured...
and Gao Pei away from their positions, kill them and take over their castles and armies, and finally advance towards Chengdu. The lower plan entailed retreating to Jing Province and await for another time to attack Yi Province. Liu Bei chose the middle one and requested reinforcements from Liu Zhang to deal with Zhang Lu. Liu Zhang sent him only a small number of troops with low fighting capability and a mediocre amount of supplies. Liu Bei rallied his troops to turn against Liu Zhang and killed Yang Huai and Gao Pei, on charges of showing disrespect towards him, and took over command of their armies. Liu Bei's forces then attacked Liu Zhang's city of Luo, which was defended by Liu Zhang himself, and besieged the city for over a year.
Liu Bei expressed joy during a banquet in Fucheng (涪城) to celebrate his victory over Liu Zhang so far, and Pang Tong chided him, saying that "celebrating the invasion of others' territory is not what a man of ren (仁; a Confucian
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
value which advocates showing kindness) should do". The drunk Liu Bei retorted angrily, "King Wu of Zhou
King Wu of Zhou
King Wu of Zhōu or King Wu of Chou was the first sovereign, or ruler of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. The dates of his reign are 1046-1043 BCE or 1049/45-1043. Various sources quoted that he died at the age of 93, 54 or 43. He was considered a just and able leader. Zhou Gong Dan was one of his...
also rejoiced after his victory over King Zhou of Shang
King Zhou of Shang
Emperor Xin of Shang was the last king of the Shang Dynasty. He was later given the pejorative posthumous name Zhòu . He is also called Zhou Xin or King Zhou . He may also be referred to by adding "Shang" in front of any of his names...
. Is he not an example of a man of ren? You're wrong, so get out now!" After Pang Tong left, Liu Bei regretted for making that response and invited Pang back. Pang returned to his seat and did not apologise to Liu. Liu asked, "When that happened, whose fault did you think it was?" Pang replied, "It was both yours and mine." Liu laughed and the banquet continued.
Death
Pang Tong was killed by enemy arrows during the siege of Luocheng (雒城) at the age of 36 by Chinese reckoningEast Asian age reckoning
East Asian age reckoning is a concept and practice that originated in China and is widely used by other cultures in East Asia, which share this traditional way of counting a person's age. Newborns start at one year old, and each passing of a Lunar New Year, rather than the birthday, adds one year...
. Liu Bei wept whenever the incident was mentioned and 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....
attended Pang's funeral personally. Pang was conferred the posthumous titles of Marquis of Guannei (關內侯) and Marquis Jing (靖侯) after the founding of Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
.
Pang Tong's son Pang Hong was appointed as the governor of Fu later while his brother Pang Lin surrendered to Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
sometime later.
Appointments and titles held
- Assistant Officer (從事) under Liu Bei
- Prefect of Leiyang (耒陽令)
- Assistant Officer in Headquarters Office (治中從事)
- Military Adviser General of the Household (軍師中郎將)
- The following two titles were granted to Pang Tong posthumously
- Marquis of Guannei (關內侯)
- Marquis Jing (靖侯)
In fiction
In Romance of the Three KingdomsRomance 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...
, Pang Tong is portrayed as a brilliant military strategist who equalled 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....
. Sima Hui
Sima Hui
Sima Hui, style names Decao and Shuijing , was a hermit who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was from Yingchuan , and lived in northern Jing Province...
recommended Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong as talents to aid Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
in his ambitious plans, by the following words: "Sleeping Dragon, Fledging Phoenix - receive one, and you can settle all things under Heaven."
Like Sima Hui, Pang Tong was first introduced as a reclusive scholar in Xiangyang. He made his first appearance in the events prior to 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...
and played a major role in Liu Bei and 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....
's victory over 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...
. When Cao Cao's guest advisor Jiang Gan
Jiang Gan
Jiang Gan was an advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.The annotations to Records of Three Kingdoms from the Jiangbiao Zhuan described Jiang Gan as a good-looking man whose debating skills were unmatched in the Jiangnan and Huai River region...
paid a second visit to 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...
for the purpose of leaking back military information back to Cao, Zhou accused him of stealing secret information about enemy generals Cai Mao
Cai Mao
Cai Mao was a military general specializing in naval warfare during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He was from Xiangyang in Jing Province and originally served the warlord Liu Biao before joining Cao Cao's forces. He gained his status when his sister married Liu Biao.Cai Mao initially...
and Zhang Yun
Zhang Yun
Zhang Yun was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was Cai Mao's maternal nephew and specialized in naval warfare like his uncle...
during his earlier visit (which was a ruse staged by Zhou) and had Jiang locked up in a temple. Jiang met Pang Tong in the temple and they returned to Cao Cao's camp together. Cao Cao was overjoyed and received Pang Tong warmly. Pang suggested to Cao Cao to link his battleships together with iron chains, so as to minimise the ships from rocking when they sailed on the river. Cao Cao heeded Pang's suggestion and his decision proved to be a fatal mistake later on.
Pang Tong appeared again after the death of Zhou Yu, when Lu Su
Lu Su
Lu Su , style name Zijing , was a politician, militarist and diplomat serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
recommended Pang to Sun Quan as an advisor. Sun granted Pang an audience but Pang's ugly appearance immediately put him off. Sun then asked Pang about his abilities as compared to Zhou Yu, to which Pang haughtily replied that he was "different" from Zhou. Greatly offended by his appearance, and his attitude towards Zhou (who Sun Quan greatly respected), Sun dismissed Pang as a common fool who boasted about his knowledge.
After leaving Sun Quan, Pang went to serve Liu Bei and presented his plan for the occupation of Liu Zhang
Liu Zhang (warlord)
Liu Zhang was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He became governor of Yi Province , succeeding his father Liu Yan and ruled the region until 214, when he surrendered to Liu Bei...
's territory in Yi Province (present-day Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
). Zhuge Liang had mentioned earlier in his Longzhong plan
Longzhong Plan
The Longzhong Plan is the name given to a strategic plan given by the third century Chinese tactician and administrator Zhuge Liang. It formed the basis for the grand plan of the warlord Liu Bei and later the Three Kingdoms state of Shu. In essence it envisaged the securing of a viable regional...
that Yi Province would be Liu Bei's home base for his future conquests. Pang followed Liu Bei to Yi Province on the invitation of Liu Zhang to deal with Zhang Lu. During the first meeting between Liu Bei and Liu Zhang, Pang ordered Wei Yan
Wei Yan
Wei Yan was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He became a soldier of Liu Bei when the latter fled Jing Province and seek protection from the eastern warlord, Sun Quan, in 208. In 211, Wei had climbed up the ranks and become a general in Liu Bei's...
to assassinate Liu Zhang during the banquet under the guise of performing a sword dance. Liu Bei was unwilling to harm Liu Zhang, as the latter was from the imperial clan just as he was, and stopped Wei Yan.
Pang Tong continued to provide strategies for Liu Bei in his subsequent battles against Liu Zhang's forces after relations between Liu Bei and Liu Zhang deteriorated to the point of war. Before Liu Bei's forces set off to attack Luocheng, Pang suggested to Liu Bei to lead a smaller contingent and take a shortcut, while he would lead the main army to attack Luocheng head-on. Liu Bei refused and decided that Pang should take the shortcut instead. Before leaving the camp, Pang's horse reared on its hind legs and threw him off. Liu Bei noticed that it was a bad omen and wanted to call off the battle, but Pang insisted. Liu Bei then offered his own steed Dilu (said to bring ill luck to its rider, however it saved Liu's life once so he thought it was a horse of good luck) to Pang instead. Pang was ambushed at the Valley of the Fallen Phoenix
Valley of the Fallen Phoenix
The Valley of the Fallen Phoenix is located in Sichuan, China. In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Pang Tong was killed at the valley in 214 in an ambush by Zhang Ren's archers during Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province . Following the death of Pang Tong, Liu Bei...
(落鳯坡) by archers under the command of Liu Zhang's general Zhang Ren
Zhang Ren
Zhang Ren was a general serving under the warlord Liu Zhang during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-In fiction:In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Ren served under Liu Zhang...
. He died under showers of arrows along with his men. As if his death was predestined by Heaven's will, his place of death was called "Valley of the Fallen Phoenix", in which the "Phoenix" referred to Pang, as Pang's nickname was "Young Phoenix".
Modern references
Pang Tong is featured as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriors
is 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,...
, Warriors Orochi
Warriors 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...
and Dynasty Tactics
Dynasty Tactics
is a series of strategy games for the Sony PlayStation 2. The titles are set in the same time-period as several of Koei's other series, including the action-oriented Dynasty Warriors series and the strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series...
video game series.
In Koihime Musou, Pang appears as a shy and reserved young girl called Hinari Shigen Houtou. First appearing in episode 10 of Shin Koihime Musou, Hinari lives with Zhuge Liang / Shuri Koumei Shokatsuryou teacher.