Battle of Yubi
546 CE · Yubi (southwest of modern Jishan, Shanxi) · China · Ancient
Wei Xiaokuan held Yubi with several thousand men for more than 50 days; the Eastern Wei lost 70,000 killed and wounded in its assaults, and Gao Huan fell ill from grief and rage and withdrew
Belligerents
Western Wei
- Commanders
- Wei Xiaokuan
- Strength
- A garrison of several thousand
Eastern Wei
- Commanders
- Gao Huan
- Strength
- Eastern Wei army, 100,000
Background
Gao Huan sent the entire army of his state west to besiege Yubi, the Western Wei fortress on the lower Fen River.
Course of the battle
- Building an earthen mound to storm the wallsThe Eastern Wei piled up an earthen mound south of the city, and Wei Xiaokuan built tall towers on the walls
- Tunnel warfareThe Eastern Wei dug ten tunnels; Wei Xiaokuan dug a long trench along the walls, lit fires in it, and used bellows to blow smoke in, suffocating the enemy in the tunnels
- Cloth screens against siege enginesThe Eastern Wei rammed the walls with siege carts, and Wei Xiaokuan blocked them with great curtains sewn from cloth; when the Eastern Wei tied fire to long poles to burn the curtains, he cut the poles with long hooks
- Gao Huan withdrawsAfter more than 50 days of bitter fighting the Eastern Wei had lost 70,000 killed and wounded; Gao Huan fell ill from grief and rage, withdrew, and died the following year
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 546 CE |
|---|---|
| Place | Yubi (southwest of modern Jishan, Shanxi) |
| Result | Wei Xiaokuan held Yubi with several thousand men for more than 50 days; the Eastern Wei lost 70,000 killed and wounded in its assaults, and Gao Huan fell ill from grief and rage and withdrew |
| Winner | Western Wei |
| Casualties | Eastern Wei lost about 70,000 killed and wounded |
| Territorial change | Western Wei holds the Fen River corridor |
Impact
The Battle of Yubi is a classic of ancient Chinese siege defense; afterward the Eastern Wei never again had the strength for a large-scale westward advance.
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