Han Dang

Historical Record

Han Dang, courtesy name Yigong, was a native of Lingzhi in Liaoxi ^c:4159. His skill in archery and horsemanship and his exceptional physical strength won the favor of Sun Jian, whom he followed in campaigns across the land, repeatedly braving danger, breaking enemy lines, and capturing foes; for this he was appointed Major of a Separate Division. According to the Book of Wu, although Han Dang was diligent and meritorious, because he had risen from the ranks of the army his rank never advanced significantly, and throughout Sun Jian's lifetime he remained a Major of a Separate Division ^c:4159.

After Sun Ce crossed the Yangtze eastward, Han Dang continued to follow him in subjugating the three commanderies, and was thereby promoted to Colonel of the Vanguard, granted two thousand troops and fifty cavalry horses. He took part in the campaigns against Liu Xun and in defeating Huang Zu, then turned back to suppress Poyang while concurrently serving as Chief of Le'an, his renown striking fear and submission into the Shanyue tribes ^c:4159.

At the Battle of Red Cliffs, Han Dang, in the office of General of the Household, together with Zhou Yu and others resisted and defeated Cao Cao's great army. Afterward he joined Lü Meng in a surprise assault that seized Nan Commandery, and was thereby promoted to Lieutenant-General with the post of Grand Administrator of Yongchang. In the Battle of Xiaoting (the Yidu campaign), Han Dang, together with Lu Xun, Zhu Ran, and other commanders, attacked the Shu army at Zhuoxiang and won a great victory. After the battle he was transferred to General of Awesome Might and enfeoffed as Marquis of Duting ^c:4159.

When Cao Zhen attacked Nan Commandery, Han Dang was charged with guarding the southeast. As a commander of his sector, he strictly required his officers and men to hold the city in united effort, while also maintaining respect toward his superior supervisors and strictly observing every law and ordinance, all of which Sun Quan deeply commended. In the second year of Huangwu (223 CE), Han Dang was enfeoffed as Marquis of Shicheng, promoted to General of Manifest Might, and made Grand Administrator of Guanjun; later he was further granted the title of Commander-in-Chief. He led a force of ten thousand—dare-to-die troops and the Jiefan corps—to suppress the bandits in the Danyang region, and successfully crushed them. Soon after, Han Dang died of illness, and his son Han Zong inherited the marquisate and took command of his troops ^c:4159.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Han Dang is portrayed as a loyal, brave, and battle-hardened veteran general, an important commander serving three generations—Sun Jian, Sun Ce, and Sun Quan. He first appears in Chapter Five as one of Sun Jian's four great generals, wielding a great saber and standing alongside Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Zu Mao to take part in the campaign against Dong Zhuo ^c:4160.

When Sun Jian came into conflict with Yuan Shao over the Imperial Hereditary Seal, Han Dang, together with Cheng Pu and Huang Gai, drew his blade to guard Sun Jian, displaying his loyalty to his lord ^c:4161. Later, when Sun Jian was besieged by Liu Biao, Han Dang fought to the death with Cheng Pu and Huang Gai to rescue their lord; though they suffered heavy losses, they successfully brought Sun Jian to safety ^c:4162. In the campaign against Huang Zu, Han Dang personally took the field, exchanging over thirty bouts with Zhang Hu, and after Sun Ce shot down Chen Sheng, he seized the moment to slice off half of Zhang Hu's head with one stroke, displaying remarkable ferocity ^c:4163.

On the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs, when Zhou Yu assigned his officers, Han Dang was appointed vanguard, setting out first with Huang Gai to establish camp at Sanjiangkou ^c:6697. When Cao Cao sent an envoy bearing a provocative letter, Zhou Yu in fury beheaded the messenger, then ordered Gan Ning as vanguard, Han Dang on the left wing, and Jiang Qin on the right wing, preparing for battle ^c:6698. After Huang Gai's feigned surrender and fire attack on Cao Cao's naval camp, Han Dang braved smoke and flame to attack the naval camp, and in time rescued the arrow-wounded Huang Gai, displaying deep comradely bond ^c:4164.

When Zhou Yu attacked Nan Commandery, Han Dang was ordered to engage Cao Hong, who fled after more than thirty bouts ^c:4165. When Zhou Yu pursued Liu Bei, Han Dang and Huang Gai followed close behind Zhou Yu, joining the pursuit ^c:4166. At the Battle of Ruxukou, Han Dang and Zhou Tai charged together at Cao Cao, and fought thirty rounds against Xu Chu, showing courage undaunted by a powerful foe ^c:4167.

When Guan Yu attacked Jing Province, Han Dang, together with Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai, Ding Feng, Xu Sheng, and other commanders, set an ambush that trapped Guan Yu in the encirclement, ultimately causing Guan Yu to flee to Maicheng ^c:4168. In the Battle of Xiaoting, Sun Quan appointed Han Dang chief commander and Zhou Tai his deputy, leading a hundred thousand troops to resist Liu Bei ^c:6700. When Liu Bei himself came before the lines, Han Dang and Zhou Tai sallied forth; Han Dang advised Liu Bei not to expose himself rashly, but Liu Bei cursed them as "Wu dogs" ^c:15438. After Lu Xun was appointed Grand Commander, Han Dang, Zhou Tai, and the other veterans at first refused to submit to him, regarding Lu Xun as a "mere boy" and questioning his strategy of holding fast without giving battle ^c:4169, ^c:15441. Han Dang even pointed out to Lu Xun that Liu Bei's troops covered the hills and plains and urged a sortie, but Lu Xun insisted on holding firm, foretelling that the Shu army would move camp into the forested hills, where it could be defeated by a clever stratagem ^c:15442. When Lu Xun saw through Wu Ban's bait-the-enemy ploy and warned the generals not to move rashly, Han Dang and Zhou Tai still thought him cowardly ^c:4170. In the end, Lu Xun burned the linked camps and crushed the Shu army, and only then did Han Dang and the others submit wholeheartedly ^c:15443. The Novel does not clearly state Han Dang's end, but his conduct after the Battle of Xiaoting accords with the historical fact of his death by illness in the second year of Huangwu, though the specific details are largely the Novel's invention.

Key Relationships

* Sun Jian (serves): Han Dang was an early follower of Sun Jian, winning his favor through skill in archery, horsemanship, and physical strength; he followed Sun Jian in campaigns across the land, repeatedly earning merit, a loyal subordinate of Sun Jian ^c:4159. In the Novel, he is moreover one of Sun Jian's four great generals, guarding Sun Jian at critical moments on multiple occasions ^c:4160, ^c:4161, ^c:4162.
* Eastern Wu (serves): Han Dang served the Eastern Wu regime throughout his life, from Sun Jian to Sun Ce to Sun Quan, a founding elder statesman and important commander of Eastern Wu ^c:4159.
* Zhang Hu (enemy_of): In the Novel, Han Dang clashed with Huang Zu's general Zhang Hu on the battlefield and ultimately slew him, an expression of his valor ^c:4163 (Novel only).
* Sun Quan's Faction (serves): As a veteran general of Eastern Wu, Han Dang held important posts in Sun Quan's time, took part in major campaigns such as the Battle of Red Cliffs and the Battle of Xiaoting, and guarded his sector, deeply trusted by Sun Quan ^c:4159.
* Huang Gai (comrade): In the Novel, Han Dang and Huang Gai were comrades-in-arms who campaigned together many times, and Han Dang rescued the wounded Huang Gai after the Battle of Red Cliffs, displaying deep comradely bond ^c:6697, ^c:4164 (Novel only).
* Zhou Tai (comrade): In the Novel, Han Dang and Zhou Tai sallied forth together many times, and especially at Ruxukou and Xiaoting the two are often named together, jointly resisting powerful foes ^c:6700, ^c:15438, ^c:4167 (Novel only).
* Lu Xun (superior, initially distrusted): In the Novel's Battle of Xiaoting, Han Dang at first refused to submit to the young Lu Xun as Grand Commander, questioning his hold-fast strategy, but ultimately submitted wholeheartedly after witnessing the success of Lu Xun's stratagem ^c:4169, ^c:15441, ^c:15442 (Novel only).

Iconic Scenes

* One of Sun Jian's Four Generals: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Han Dang appears as one of Sun Jian's four great generals, wielding a great saber, first introduced on the battlefield of the campaign against Dong Zhuo, establishing his image as a valiant commander ^c:4160 (Novel only).
* Slaying Zhang Hu: In the campaign against Huang Zu, Han Dang fought Zhang Hu, and after Sun Ce shot down Chen Sheng, he seized on Zhang Hu's panic to slay him with a single stroke, showing his superb martial skill and battlefield instinct ^c:4163 (Novel only).
* Rescuing Huang Gai at Red Cliffs: After the fire attack on Cao's camp at Red Cliffs, Han Dang braved smoke and flame to attack the naval camp and in time rescued the arrow-wounded Huang Gai—a scene highlighting Han Dang's loyalty, valor, and deep bond with his comrade ^c:4164 (Novel only).
* Refusing to Submit to Lu Xun Early at Xiaoting: In the Battle of Xiaoting, Han Dang, as a veteran, expressed dissatisfaction and doubt at the young Lu Xun being made Grand Commander and adopting a hold-fast strategy, considering him "cowardly"; but in the end Lu Xun's fire-attack stratagem crushed the Shu army, and only then did Han Dang submit wholeheartedly—an episode that enriches Han Dang's character and dramatizes the clash between a veteran's experience and a new commander's strategy ^c:4169, ^c:15441, ^c:15442 (Novel only).
* Commanding in the Field, Spurring Officers to Hold Fast in Unity: History records that when Cao Zhen attacked Nan Commandery, Han Dang guarded the southeast, and as commander strictly required his officers and men to hold fast in united effort, while respecting his superiors and observing the laws, earning Sun Quan's deep commendation. This reflects Han Dang's military talent and character as a commander of his sector ^c:4159.
* Suppressing the Danyang Bandits: In his later years Han Dang led ten thousand dare-to-die and Jiefan troops to successfully suppress the bandits of the Danyang region, displaying his undying military ability and his contribution to Eastern Wu ^c:4159.