Conflict244–245

Invasion by Guanqiu Jian of Wei

After King Dongcheon attacked Wei’s Xi’anping, the Wei general Guanqiu Jian invaded and sacked Hwando.

Wall of Hwando Mountain Fortress, taken by Wei general Guanqiu Jian in 244 — Ji’an
Wall of Hwando Mountain Fortress, taken by Wei general Guanqiu Jian in 244 — Ji’an

Sohan Dsouza · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Wei destroyed the Gongsun clan of Liaodong in 238 and now bordered Goguryeo directly. Exploiting the wars among Wei, Wu and Shu, Dongcheon attacked Xi’anping at the Yalu mouth in 242 to cut the road between Liaodong and Lelang. Guanqiu Jian struck back twice in 244–245, took Hwando and chased the king as far as southern Okjeo.

In the crisis Yu Yu feigned surrender and stabbed a Wei commander with a knife hidden in a food dish, while Mil U and others guarded the king and drove the Wei army out. A stele recording Guanqiu Jian’s campaign was found at Ji’an.

The map in AD 244

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States and rulers at the time
Goguryeo · invaded — King Dongcheon
Cao Wei · invader — Cao Fang
Places
Hwando Mountain Fortress

People

  • King DongcheonAD 209 – AD 248

    monarch · Eleventh king of Goguryeo, whose capital Hwando fell to the Wei general Guanqiu Jian

Before and after

Themes that include this event

  • The Three KingdomsAD 184 – AD 280

    From the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the Jin reunification — a century of Wei, Shu and Wu, the age of Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan