Two Qiaos

Da Qiao
大橋
A Qing dynasty block print of Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao
BornUnknown
DiedUnknown
SpouseSun Ce
FatherLord Qiao
RelativesXiao Qiao (sister)
Xiao Qiao
小橋
BornUnknown
DiedUnknown
SpouseZhou Yu
FatherLord Qiao
RelativesDa Qiao (sister)
Two Qiaos
Da Qiao
Traditional Chinese大橋
Simplified Chinese大桥
Literal meaningOlder Qiao
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinDà Qiáo
Wade–GilesTa Ch'iao
Xiao Qiao
Traditional Chinese小橋
Simplified Chinese小桥
Literal meaningYounger Qiao
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiǎo Qiáo
Wade–GilesHsiao Ch'iao
The two Qiaos, as painted by Gai Qi, 1799

The Two Qiaos of Jiangdong (traditional Chinese: 江東二喬; simplified Chinese: 江东二乔; pinyin: Jiāngdōng èr Qiáo) were two sisters of the Qiao family who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In ahistorical tales, the two Qiaos were sisters of exceptional beauty who were the pivot to the Battle of Chibi, one of the most impactful battles of the pre-Three Kingdoms period.[1] Cao Cao, Chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, was described to be interested in having the two sisters, to the point that his intentions were evident in his son's poem "Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Platform" (銅雀臺賦); consequently leading Zhou Yu of Jiangdong to go to war with Cao Cao.[2]

  1. ^ Sanguo Yanyi ch. 44.
  2. ^ Tsao 2020, p. 52.