During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, China transformed into a vast and powerful empire. Moving away from earlier policies of appeasement and intermarriage with the nomadic Xiongnu, Emperor Wu launched a series of bold military campaigns to push them back. In these decades-long conflicts, three generals emerged as key figures: Wei Qing, Li Guang, and Huo Qubing. Among them, Huo Qubing (140-117 B.C.) achieved the most remarkable victories.
A rise from humble beginnings
Huo Qubing was born into a modest family. His mother, Wei Shao’er, had served as a maid to Princess Pingyang, the sister of Emperor Wu. His father, Huo Zhongru, held a minor post as a government official. Huo was raised among servants and faced a childhood of limited means. Yet under the mentorship of his uncle, General Wei Qing, he trained diligently in horseback riding, archery, and hand-to-hand combat.
His fortunes changed when his aunt, Wei Zifu, became Emperor Wu’s favored consort and eventually the empress. The rise of the Wei family brought new opportunities, and Huo Qubing quickly proved himself worthy.
A bold first campaign
At just eighteen, Huo Qubing was appointed a palace attendant tasked with guarding the emperor. In 121 B.C., during the second year of the Yuanshou era, General Wei Qing was ordered to lead a campaign against the Xiongnu. Huo requested to join, and Emperor Wu, impressed by his courage, made him Colonel of the Vanguard with command over 800 elite cavalry.
In his first battle, Huo led a daring raid deep into enemy territory, killing over 2,000 Xiongnu soldiers. His swift and decisive tactics earned him the title “Marquis Champion.” His name spread rapidly throughout the empire.
Securing the Hexi Corridor
The Hexi Corridor, located between the Qilian and Heli Mountains, was a vital strategic route connecting China to the Western Regions. Once inhabited by the Yuezhi people, it had been seized by the Xiongnu, cutting off Han China’s westward access.
Determined to reclaim the area, Emperor Wu launched the Hexi Campaign. In the spring of 121 B.C., Huo Qubing was promoted to General of the Cavalry and led 10,000 elite horsemen from Longxi into battle.
Over just six days, Huo’s forces defeated five Xiongnu tribes, advanced more than 240 miles, and captured numerous enemy leaders — including the son of King Hunxie. More than 8,000 Xiongnu soldiers were killed. Among the spoils was a sacred golden idol used in Xiongnu rituals — a symbolic blow to their morale.
Later that summer, a second expedition was launched. Huo Qubing and General Gongsun Ao were to march separately and join forces in battle. But Gongsun Ao became lost in the desert, leaving Huo to face the enemy alone. Undeterred, he pressed on, employing brilliant feints and flanking maneuvers that exhausted and outwitted the Xiongnu. At the Qilian Mountains, he crushed the enemy, killing over 30,000 and forcing the surrender of 2,500 more.
With these twin victories, the Han reclaimed Hexi and weakened the Xiongnu’s grip on the region. Huo Qubing’s fame soon rivaled that of his uncle Wei Qing, and he became a national hero.
When Emperor Wu commissioned a grand mansion for him in Chang’an, the young general declined to visit it, famously saying: “How can I enjoy a home while the Xiongnu still roam free?” His words became a symbol of patriotic devotion.
Breaking the Xiongnu’s power
Repeated defeats had shaken the Xiongnu leadership. The Chanyu (supreme ruler) lost confidence in two of his subordinate kings, Hunxie and Xiutu. Fearing punishment, they sought to defect to Han China. Emperor Wu sent Huo Qubing to accept their surrender.
When Huo arrived, his army’s precision and power caused panic in the Xiongnu ranks. Some tried to flee, but Huo launched a swift assault, killing over 8,000 deserters and stabilizing the situation. Ultimately, more than 40,000 Xiongnu surrendered. This marked the collapse of their control over Hexi and opened the way westward, laying the foundation for the Silk Road and centuries of trade and cultural exchange.
One tale from this campaign remains legendary: Emperor Wu sent wine from the capital to reward the troops. Rather than keeping it, Huo Qubing poured it into a nearby spring to share with his soldiers. The fragrant aroma spread through the valley, and the spring was named Jiuquan, or “Spring of Wine” — a name the region still bears today.
A brilliant light that burned too briefly
Huo Qubing died of illness at just twenty-four. His life, like a blazing meteor, was brilliant yet tragically short. Though quiet by nature, he was unmatched in courage, tactics, and battlefield command. Over six campaigns, he killed or captured more than 100,000 Xiongnu troops — achievements that etched his name into history.
Emperor Wu mourned him deeply and ordered a grand funeral. Huo was buried near the imperial mausoleum at Maoling. His tomb was shaped like the Qilian Mountains and surrounded by majestic stone carvings, immortalizing his victories.
To this day, Huo Qubing is revered as a hero of the Han Dynasty and remembered as the general who shattered the Xiongnu’s dominance and helped open the Western gateway for China’s golden age of expansion and exchange.
Translated by Katy Liu
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