Two Qiaos

Da Qiao
Traditional Chinese	大喬
Simplified Chinese	大乔
Literal meaning	Older Qiao
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Dà Qiáo

Xiao Qiao
Traditional Chinese	小喬
Simplified Chinese	小乔
Literal meaning	Younger Qiao
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Xiǎo Qiáo

The Two Qiaos refer to two sisters who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Their names were not recorded, so in later times they are referred to simply as Da Qiao (literally: "elder Qiao") and Xiao Qiao (literally: "younger Qiao"). They were from Wan County, Lujiang Commandery (present-day Qianshan County, Anhui). Da Qiao married the warlord Sun Ce, who established the foundation of the state of Eastern Wu; while Xiao Qiao was married to the general Zhou Yu, who served Sun Ce and his successor Sun Quan.

In fiction

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the two Qiaos were said to be the daughters of Qiao Xuan. They were described to be famous beauties in the region south of the Yangtze River. They were said to be one of the causes of the Battle of Red Cliffs, because Cao Cao attacked Sun Quan's lands to take the sisters for himself. In chapter 44, in a conversation between Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu, Zhuge said that he had a plan to cause Cao Cao's forces to retreat, by sending Cao the Two Qiaos. Zhuge pretended that he did not know who the Two Qiaos were married to. When Zhou asked Zhuge for evidence that Cao was after the Two Qiaos, Zhuge mentioned that he heard that Cao Cao asked his son Cao Zhi to write a poem titled Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Platform (銅雀臺賦). Zhuge recited the poem and pointed out that Cao Cao's desire to take the Two Qiaos for himself was evident in the poem. The enraged Zhou hardened his decision to ally with Liu Bei and fight Cao Cao.

Historical inaccuracy

Qiao Xuan died in 183 while the Qiao sisters married Sun Ce and Zhou Yu in 200, so Qiao Xuan could not have possibly been present at the time of the marriages. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the Qiao sisters were the daughters of Qiao Xuan. Besides, if the Qiao sisters were indeed the daughters of Qiao Xuan, the Chinese character for "Qiao" in their names should be "橋" instead of "喬".

The Bronze Sparrow Platform (銅雀臺) was built in the winter of 210,^[1] nearly three years after the end of the Battle of Red Cliffs. Cao Zhi's poem Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Platform was written in 212, two years after the platform was constructed. Besides, the poem in Romance of the Three Kingdoms contains seven additional lines that were not present in the original version recorded in Cao Zhi's biography in Records of Three Kingdoms.^[2] Therefore, the story in Romance of the Three Kingdoms about Zhuge Liang using the poem to incite Zhou Yu's anger towards Cao Cao is purely fiction.

Modern references

• Both the Two Qiaos are featured as playable characters in Koei's Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi video game series.

• Taiwanese supermodel Lin Chi-ling played the role of Xiao Qiao in John Woo's 2008 epic film Red Cliff. In the film, it is surmised that Cao Cao's infatuation with Xiao Qiao is the reason why he invaded Sun Quan's lands and initiated the battle. Chinese actress Huang Yi played Xiao Qiao in Just Another Pandora's Box, a spoof film of Red Cliff.

• Cai Hancen and Tsai Yi-chen played Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao respectively in the 2009 television drama K.O.3an Guo, a spoof of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a modern setting.

• The Two Qiaos, known by their Japanese names (Daikyō and Shōkyō), are referenced in the visual novel and anime series, Koihime Musō. Both sisters serve as Shūyu (Zhou Yu)'s personal "pets" that have the sole purpose of entertaining her. They both are recurring characters who are famous singers from the Kingdom of Go. Daikyō is a hermaphrodite while Shōkyō is fully female.

• In Ikki Tousen, Xiao Qiao is the only of the sisters who is lost in the underworld, under the name of Shoukyou (the Japanese writing of her name). She makes her appearance in the Great Guardians anime, arriving to the house of Hakufu (Sun Ce's reincarnation), Goei (Madame Wu's) and Koukin (Zhou Yu's) and masquerading as the incarnation of Sun Ce's brother, Sun Quan (alias Sonken Chuubou). Chuubou/Shoukyou helps Hakufu and Koukin in their ordeals as much as she can, while holding feelings for Koukin as the reincarnation of his wife; however, when he gently turns her down, she immediately accepts the fact and keeps aiding them until the end. She is voiced by actress Yui Horie.

See also

• List of people of the Three Kingdoms
• List of Dynasty Warriors characters

Notes and references

1. ^ (十五年春， ... 冬，作銅雀台。) Chen Shou. Records of Three Kingdoms, Volume 1, Biography of Cao Cao.
2. ^ (Chinese) Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Platform on Chinese Wikisource