Chen Youliang

Steel and Fire on Poyang: The 1363 Battle of Kanglang Mountain and the Geographic Linkage Jiangxi Province, Yugan County, Kanglang Mountain (Kangshan), Poyang Lake, Hongdu (Nanchang), Jiangzhou (Jiujiang), Wuchang, Nanhu Mouth, Jingjiang Mouth, Ruihong, Wuling Mountain, Gutang. I. The Siege of Hongdu: Prelude to the Battle of Kanglang Mountain In 1361 (21st year of the Zhizheng era), Zhu Yuanzhang captured Jiujiang, Nankang, and Jianchang, forcing Chen Youliang to flee to Wuchang. However, Chen, the most powerful warlord at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, did not accept defeat. In April 1363 (23rd year of Zhizheng), Chen launched a massive offensive against Hongdu (modern Nanchang) with a combined land and sea force of 600,000 troops and a fleet of 5,000 giant warships. These ships, several stories high and painted in cinnabar, spanned dozens of miles and were chained together like floating fortresses [1-3]. ...

Abstract In 1363 AD (the 23rd year of the Zhizheng era), a decisive battle took place in the waters of Poyang Lake that shaped China’s history for centuries. Emperor Chen Youliang of Han led a massive force of 600,000 land and naval troops against Wu King Zhu Yuanzhang’s 200,000 mariners in a brutal 35-day confrontation near Mount Kanglang [1, 2]. Faced with Chen’s towering war galleons, Zhu Yuanzhang utilized a sudden northeast wind to launch a fire attack, burning hundreds of enemy ships and laying the foundation for the Ming Dynasty [2]. ...