※ This video is part of ＜World Theme Travel - Chinese Three Kingdoms Road, Battle of Red Cliffs Parts 1-4＞ that aired from April 15 to 18, 2024. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a 'textbook of life' that overcomes troubled times and a 'guidelines for life' containing various human figures and worldly wisdom! Among them, the decisive battle in history where the weak defeated the strong with an ingenious strategy! Embark on a heart-pounding journey following the epic Battle of Red Cliffs. ■ (1) Cao Cao descends Hubei Province (湖北省), the site of the greatest battle of the Three Kingdoms period, so much so that it was depicted as the background of about 70% of ＜Romance of the Three Kingdoms＞! The journey begins in Wuhan (武漢), which is called 'Guidebook of Nine Provinces', meaning 'a passage connecting nine provinces', and a hub of land, sea, and air transportation. The landmark of Wuhan, Huanghelou (黄鶴樓), also known as the “best tower in the world,” is a watchtower built by Sun Quan, the king of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, in preparation for a war with Shu. When you climb to the top, you can see the land of Central Plains that the three kingdoms were trying to occupy at a glance. Looking at the view, you can feel the emotions of the heroes who had the ambition to unify the country. Hubei Province (湖北省), which boasts outstanding mountainous terrain with more than half of its area being mountainous, has a unique landscape. As I walked along the vertical rock walls that resembled a folding screen, I found an unidentifiable house on the top of the cliff. It reminded me of the retreat of Sima Hui, a scholar who refused to take office and lived in seclusion! I headed there as if drawn by the strange atmosphere, but I got lost. As I was walking aimlessly, I met a family by chance. They offered me tea with bright smiles and even gave me a warm meal. I felt the importance of relationships. Here is a hero whose life changed by chance, none other than Liu Bei! Feeling pressured by Cao Cao who absorbed all the northern forces and began his southern advance, but wandering without a proper support base, he happened to meet Sima Hui and heard about Zhuge Liang, the great dragon. So he visited him three times to recruit him. We visit the famous site of the 'three times of going to the river', Goryongzhong (古隆中, 古隆中), and look into the historical prelude of Liu Bei's rise from penniless to the ruler of Shu. After much effort, Liu Bei recruited Zhuge Liang as his adviser. However, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were not pleased with Zhuge Liang. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, there is a battle where Zhuge Liang shook off the distrust of Liu Bei's army in one go, the Battle of Bowangpo (博望坡)! We visit that historical site and follow his activities as he made a hot appearance by demonstrating a fire attack strategy against Cao Cao's army. ■ (2) The all-rounder Zhou Yu of Jiangdong We begin our journey by climbing Tianzhu Mountain (天柱山), which, along with Huangshan and Jiuhua Mountain, is considered one of the three most famous mountains in Anhui Province. We pass 45 granite peaks and a forest of all kinds of strangely shaped rocks to reach the summit at 1,490m above sea level. Looking at the highest peak, Tianzhu Peak (天柱峰), which means “a pillar supporting the sky,” the saying, “A hero who saves the country is born with the energy of the mountain,” naturally comes to mind. A person born with the energy of this place, the greatest general of Jiangdong who stopped Cao Cao’s army from approaching with unyielding momentum! Let’s follow in the footsteps of Zhou Yu. Whether it’s appearance, martial arts, or personality, he is a rare hero with all the qualities of a protagonist, but he was distorted in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and did not receive much attention. Perhaps because of this, it is hard to find relics related to him. Nevertheless, I went to a place where I heard that his traces still remain! It is Yucheng Village (瑜城村), Zhou Yu’s hometown and the village where he trained his army. After asking around the residents, I head to Zhou Yucheng (周瑜城), an earthen castle built by the wealthy Zhou family. In the past, it was a castle with a moat, but now only a statue of Zhou Yu stands guard over the site. I wander around him for a while, still standing strong. The next place I visited was Zhou Yu Cultural Park (周瑜文化园). It is a place where you can get a glimpse of Zhou Yu and the culture of the Three Kingdoms period. Upon entering the shrine, there are bouquets of flowers in front of the statue! There is a piece of unidentified paper stuck between the bouquets, and upon closer inspection, it turns out to be a love letter? I can feel the endless popularity of Zhou Yu, who boasted a beautiful appearance to the point that his nickname was ‘Mijurang’. There is a woman who captured his heart, none other than the great beauty of the Three Kingdoms period, Xiao Qiao! In search of her love story, we head to the site of Xiao Qiao’s home, Qiaojiazhuangyuan (Qiao Family Manor Garden). It is said that she personally used the well, Yanzhijing (Yanzhijing, 胭脂井). There is a folk tale about this well that has been passed down among the locals. We will explore the interesting stories while looking for traces of Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao that remain throughout the site. How good was Zhou Yu’s martial arts skill, considered one of the greatest generals? Wudang Mountain (Wudang Mountain, 武當山), the greatest Taoist holy site in China and the birthplace of Wudang martial arts, which are on par with Shaolin martial arts. We will meet Taoist masters training in the martial arts halls at the foot of the mountain and gauge Zhou Yu’s martial arts skill. With his outstanding looks and martial arts skills, Zhou Yu had another thing he couldn't miss: musical instruments. There was even a saying that went, "If there's a mistake in the melody, Zhou Lang will look back." One of the instruments he was particularly good at was the Guqin (古琴). He is a Guqin maker with a 3,000-year history and an excellent player! We meet Mr. Zhou Xiang, who also has a warm appearance. Jiangdong, which faced a great crisis due to Cao Cao's southward advance, had a fiercely divided opinion between those who wanted to surrender and those who wanted to fight. At that time, Zhou Yu insisted on war! He led 30,000 soldiers and ended his journey at the Yangtze River (長江) where he had headed. ■ (3) Legendary Battles Among the battles of the Three Kingdoms period where all sorts of strategies were used, the Battle of Red Cliffs was a battle where unique strategies shone through! Let's delve into the epic history of a great reversal where 50,000 soldiers defeated 250,000 soldiers. The journey begins in Hubei Province, the main stage of the Three Kingdoms period. Among them, Jingzhou was the center of Jingzhou, the gunpowder keg for dominating the Central Plains, and was a major port city on the Yangtze River. The streets we visited early in the morning were filled with people drinking under signs that read "Zhaozhou." It is the culture of port cities, Zhaozhou culture (早酒文化), which originated from the dock workers who worked in the morning beating the cold with alcohol. A man who proudly brewed his own liquor offered us a glass of liquor at a table we happened to join. But it had an alcohol content of 50 percent! How did it taste? Cibi (赤壁), one of the birthplaces of the Three Kingdoms culture and the stage for the Battle of Red Cliffs. Sanguochibigujanchang (三國赤壁古戰場) is a park that recreates the Battle of Red Cliffs, the only remaining ancient battlefield of the seven great battles where the weak defeated the strong. It is a huge battlefield with three mountains surrounding it! Here, we will delve into the three secret strategies that allowed the allied forces of Liu Bei and Sun Quan to defeat Cao Cao, as well as the successful fire attack that was carried out by chaining all of these strategies together. The more you learn about it, the more interesting and fun it becomes to learn about the history and stories of the people. What was the situation of Cao Cao's army at the time of the Battle of Red Cliffs? We will follow the traces and go to Wulin Village (Wulin Village, 烏林村) where Cao Cao's army was stationed. Wulin, which used to be a densely forested area but was reduced to ashes by the fire attack, is now a quiet rural village. However, there are still some traces that show the misery of that time, either preserved or abandoned. Let's take a look at the vivid scenes, including Hongxuexiang (Hongxuehang, 紅血巷), the "Red Blood Alley" where the retreating Cao Cao and the allied forces fought the fiercest battle; Wanrenkeng (Wanrenggeng, 萬人坑), where the corpses of 100,000 of Cao Cao's soldiers are said to be buried; and Cao Cao's shrine, Cao Gongsi (曹公祠), which has been left in a ruined state. What would Cao Cao's retreat have been like after his bitter defeat? Enshi Canyon (Yinsidae Canyon, 恩施大峽谷) is a karst canyon with a total length of 108km. The Qingjiang River flowing through the canyon, the sea of ​​clouds, and the fantastically shaped rocks make for a spectacular sight, and it is also called the "Grand Canyon of the East." One of the five wonders of the valley, Yijuxiang (一炷香) is a 150m high rock formation that looks like a stick of incense. Walking along the path, the path formed along the rock cliff, you can imagine Cao Cao's state of mind as he narrowly escaped with his remaining soldiers after barely surviving. ■ (4) The Age of Heroes The Battle of Red Cliffs, which led to the establishment of the Three Kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu. Following the movements of each force after the war, we trace the history up to the establishment of the Three Kingdoms. The first place we visited was Jingzhou (荆州), located on the border of Wei, Shu, and Wu. It was the center of Jingzhou during the Three Kingdoms period, a key transportation hub, and a city where each force fought fiercely to occupy it. The person who took over this place after the Battle of Red Cliffs was none other than Liu Bei! Guan Yu built Jingzhou Old City (Jingzhou Ancient City) for defense and guarded it for 10 years, and his breath still lives on. Liu Bei started to expand his power from here. Let's get lost in the interesting story contained in the still-told tale of 'Liu Bei borrowing Jingzhou.' While walking around the lake, we come across an unbelievable sight. A man walking on the lake? He looks like the main character of a martial arts novel, leisurely walking on the water! When we get closer, we see that he is standing on a bamboo pole, keeping his balance, and moving on the water. Who is this man? The next place we visit is Ezhou (顎州), the capital city that Sun Quan moved to rule over his expanded territory after the Battle of Red Cliffs. Let's imagine Sun Quan discussing state affairs with his ministers while listening to the pian jing and pian chime, instruments used in court music, in the Bishu Palace (Pi Shui Palace, 避暑宫) that he built to escape the heat. Meanwhile, as Liu Bei continued to expand his power, Zhou Yu felt threatened and claimed the Tianhai Basin. However, he soon died on the battlefield. What was the impact of Zhou Yu's sudden death, a hero to all people? In China, there is another Red Cliff besides the Battle of Red Cliffs. It is Wenzibi (文赤壁) located in Huangzhou. Su Dongpo, the greatest poet and calligrapher of the Northern Song Dynasty, left behind the famous "Red Cliffs." Here, you can read the Red Cliffs written by Su Dongpo himself, reflect on the meaning of life, and conclude your journey. ✔ Program name: World Theme Travel China Three Kingdoms Road, Red Cliffs Part 1-4 ✔ Broadcast date: 2024.04.15~18 #TVViewingChoLaDunDocumentary 00:00:00 (1) Cao Cao Descends 00:44:55 (2) Zhou Yu, the All-rounder of Jiangdong 01:27:49 (3) The Battle That Became a Legend 02:11:01 (4) The Age of Heroes