Liu Pan

Liu Pan
Traditional Chinese	劉磐
Simplified Chinese	刘磐
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Liú Pán

Liu Pan
Native name	劉磐
Born	2nd century
Died	3rd century (exact year unknown)
Allegiance	Jing Province warlords
Commands	Garrison of Changsha Commandery (長沙郡) – co-commander
Battles / wars	Raids on Ai County, Xi’an County (c. 200) · Skirmishes with Taishi Ci · Defence of Changsha
Relations	Liu Biao (uncle) · Liu Hu (cousin)

Liu Pan (simplified Chinese: 刘磐; traditional Chinese: 劉磐; pinyin: Liú Pán; fl. late 2nd – early 3rd century) was a nephew of the Jing-province governor Liu Biao during the waning years of the Eastern Han dynasty. Described as “fierce and daring,” he led cross-border raids into Yang Province, fought the general Taishi Ci under Sun Ce, and later helped guard Changsha Commandery alongside Huang Zhong. His ultimate fate is unrecorded in official histories.

Early activity

The Records of the Three Kingdoms notes that “Liu Biao’s nephew Pan was bold and often pillaged Ai and Xi’an counties.” To curb these incursions, Sun Ce carved six counties around present-day Nanchang and appointed Taishi Ci as Commandant of Jianchang to oppose Liu Pan, who was eventually driven off and ceased raiding.

Defence of Changsha

After Liu Biao pacified Changsha (present-day central Hunan), he stationed Liu Pan and the veteran general Huang Zhong at You County to hold the commandery’s southern approaches. When Jing Province fell to Cao Cao in 208, Huang Zhong eventually served Liu Bei, but the historical record falls silent on Liu Pan.

Assessment

Contemporary historians supply no personal evaluation beyond calling him “valiant.” His obscurity after 208 suggests that he either retired locally or perished in the turmoil that followed the Battle of Red Cliffs.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In Luo Guanzhong’s 14-century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Pan is recruited by Huang Zhong to serve Liu Bei after the Red Cliffs campaign and is later killed during Lu Meng’s 219 surprise invasion of Jing Province.

Legacy

Local gazetteers attribute the names **Mufu Mountain** (幕浮山) and **Zhenbian Camp** (鎮邊營) in Jiangxi to fortifications erected by Taishi Ci specifically to check Liu Pan’s forces.

See also

• Liu Biao
• Taishi Ci
• Huang Zhong

References

• Chen Shou (3rd c.). Sanguozhi (Records of the Three Kingdoms).
• Pei Songzhi (5th c.). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms.
• Rafe de Crespigny (2016). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms.