Baguazhen ( Chinese: 八卦陣;

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...

: ''bāguàzhèn)''; lit. 'eight trigrams (military) formation') or Bagua Formation, also known as Jiujun (九軍; lit. 'Nine armies') or Jiugong Baguazhen (九宮八卦陣;

: ''Jiǔgōng bāguàzhèn''; lit. 'Nine palaces, eight trigrams formation') or Bazhen (八陣; lit. 'eight formations') is a military formation originating from China, based on the principles of ''

Bagua The ''bagua'' ( zh, c=八卦, p=bāguà, l=eight trigrams) is a set of symbols from China intended to illustrate the nature of reality as being composed of mutually opposing forces reinforcing one another. ''Bagua'' is a group of trigrams—co ...

'' or ''Qimen Dunjia''. The formation has been used throughout Chinese history and attributed to many famous military figures, most notably to

Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang () (181September or October 234), also commonly known by his courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman, strategist, and inventor who lived through the End of the Han dynasty, end of the Eastern Han dynasty ( 184–220) and t ...

. In Song dynasty sources, the ''bazhen'' is also alternatively known as ''jiujunzhen'' (九軍陣, lit. 'nine-army formation').

Overview

Generally, the ''bazhen'' is a mass military formation, where the army are divided into eight units deployed at cardinal and ordinal directions, often surrounding a central commanding unit. The exact composition and the names of the regiments in the ''baguazhen'' varies in different sources, but the key feature of the formation is its defensive capability and adaptability, by quickly mobilizing and shifting unit ranks on the field, to cover for each unit's weaknesses.

Unit composition

In ''Questions and Replies between Tang Taizong and Li Weigong'', the formation is described as being composed of large, medium and small units, with each unit being composed of, and able to divide into, smaller battalions. Roughly, the large unit is composed of eight medium units, and the medium units can be split into six small squad units, making a total of 64 squad units per formation. Some sources also call for an additional shock cavalry numbering in 24 squads, bringing the number to a total of 88. The central unit would be composed of small number of elite troops, protected by large number of movable infantry. Each unit situated in each direction could respond to any attack and function as each others' defence and reserve, by shifting their positions and surrounding the attacker from all sides, or moving its weaker units behind the stronger units. Other sources such as ''Taiping Yulan'' also records the use of war wagons, such as the ''"deer-antler wagon"'' (鹿角車), to obstruct the enemy while providing added protection and quick transport for the soldiers. The regiments are also separated into ''zheng'' (正)-troops or regular troops, and ''qi'' (奇)-troops, or special troops, respectively. The ''zheng'' and ''qi'' are based on Sun Tzu's tactic of applying direct, ordinary force to engage in battle and for indirect, inordinary force to secure victory. ("凡戰者，以正合，以奇勝").

Naming convention

The names of the eight units vary. In the dialog between Li Jing and Li Shimin, it is said that the regiments are named ''Tian (''天, 'heaven'), ''Di'' (地, 'earth'), ''Feng'' (風, 'wind'), ''Yun'' (雲, 'cloud'), ''Long'' (龍, 'dragon'), ''Hu'' (虎, 'tiger'), ''Niao'' (鳥, 'bird') and ''She'' (蛇, 'snake'), with heaven, earth, wind and cloud symbolising flags and banners'','' and dragon, tiger, bird and snake corresponded to squad units. These units are further categorized into four ''zheng''-units and four ''qi''-units, respectively. In ''

Wujing Zongyao The ''Wujing Zongyao'' (), sometimes rendered in English as the ''Complete Essentials for the Military Classics'', is a Chinese military compendium written from around 1040 to 1044. The book was compiled during the Northern Song dynasty by Ze ...

'', the eight formations are the 'sky-formation' (天陣), 'earth-formation' (地陣), 'wind-formation' (風陣), 'cloud-formation' (雲陣), 'tiger wing-formation' (虎翼陣), 'snake coil-formation' (蛇盤陣), 'flying dragon-formation'(飛龍陣), and 'bird flying-formation' (鳥翔陣), with each having their assigned position within the formation, with the animal formations supporting the elemental formations, while lesser elemental forms support the greater. Wang Yingling of the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

records in the book ''Xiaoxue Ganzhu'' (小学绀珠) that the names of the eight formations are ''Dongdang'' (洞當), ''Zhonghuang'' (中黃), ''Longteng'' (龍騰), ''Niaofei'' (鳥飛), ''Zhechong'' (折衝), ''Huyi'' (虎翼), ''Woji'' (握機), and ''Lianheng'' (連衡). Other sources claim the eight are named after the eight gates of ''Qimen Dunjia,'' called ''Xiu'' (休), ''Sheng'' (生), ''Shang'' (伤), ''Du'' (杜), ''Jing'' (景), ''Si'' (死), ''Jing'' (惊), and ''Kai'' (开).

History

The earliest mention of the military formation was from

Sun Bin's Art of War ''Sun Bin's Art of War'' is a Chinese treatise on military strategy that dates back to the Warring States period, an era of political instability and warfare in ancient China. It is credited to Sun Bin, who was believed to be a descendant of ...

during the

Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

. The formation is organised through "dividing the army detachment into three units, each placing an elite vanguard and a rear-guard as reserve. Each unit would engage against the enemy in battle, while leaving the other two in reserve and to consolidate the gains." The position of the units would shift based on the strength of the enemy; if the enemy is weak, the elite troops will be sent to mount a shock attack to gain an advantage, if the enemy is strong, the weakest troops will be sent first to bait them. Sun Bin also advices using terrain as advantage before placing the formation. "When land is flat, there should be more armed chariots; when the terrain is difficult, more cavalry should be sent: and when narrow and blocked, there should be more archers sent." By the time of the

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

, the ''baguazhen'' became regularly used in warfare and military drills. General Dou Xian notably defeated the

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of Nomad, nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese historiography, Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, t ...

using the ''bazhen'' formation. The ''baguazhen'' saw notable innovation during the

Three Kingdoms period The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Western Jin dynasty. Academically, the ...

, who made improvements on the formation for use of military drills and as defensive tactic against

Cao Wei Wei () was one of the major Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic states in China during the Three Kingdoms period. The state was established in 220 by Cao Pi based upon the foundations laid by his father Cao Cao during the end of the Han dy ...

's cavalry. Zhuge Liang's tactics overall favored smaller elite units and careful, deliberate engagements, so the formation proved to be effective in combating against the stronger and more numerous armies of Cao Wei, while keeping Shu Han's losses to a minimum. Zhuge Liang made additional improvements to the ''bazhen'' through the addition of a command structure centered within the formation and extensive use of crossbows supplemented by a defensive spear-infantry and war wagons against Cao Wei's heavy cavalry to deadly effect. The ''bazhen'' enabled Zhuge Liang's army to be disciplined and flexible, quick to adapt to multiple terrains and situations, but was slow and plodding when it came to consolidating their conquests and retreating. Despite these flaws, later military officers emulated Zhuge Liang's successes by studying the ''baguazhen'', which became attributed to Zhuge Liang alone. Examples of this include

Ma Long Ma Long ( zh, s=马龙, p=Mǎ Lóng; born 20 October 1988) is a Chinese professional table tennis player. He is a two-time Olympic champion, three-time World Champion, and three-time World Cup champion in men's singles. Widely regarded as the g ...

during his conquest of Liangzhou in 279, where he utilized the formation and building protective wagons to guard against arrows and other ambushes, while his soldiers were able to move while fighting, and the enemies' arrows were unable to hit them. Gao Lü of

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei ( zh, c=北魏, p=Běi Wèi), Tuoba Wei ( zh, c=拓跋魏, p=Tuòbá Wèi), Yuan Wei ( zh, c=元魏, p=Yuán Wèi) and Later Wei ( zh, t=後魏, p=Hòu Wèi), was an Dynasties of China, impe ...

studied and advocated the use of Zhuge Liang's ''bazhen'' to defend against invasions from nomadic tribes. In ''Questions and Replies between Tang Taizong and Li Weigong'', the ''baguazhen'' was discussed in great detail. Following on the principles of ''bazhen'', Li Jing developed a new military formation named ''"Liuhuazhen"'' (Chinese: 六花陣; lit. 'six-flower formation' ), which similarly divided the armies into battalions arranged around a central unit, with stronger units protecting the weaker ones and able to shift positions quickly. The later

continued to use the ''bazhen'' as part of its military strategy, partially based on Li Jing's tactical formations, to better combat the superior cavalry of various northern peoples such as the Liao or Jurchen- Jin. In ''Wujing Zongyao'', detailed instructions and variations were provided for the formation.

Emperor Taizong of Song Zhao Jiong (20 November 939 – 8 May 997), known as Zhao Guangyi from 960 to 977 and Zhao Kuangyi before 960, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizong of Song, was the second emperor of the Song dynasty of China. He reigned from 9 ...

utilized the ''"Benchao bazhenfa"'' (本朝八阵法); the formation is composed of around fourteen-thousand mixed infantry and cavalry, with an additional team of fifty men, which were divided into 280 teams (200 infantry teams and 80 cavalry teams). The teams are organized into seven detachments of central, left and right guards, as well as left and right vanguards and rear-guards. The units would be arranged into tight files of 10-men, and the units arranged to leave enough space in between each other for another unit to occupy. Each unit would complement the other, and defend the rank-and-file next to it in the left. The formation has eight gates, which can quickly close in and surround the enemy from two sides. When attacking, the left and right units would move out to form a pincer attack, and special ''qi-''units are sent to distract and strike in the opposite direction of the intended target to allow the regular ''zheng-''units to attack it and consolidate. The study of ''baguazhen'' was not limited to the Song, as

Emperor Zhangzong of Jin Emperor Zhangzong of Jin (31 August 1168 – 29 December 1208), personal name Madage, sinicized name Wanyan Jing, was the sixth emperor of the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty of China. He reigned from 20 January 1189 to 29 December 1208.Tao, p. 85-86 ...

dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

notably discussed the ''bazhen'' with his chancellor to learn from military tactics of the Song so to better engage their military.

Cultural references

* The formation had been a subject for many ancient Chinese poets, such as

Du Fu Du Fu (; 712–770) was a Chinese poet and politician during the Tang dynasty. Together with his elder contemporary and friend Li Bai, Du is often considered one of the greatest Chinese poets of his time. His greatest ambition was to serve ...

and

Lu Yu Lu Yu (; 733–804) or Lu Ji (陆疾), courtesy name Jici (季疵) was a Chinese tea master and writer. He is respected as the Sage of Tea for his contribution to Chinese tea culture. He is best known for his monumental book ''The Classic of ...

. * In the classic novel

Water Margin ''Water Margin'' (), also called ''Outlaws of the Marsh'' or ''All Men Are Brothers'', is a Chinese novel from the Ming dynasty that is one of the preeminent Classic Chinese Novels. Attributed to Shi Nai'an, ''Water Margin'' was one of the e ...

, ''jiugong baguazhen'' is shown as an impressive and deceptive battle tactic studied and deployed by

Song Jiang Song Jiang was a Chinese historical figure who led an armed rebellion against the ruling Song dynasty, Song Dynasty in the early 12th century. His band marauded over a region straddling the present-day Chinese provinces of Shandong and Henan. Th ...

and Wu Yong to defeat the various adversaries of the 108 Heroes of Liangshan, including Tong Guan and Liao forces. * ''Baguazhen'' is the namesake and inspiration for tactics used for Wuziqi and Chinese chess. * In the classic occult novel '' Teito Monogatari'' by

Hiroshi Aramata is a Japanese author, polymath, critic, translator and specialist in natural history, iconography and cartography. His most popular novel was '' Teito Monogatari'' (''Tale of the Capitol''), which has sold over 5 million copies in Japan alone. ...

, the representation of Kimon Tonkou magic is based on the stone sentinel maze, based on the ''bazhentu''.''TEITO MONOGATARI'' vol. 1 * In the 2008 film '' Red Cliff'', based on the

Battle of Red Cliffs The Battle of Red Cliffs, also known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive naval battle in China that took place during the winter of AD 208–209. It was fought on the Yangtze River between the forces of warlords controlling different parts ...

Liu Bei Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a China, Chinese warlord in the late Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty who later became the founding Emperor of China, emperor of Shu Han, one of the Three Kingdoms of ...

and

Sun Quan Sun Quan (; 182 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumous name, posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime established by hi ...

deployed their troops in the ''bagua formation''. Cao Cao's vanguard army was lured into the formation and suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the allied forces. * The formation is referenced in anime Ya Boy Kongming!.

References