← Explore on the interactive map

Wu-Yue Hegemonic Struggle

Type Event Region China Time c. -496–-473

From roughly 496 to 473 BCE, Wu and Yue fought for dominance in the lower Yangtze;…

Timeline

  1. c. -496Zuili · ZhejiangKing Helü of Wu led an army against Yue and was killed in the Battle of Zuili, where Wu forces suffered a setback. Yue gained temporary relief, but the deep-seated enmity between the two states intensified, setting the stage for a prolonged hegemonic struggle.
  2. -494Kuaiji · ZhejiangKing Fuchai of Wu, avenging his father, crushed the Yue army at Fujiao. Goujian retreated to Kuaiji Mountain and was forced to sue for peace, entering Wu's service with Fan Li and Wen Zhong, as Yue submitted to Wu.
  3. -482–-473Gusu · JiangsuAfter returning home, Goujian governed vigorously, spending ten years building up strength and ten years training his people. Seizing the moment when Fuchai marched north for hegemony and Wu lay hollow, he counterattacked, and after a series of victories including the Battle of Lize, he captured Gusu; Fuchai killed himself, and Yue destroyed Wu to dominate the southeast.

Sources