Changban (長坂) was a slope and market-town near Xiangyang in Jing Province, roughly corresponding to the area around modern Dangyang in Hubei. Its road and bridge formed part of the main overland route from Xiangyang towards the Yangtze crossings.
In 208, after Liu Cong surrendered Jing Province to Cao Cao, Liu Bei led tens of thousands of followers south. Burdened by refugees, his column was soon overtaken by Cao Cao’s elite cavalry at Changban. In the panic that followed, Liu Bei abandoned his family and fled towards the south, while Zhao Yun turned back, fought repeatedly through Cao Cao’s troops, and rescued Liu Shan and Lady Gan. The clash at Changban became the Battle of Changban and gave rise to some of the most famous episodes in both the historical record and later Romance tradition.