The Eight Formation Diagram (八阵图 bā zhèn tú) was a legendary battle formation devised by Zhuge Liang. According to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang arranged stones along the Yangtze River in a pattern that trapped Lu Xun’s pursuing Wu army after the Battle of Yiling. Historical accounts suggest it was a flexible tactical system rather than a fixed stone formation, adaptable to different terrain and troop numbers.
References
- Chen Shou, Records of the Three Kingdoms (三国志)
- Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义)
- Sima Guang, Zizhi Tongjian (资治通鉴)
- de Crespigny, Rafe. A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms