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{{Short description|Two 3rd-century Qiao family sisters}}
{{infobox person
| name = Da Qiao<br>大橋
| image = 古今百美圖之二喬（One hundred beauties Qiao sister）.png
| caption = A [[Qing dynasty]] block print of Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao
| birth_date = Unknown
| death_date = Unknown
| father = Lord Qiao
| relatives = Xiao Qiao (sister)
| spouse = [[Sun Ce]]
}}
{{infobox person
| name = Xiao Qiao<br>小橋
| birth_date = Unknown
| death_date = Unknown
| father = Lord Qiao
| relatives = Da Qiao (sister)
| spouse = [[Zhou Yu]]
}}
{{Chinese
| title = Two Qiaos
| altname = Da Qiao
| s2 = 大桥<!-- This is NOT a typo. See the Romance of the Three Kingdoms section of this article. -->
| t2 = 大橋
| p2 = Dà Qiáo
| w2 = Ta Ch'iao
| l2 = Older Qiao
| altname3 = Xiao Qiao
| s3 = 小桥
| t3 = 小橋
| p3 = Xiǎo Qiáo
| w3 = Hsiao Ch'iao
| l3 = Younger Qiao
}}

[[File:Famous Women, 1799 (K).jpg|thumb|The two Qiaos, as painted by [[Gai Qi]], 1799]]

The '''Two Qiaos of Jiangdong''' ({{zh|first=t|t=江東二喬|s=江东二乔|p=Jiāngdōng èr Qiáo}}) were two sisters of the [[Qiao (surname)|Qiao]] family who lived during the late [[Eastern Han dynasty]] of China. In the novel ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'', the two Qiaos were sisters of exceptional beauty who were the pivot to the [[Battle of Chibi]], one of the most impactful battles of the pre-[[Three Kingdoms|Three Kingdoms period]].<ref>''Sanguo Yanyi'' ch. 44.</ref> [[Cao Cao]], Chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, was depicted in the novel to be interested in having the two sisters, to the point that his intentions were evident in his son's poem "Ode to the [[Bronze Sparrow Platform]]" (銅雀臺賦); consequently leading [[Zhou Yu]] of Jiangdong to go to war with Cao Cao.{{sfn|Tsao|2020|p=52}}

==In historical records==
The Qiao sisters' names were not recorded in history, so in later times they are simply referred to as '''Da Qiao''' (literally "older Qiao") and '''Xiao Qiao''' (literally "younger Qiao"). They were from Wan County (皖縣), Lujiang Commandery (廬江郡), which is in present-day [[Anqing]], [[Anhui]]. Da Qiao married the warlord [[Sun Ce]], who established the foundation of the state of [[Eastern Wu]] during the [[Three Kingdoms]] period. Xiao Qiao married [[Zhou Yu]], a general who served under Sun Ce and later, under his successor, [[Sun Quan]].<ref name="SGZ 54">(頃之，策欲取荊州，以瑜為中護軍，領江夏太守，從攻皖，拔之。時得橋公兩女，皆國色也。策自納大橋，瑜納小橋。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 54.</ref> Sun Ce jokingly told Zhou Yu: "Although Elder Qiao's daughters are exceptionally beautiful, with us as their husbands, it should be a happy enough match."<ref>(江表傳曰：策從容戲瑜曰：「橋公二女雖流離，得吾二人作壻，亦足為歡。」) ''Jiang Biao Zhuan'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 54.</ref>

Zhou Yu had two sons and a daughter, [[Zhou Xun (Three Kingdoms)|Zhou Xun]], Zhou Yin and [[Zhou Fei (Eastern Wu)|Zhou Fei]] (Lady Zhou). It is unknown if his three children were born to Xiao Qiao.

==In ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''==
The Qiao sisters are featured as characters in the 14th-century historical novel, ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'', which romanticises the historical events before and during the [[Three Kingdoms]] period. In the novel, the Chinese character for "Qiao" in their names, 橋/桥, is replaced with 喬/乔.

In the novel, the Qiao sisters are the daughters of a certain ''Qiao Guolao'' (喬國老; literally "State Elder Qiao"), possibly referring to [[Qiao Xuan]]. [[Zhou Yu]]'s biography in the third-century historical text, ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]],'' did not mention the name of the Qiao sisters' father, who was simply referred to as ''Qiao Gong'' (橋公; literally "Elder Qiao" or "Lord Qiao"). Historically, Qiao Xuan died in 184,<ref>([橋]玄以光和六年卒，時年七十五。) ''Houhanshu'' vol. 51.</ref> while the Qiao sisters married Sun Ce and Zhou Yu around 199,<ref name="SGZ 54" />{{sfnp|Sima|1084|loc=vol. 63}} so it was not possible that Qiao Xuan was still living when the marriages took place. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that Qiao Xuan was the "Qiao Gong" mentioned in Zhou Yu's biography. 

In Chapter 44 of the novel, [[Zhuge Liang]] tells [[Zhou Yu]] that [[Cao Cao]]'s desire to have the Two Qiaos for himself is evident in "Ode to the [[Bronze Sparrow Platform]]" (銅雀臺賦), a historical poem written by Cao Cao's son, [[Cao Zhi]]. Zhuge Liang recites an altered version of the poem with added verses:{{sfn|Tian|2018|p=331}}

{{Verse translation|立雙臺於左右兮
有玉龍與金鳳
攬二喬於東南兮
樂朝夕之與共
俯皇都之宏麗兮
瞰雲霞之浮動
欣群才之來萃兮
協飛熊之吉夢|The two towers rise, one on either flank,
This named Golden Phoenix, that Jade Dragon.
He would have the two Qiaos, these beautiful ladies of Wu,
That he might rejoice with them morning and evening.
Look down; there is the grand beauty of an imperial city,
And the rolling vapors lie floating beneath.
He will rejoice in the multitude of scholars that assemble,
Answering to the felicitous dream of [[King Wen of Zhou|King Wen]].|lang=zh|italicsoff=y|attr2=translated by C.H. Brewitt-Taylor{{sfn|Brewitt-Taylor|Luo|1925|loc=chpt. [http://threekingdoms.com/044.htm 44]. Six more lines were added to the end of the poem, omitted here}}}}

An enraged Zhou Yu then hardens his decision to convince [[Sun Quan]] to ally with [[Liu Bei]] against Cao Cao, then prevailing over the latter in the Battle of Chibi. Historically, the battle predates the terrace by two years, and Cao Zhi's poem was written two years after Zhou Yu's death. Nonetheless, the story of the Bronze Bird Terrace and the Qiao sisters in the popular tradition aroused people's imagination for generations.{{sfn|Tsao|2020|p=53}}

[[File:小乔墓 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|right|Younger Qiao's alleged tomb in [[Yueyang]], [[Hunan]], China.]]

== In Chinese opera ==
The 1960 opera ''Fenghuang Er Qiao'' (鳳凰二喬) addresses Xiao Qiao as "Qiao Jing" (喬靚) and Da Qiao as "Qiao Wan" (喬婉), and depicts both as skilled in martial arts. Sun Ce, the protagonist of this opera, borrows 3,000 troops from [[Yuan Shu]] and allies with the Qiao army, which is led by the Two Qiaos. The Qiao's father starts a competition for Zhou Yu and Sun Ce to prove they are worthy of marrying them, where the Qiao sisters engage in battles with their future husbands. Sun Ce eventually gains Da Qiao's hand in marriage through a martial arts contest with the help of Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao.{{Cn|date=April 2025}} 

==In popular culture==
<!-- PLEASE DO NOT INTRODUCE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THE TWO QIAOS' ROLES IN THE GAMES ALREADY MENTIONED IN THIS SECTION. -->
=== Film and television ===
Taiwanese supermodel [[Lin Chi-ling]] starred as Xiao Qiao in the 2008 Chinese epic war film, ''[[Red Cliff (film)|Red Cliff]],'' directed by [[John Woo]]. In the film, it is surmised that Cao Cao's infatuation with Xiao Qiao is the reason why he invaded Sun Quan's lands and initiated the battle. Chinese actress [[Huang Yi (actress)|Huang Yi]] portrayed Xiao Qiao in ''[[Just Another Pandora's Box]]'', a spoof of ''Red Cliff''.

Cai Hancen and [[Tsai Yi-chen]] portrayed Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, respectively, in the 2009 Taiwanese television series, ''[[K.O.3an Guo]]'', a spoof of ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' in a modern high school setting.

Chinese actresses [[Liu Jing (actress)|Liu Jing]] and [[Zhao Ke (actress)|Zhao Ke]] portrayed Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, respectively, in the 2010 Chinese television series, ''[[Three Kingdoms (TV series)|Three Kingdoms]]''.

=== Games ===
The Qiao sisters are featured as playable characters in [[Koei]]'s ''[[Dynasty Warriors]]'' and ''[[Warriors Orochi]]'' video game series. The anime ''[[Koihime Musō]]'' and ''[[Battle Vixens|Ikki Tousen]]'' make references to Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao as well, in which they are known by their respective names in Japanese – Daikyō and Shōkyō.

The Two Qiaos are featured in [[Sega|Sega's]] ''[[Total War: Three Kingdoms]]'' after 19 March 2020, when the developer [[Creative Assembly]] released a DLC under the title of ''A World Betrayed'', which gives the Two Qiao official portraits and 3D models with unique abilities. They are also featured in the game ''[[Honor of Kings|Honour of Kings]]'' which is a Chinese [[multiplayer online battle arena]] game alongside Liu Bei.

The Qiaos are featured as "gods" in the Japanese mobile game ''[[Puzzle & Dragons]]'', as part of the Three Kingdoms God series.<ref>{{cite web |title=Da Qiao & Xiao Qiao stats, skills, evolution, location - Puzzle & Dragons Database |url=http://www.puzzledragonx.com/en/monster.asp?n=1237 |website=www.puzzledragonx.com}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Eastern Wu family trees#Sun Ce]]
* [[Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{Cite web |last1=Brewitt-Taylor |first1=C. H. |author-link=Charles Henry Brewitt-Taylor |last2=Luo |first2=Guanzhong |author-link2=Luo Guanzhong |date=1925 |title=Romance of Three Kingdoms (based on a 1925 translation, with modernized names, corrections, and notes) |url=http://threekingdoms.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409095035/https://threekingdoms.com/ |archive-date=2022-04-09 |access-date=2021-02-02 |website=threekingdoms.com}}
* [[Chen Shou|Chen, Shou]] (3rd century). ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguozhi'').
* [[Fan Ye (historian)|Fan, Ye]] (5th century). ''[[Book of the Later Han]]'' (''Houhanshu'').
* [[Luo Guanzhong|Luo, Guanzhong]] (14th century). ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguo Yanyi'').
* [[Pei Songzhi|Pei, Songzhi]] (5th century). ''[[Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguozhi zhu'').
* {{cite book |author-link=Sima Guang|last=Sima |first= Guang |year=1084 |title=[[Zizhi Tongjian]]}}
*{{Cite book|last=Tian|first=Xiaofei|title=The Halberd at Red Cliff: Jian'an and the Three Kingdoms|publisher=[[Harvard University Asia Center]]|year=2018|isbn=978-1-68417-092-0|location=Cambridge, Massachusetts|pages=|oclc=1153560051}}
*{{Cite book|last=Tsao|first=Joanne|title=The city of Ye in the Chinese literary landscape|isbn=978-90-04-42014-4| publisher = Brill |location=Leiden Boston | year = 2020 |oclc=1141200097}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Qiaos, Two}}
[[Category:2nd-century births]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Year of death unknown]]
[[Category:People during the end of the Han dynasty]]
[[Category:Sister duos]]
[[Category:2nd-century Chinese women]]