Battle of Yamen
1279 CE · Yamen, Guangdong, China
The Battle of Yamen was fought in 1279 CE in Yamen, Guangdong, China between Yuan (Mongol) dynasty vs the Southern Song dynasty; decisive Yuan victory; the last Song emperor died and the Song dynasty ended.
Battle of Yamen: quick facts
- Date
- 1279 CE
- Location
- Yamen, Guangdong, China
- Belligerents
- Yuan (Mongol) dynasty vs the Southern Song dynasty
- Commanders
- Zhang Hongfan vs Zhang Shijie
- Result
- decisive Yuan victory; the last Song emperor died and the Song dynasty ended.
- Era
- ⛩️ East Asia
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Yamen?
The Battle of Yamen was the final confrontation between the Mongol Yuan Dynasty and the remnants of the Southern Song Dynasty. The Song fleet, chained together in a defensive formation, was surrounded and destroyed by the Yuan navy. When defeat became certain, the loyal minister Lu Xiufu carried the eight-year-old Emperor Bing on his back and jumped into the sea, ending the Song Dynasty forever. It was one of the most dramatic endings of any Chinese dynasty.
Did you know?
The loyal minister Lu Xiufu carried the last Song emperor on his back into the sea at Yamen rather than let him be captured. An estimated 100,000 Song loyalists drowned themselves rather than submit to Mongol rule.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Yamen on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.