11 Facts About Fan Kuai

Fan Kuai was a close friend of Liu Bang and they were from the same hometown of Pei County.

Fan Kuai married Lu Xu, the younger sister of Liu Bang's wife Lu Zhi.

Liu Bang was then known as "Duke of Pei" and Fan Kuai served as one of his close aides and bodyguards.

Fan Kuai distinguished himself on the battlefield as a mighty warrior and capable general.

Fan Kuai fought in many battles on Liu Bang's side and claimed the heads of enemies in increasing order in each battle, and was rewarded with promotions to higher ranks each time.

Fan Kuai is best known for defending Liu Bang at the Feast at Hong Gate, which was actually a trap set to kill Liu.

Fan Kuai rushed to Liu Bang's defence when he heard that Xiang Yu's advisor Fan Zeng intended to have Liu killed.

Fan Kuai chided Xiang Yu openly, making a speech about Liu Bang's accomplishments and stating that it would be unjust for Xiang to kill Liu.

Fan Kuai participated actively in many of the battles between the two contending forces and became famous for his prowess in battle.

Several months later, Emperor Wen conferred the title on Fan Shiren, another son of Fan Kuai who was not born to Lu Xu.

In Chinese folk religion, Fan Kuai is sometimes regarded as a patron deity of butchers.