kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Western Wei (206 BC)

206 BCE – 205 BCE · capital Pingyang

Wei Bao's kingdom in southern Shanxi, one of the Eighteen Kingdoms of 206 BCE, conquered by Han Xin's surprise crossing of the Yellow River.

Origins

Wei Bao, of the royal house of the old State of Wei, had been made King of Wei during the rising against the Qin dynasty. In Xiang Yu's settlement of 206 BCE he lost the Wei heartland around Daliang and was moved west to rule as King of Western Wei from Pingyang in the Fen valley of Shanxi.

Rule and society

The kingdom covered the Hedong region, rich in salt and grain, on the east bank of the Yellow River facing the Guanzhong region. It was a frontline state whose loyalty swung with the fortunes of Chu and Han.

Decline and legacy

Wei Bao joined Liu Bang in 205 BCE, then deserted him after the Han defeat at Pengcheng. That autumn Han Xin feinted at one ford while crossing at Xiayang on rafts of wooden jars, and captured Wei Bao. His concubine Bo Ji later bore Liu Bang a son, the future Emperor Wen of Han.

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Western Wei (206 BC). In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/western-wei-206-bc
MLA
“Western Wei (206 BC).” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/western-wei-206-bc. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Western Wei (206 BC).” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/western-wei-206-bc.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Western Wei (206 BC)’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/western-wei-206-bc (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻