9. Siege of Xiangyang, 1267-1273
In 1268, a Mongol army of about 100,000 men, supported by a fleet of more than 5,000 vessels, attempted to capture the twin cities of the Song Dynasty of Xiangyang and Fancheng. Both Song cities were heavily fortified, and the Mongols chose to surround them with fortified positions, gradually starving them into submission. Unknown to the Mongols was the vast amount of supplies previously stored in the cities, which held out against their enemies for years. The defenders also found a means of protecting themselves and the walls of the cities from the projectiles hurled by Mongol catapults. They fashioned nets to catch the projectiles, rather than allow them to strike their structures.
Both cities eventually fell to the Mongols in 1273, after several years of siege. Their losses hastened the end of the Song dynasty and extended Mongol influence to southern China. The two cities became one over the centuries, known as Xiangyang today, a major manufacturing center. A portion of the city wall which resisted the Mongol armies in the 13th century still stands. The siege was notable for its lengthy resistance to the Mongol forces and for the extensive casualties suffered by both sides, as well as for the use of a relatively new instrument of war – gunpowder.