Huarong Dao is an ancient Chinese folk puzzle game renowned for its endless variations and enduring appeal—alongside the Rubik’s Cube and the Chinese Ring Puzzle, it has been lauded by international puzzle experts as one of “the three great marvels of the puzzle world.” Together with traditional Chinese brain teasers like Tangram and Nine Linked Rings, Huarong Dao is often referred to as “China’s Puzzling Conundrum.”

According to the commentary in the Zizhi Tongjian, “From this very path, one can reach Huarong.” Huarong Dao was originally a place name in ancient China; legend has it that Cao Cao once fled in defeat through these lands. Back then, Huarong Dao was a vast expanse of marshland—Cao Cao’s massive army had to clear vegetation and level the terrain, but many soldiers were tragically buried alive, making the retreat a harrowing ordeal.

Gameplay: By strategically moving the pieces, players must guide Cao Cao from his starting position to the lower-middle section of the board, where he can escape through the designated exit. Players are not allowed to jump over other pieces—and the challenge lies in finding the fewest possible moves to lead Cao Cao safely to freedom. The greatest obstacle standing in Cao Cao’s path is Guan Yu: stationed at the entrance to Huarong Dao, Guan Yu stands guard like a lone warrior, his presence enough to deter even the mightiest foes. Of course, both Guan Yu and Cao Cao are pivotal to solving this puzzle. The four Liu Bei soldiers are the most agile and easiest to maneuver; carefully considering how to maximize their strengths is essential to success. The “Huarong Dao” board features a grid of twenty small squares, each representing a segment of the legendary path.

Below you’ll find a comprehensive collection of Huarong Dao levels from the Three Kingdoms era—come help Cao Cao break free and escape to safety!!!