The first attempt to advance north was stopped at an ambush at the Suoyi ford in the Xiang River, where over 10,000 Taiping sailors and soldiers were killed.

The Taiping army recruited miners from the local area to build siege tunnels in an effort to breach the city walls.

In September, the West King Xiao Chaogui attempted to boost morale by hoisting banners and donning his royal robes on the battlefield, but was spotted by a Qing gunner and killed.

With the death of one of the original Kings, by November, Hong Xiuquan called off the siege and Taiping forces continued north down the Xiang River towards Wuchang, Hubei.

However, in 1856,[citation needed] Zeng Guofan’s Xiang Army retook Hunan for the Qing dynasty.