Pang Tong (pronunciation^ⓘ) (179–214), courtesy name Shiyuan, was a Chinese politician who served as a key adviser to the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In his youth, Pang Tong was disregarded because he was plain-looking. The hermit scholar Sima Hui, however, held him in high esteem and called him the "Crown of Scholars in Jing Province". Pang Tong studied under Sima Hui along with Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu and Xiang Lang, and he was given the nickname "Fledgling Phoenix". Owing to his friendly attitude, he worked as an appraiser in Nan Commandery. When he reviewed someone, he would prioritise their virtues over their abilities and encourage them to help others.

Pang Tong briefly served under Zhou Yu and befriended Lu Ji, Gu Shao and Quan Cong before joining Liu Bei after Liu Bei became the governor of Jing Province in 210. Through the recommendation of Lu Su and Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong was appointed by Liu Bei as an Assistant Officer and subsequently promoted to Military Adviser General of the Household. Pang Tong advised Liu Bei to take over Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) and accompanied him on his campaign against the warlord Liu Zhang, but was killed by a stray arrow during a battle at Luo County (north of present-day Guanghan, Sichuan) in 214.

Pang Tong was from Xiangyang Commandery, Jing Province. In his youth, he looked plain and simple, so aside from his uncle, Pang Degong (龐德公) who valued him, he was not highly regarded by others. When he reached adulthood (around 19 years old), he visited the hermit scholar Sima Hui, who was famous for spotting and recommending men of talent. They came to a mulberry tree, where Sima Hui climbed up to get the fruit while Pang Tong sat below, and they chatted for a whole day until nightfall. Sima Hui felt that Pang Tong was an extraordinary person and called Pang the "Crown of Scholars in Jing Province" (南州士之冠冕). Furthermore, he remarked, "Pang Degong really knows how to judge people. This is truly a boy of majestic moral character." Subsequently, Pang Tong started gaining more recognition among the scholar-gentry. Like Zhuge Liang and Sima Hui who were respectively nicknamed “Crouching Dragon” and “Water Mirror” by the scholar-gentry, Pang Tong was nicknamed "Fledgling Phoenix" (鳳雛; also translated as "Young Phoenix") by his uncle Pang Degong (龐德公).

Pang Tong later served as an Officer of Merit (功曹) in Nan Commandery (南郡; around present-day Jiangling County, Hubei). By nature, Pang Tong was sociable with people and diligent in fostering and mentoring others. Hence, he was nominated to be an appraiser. When he reviewed people, he focused more on their personal virtues rather than their abilities. He was fond of ethical lessons and consistently strove to maintain high moral standards. He usually overpraised when he was asked to assess a person.

At times, people were puzzled so they questioned him on why he did that, to which he replied:

“The world is currently in disorder and customs and principles often forgotten. Good people are overwhelmed by the evil. I desire to change social norms and revive good customs by encouraging good people and giving them a better (exaggerated) reputation, so they can be admired by the many and served as role models for others. Let's say I give exaggerated praises for ten but I'm wrong for five of them however I still have gotten half of them then those can act as lofty examples to teach those of our time and cause the ambitious to act fairly, is this not acceptable?”

In 209, Zhou Yu, a general under the warlord Sun Quan, occupied Nan Commandery after the Battle of Jiangling. After Zhou Yu was appointed as the Administrator (太守) of Nan Commandery, Pang Tong served as an Officer of Merit (功曹) under him. When Zhou Yu died in 210, Pang Tong escorted his coffin back to Jiangdong and attended his funeral. Many of the officials in Jiangdong heard of his reputation. When he returned to Jing province, they all accompanied him as he left the city. Among them, Pang Tong met and befriended Lu Ji, Gu Shao and Quan Cong. He also appraised each of them separately and described Lu Ji as "a horse that cannot run fast but has strong willpower", and Gu Shao as "an ox that is physically weak but capable of bearing burdens over great distances". He also compared Quan Cong to Fan Zizhao (樊子昭) of Runan describing him as someone generous who admire respectable men.

Someone then asked Pang Tong: "Does that mean Lu Ji is better than Gu Shao?" Pang Tong replied: "Although a horse can run fast, it can only bear the weight of one person. An ox can travel 300 li a day; it can certainly bear more than just the weight of one person!" Gu Shao later asked Pang Tong: "You are also known for being a good judge of character. Between us, who do you think is the better one?" Pang Tong replied: "I am not as good as you in associating with people and assessing their characters. However, when it comes to politics and strategy, it seems that I am one day ahead of you." Gu Shao agreed with Pang Tong and developed a closer bond with him. Before Pang Tong left, Lu Ji and Gu Shao told him: "When peace is restored in the Empire, we want to have a good discussion with you about famous people." Both of them became close friends with Pang Tong.