Liu Du served as the Administrator (太守) of Lingling Commandery (零陵郡; around present-day Yongzhou, Hunan).
In 209, the warlord Liu Bei led his forces to conquer the four commanderies in southern Jing Province: Wuling, Changsha, Guiyang, and Lingling. Liu Du surrendered to Liu Bei along with the Administrators of the other three commanderies.
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Du has a son, Liu Xian, whom he at one point sends along with Xing Daorong (also a fictional character) against Liu Bei. However, Liu Du surrenders when hearing of the defeat of Liu Xian.
Liu Du was a government official and minor warlord who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty of China.