Water Margin
Encyclopedia
Water Margin also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
.
Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty
, tells of how a group of 108 outlaws gathered at Mount Liang
(or Liangshan Marsh) to form a sizable army before they are eventually granted amnesty by the government and sent on campaigns to resist foreign invaders and suppress rebel forces. The novel was originally titled in Chinese Jianghu Haoke Zhuan (江湖豪客傳), and the title was sometimes extended to Zhongyi Shuihu Zhuan (忠義水滸傳).
and his 36 companions. The group was active in the Huainan
region and surrendered to the Song Dynasty
government in 1121. They were recorded in the historical text History of Song
. The name of "Song Jiang" appeared in the biography of Emperor Huizong of Song, which stated:
Zhang Shuye's biography further described Song Jiang and the outlaws' activities, and how they were eventually defeated by Zhang.
Folk stories of Song Jiang circulated during the Southern Song Dynasty
. The first text to name Song Jiang's 36 companions was Miscellaneous observations from the year of Guixin (癸辛雜識) by Zhou Mi, written in the 13th century. Among the 36 were Lu Junyi
, Guan Sheng
, Ruan Xiaoer
, Ruan Xiaowu
, Ruan Xiaoqi
, Liu Tang
, Hua Rong
and Wu Yong
. Some of the characters who later became associated with Song Jiang also appeared around this time. They include Sun Li, Yang Zhi, Lin Chong
, Lu Zhishen
and Wu Song
.
A direct precursor of Water Margin was the Old incidents in the Xuanhe period of the great Song Dynasty (大宋宣和遺事), which appeared around the mid 13th century. The text is a written version of storytellers' tales, based on supposed historical events. It is divided into ten chapters, roughly covering the history of the Song Dynasty from the early 11th century to the establishment of the Southern Song regime in 1127. The fourth chapter covers the adventures of Song Jiang and his 36 companions, and their eventual defeat by Zhang Shuye. Some of the more well known stories and characters in Water Margin are clearly visible, including "Yang Zhi sells his precious saber", "Robbing the convoy of birthday gifts", "Song Jiang kills Yan Poxi", "Fighting Fang La
", among others. Song Jiang and his outlaws were said to operate in the Taihang Mountains
.
Stories about the outlaws became a popular subject for Yuan Dynasty
drama. During this time, the material on which Water Margin was based evolved into what it is in the present. The number of outlaws increased to 108. Even though they came from different backgrounds (including scholars, fishermen, imperial drill instructors etc.), all of them eventually came to occupy Mount Liang
(or Liangshan Marsh). There is a theory that Water Margin became popular during the Yuan era as the common people (predominantly Han Chinese
) resented the Mongol
rulers. The outlaws' rebellion was deemed "safe" to promote as it was supposedly a negative reflection of the fallen Song Dynasty. Concurrently, the rebellion was also a call for the common people to rise up against corruption in the government. The Chongzhen Emperor
of the Ming Dynasty
, acting on the advice of his ministers, banned the book as a means of preventing revolts.
The novel, praised as one of the earliest "masterpieces" of vernacular fiction
, is renowned for the "mastery and control" of its mood and tone. The work is however also known for its use of vivid, humorous and especially racy languages. It has been denounced as "obscene" by various critics from the Ming Dynasty on.
.
The next chapter describes the rise of Gao Qiu
, one of the primary antagonists of the story. Gao Qiu abuses his status as a grand marshal by bullying Wang Jin, whose father taught Gao a painful lesson when the latter was still a street roaming ruffian. Wang Jin flees from the capital with his mother and by chance he meets Shi Jin
, who becomes his student. The next few chapters tell the story of Shi Jin's friend Lu Zhishen
, followed by the story of Lu's sworn brother Lin Chong
. Lin Chong is framed by Gao Qiu for attempted assassination and almost dies in a fire at a supply depot set by Gao's lackeys. He slays his foes and abandons the depot, eventually making his way to Liangshan Marsh, where he becomes an outlaw. Meanwhile, the "Original Seven", led by Chao Gai
, rob a convoy of birthday gifts intended for the minister Cai Jing
, another primary antagonist of the story. They flee to Liangshan Marsh after defeating a group of soldiers sent by the authorities to arrest them, and settle down there as outlaws as well, with Chao Gai as chief of the outlaw band. As the story progresses, more people come to join the outlaw band, among whom include army generals and civil servants who grew tired of serving the corrupt government, as well as men with special skills and talents. Stories of the outlaws are told in separate sections in the following chapters. Connections between characters are vague, but the individual stories are eventually pieced together by chapter 40 after Song Jiang
succeeds Chao Gai as the leader of the outlaw band, after the latter dies in battle against the Zeng Family Fortress.
The plot further develops by illustrating the conflicts between the outlaws and the Song government after the Grand Assembly. Song Jiang strongly advocates making peace with the government and seeking redress for the outlaws. After defeating the imperial armies, the outlaws are eventually granted amnesty by the Emperor Huizong. The emperor recruits them to form a military contingent and allows them to embark on campaigns against invaders from the Liao Dynasty
and suppress the rebel forces of Tian Hu
, Wang Qing
and Fang La
within the Song Dynasty's domain.
's 70 chapters edition omits the chapters on the outlaws' acceptance of amnesty and subsequent campaigns.
The extended version includes the Liangshan heroes' expeditions against other notable rebel leaders, Tian Hu in Hebei
and Wang Qing in Sichuan
, prior to the campaign against Fang La.
Other stories tells such as the heroes fighting the Jurchen-ruled Jin Dynasty or moving to Siam.
There is considerable debate on the authorship of Water Margin. While most attribute the novel to Shi Nai'an, there were some who believe that the novel, or portions of it, was written by others, such as Luo Guanzhong
(the author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms
), Shi Hui (施惠) and Guo Xun (郭勛).
. Luo may have been a student of Shi. Another theory, which first appeared in Gao Ru's Baichuan Shuzhi (百川書志) during the Ming Dynasty, suggests that the whole novel was written and compiled by Shi Nai'an, and then edited by Luo Guanzhong later.
Another thesis states that the novel was created based on information accumulated over time. Stories of the Liangshan outlaws first appeared in Old incidents in the Xuanhe period of the great Song Dynasty (大宋宣和遺事) and have been circulating since the Southern Song Dynasty, while folk tales and opera related to Water Margin have already existed long before the novel itself came into existence. This theory suggests that Shi Nai'an gathered and compiled these pieces of information to write Water Margin.
. Wang Daokun (汪道昆), who lived during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor
in the Ming Dynasty
, first mentioned in Classification of Water Margin (水滸傳敘) that: "someone with the family name Luo, who was a native of Yue (a reference to the southern China region covering Zhejiang
), wrote the 100-chapter novel." Several scholars from the late Ming and Qing
dynasties after Wang Daokun's time also pointed out that Luo Guanzhong was the author of Water Margin. During the early Republican era, Lu Xun
and Yu Pingbo
suggested that the simplified edition of Water Margin was written by Luo Guanzhong, while the traditional version was by Shi Nai'an.
However, Huikang Yesou (惠康野叟) in Shi Yu (識餘) disagree with Wang Daokun's view on the grounds that there were significant differences between Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, therefore these two novels could not have been written by the same person.
Hu Shih
felt that the draft of Water Margin was done by Luo Guanzhong, and could have contained the chapters on the outlaws' campaigns against Tian Hu
, Wang Qing
and Fang La
, but not invaders from the Liao Dynasty
.
Another theory states that Luo Guanzhong was from the Southern Song period and not the Ming Dynasty. Cheng Muheng (程穆衡) suggested in Notes on Water Margin (水滸傳注略) that Luo lived in the late Southern Song Dynasty and early Yuan era. Huang Lingen (黃霖根) pointed out that the name of one of the compilers of Anecdotes of Jingkang (靖康稗史) was Nai'an, and suggested that this "Nai'an", who lived during the Southern Song Dynasty, was Shi Nai'an. He also felt that Shi Nai'an wrote a simplified version of Water Margin, which is not the current edition.
and early Ming Dynasty
.
Xu Fuzuo (徐復祚) of the Ming Dynasty mentioned in Sanjia Cunlao Weitan (三家村老委談) that Junmei (君美; Shi Hui's style name)'s intention in writing Water Margin was to entertain people, and not to convey any messages.
During the Qing Dynasty
many people started linking Shi Hui and Shi Nai'an together, suggesting that they are actually the same person. An unnamed writer wrote in Chuanqi Huikao Biaomu (傳奇會考標目) that Shi Nai'an's given name was actually Hui, style name Juncheng (君承), and he was a native of Hangzhou
. Sun Kaidi (孫楷第) also wrote in Bibliography of Chinese Popular Fiction that "Nai'an" was Shi Hui's pseudonym. Later studies revealed that Water Margin contained lines in the Jiangsu
and Zhejiang
dialect, and that You Gui Ji (幽闺记), a work of Shi Hui, bore some resemblance to Water Margin, hence the theory that Water Margin was authored by Shi Hui.
Hu Shih
countered this theory in his Research on Water Margin (水滸傳新考) that Guo Xun's name was used as a disguise for the real author of Water Margin. Dai Bufan (戴不凡) had a differing view, as he suspected that Guo Xun wrote Water Margin, and then used "Shi Nai'an" to conceal his identity as the author of the novel.
(1573–1620) in the Ming Dynasty. Yet other editions were published since this era to the early Qing Dynasty
, including a 70-chapter edition by Jin Shengtan
.
A printed copy of the Water Margin, dating from the Jiajing Emperor
's reign in the Ming Dynasty
, titled Jingben Zhongyi Zhuan (京本忠義傳), is currently preserved in the Shanghai Library
. The various editions of Water Margin can roughly be classified into two groups - simplified and traditional.
, Tian Hu
, Wang Qing
and Fang La
, all the way until Song Jiang
's death. At one point, the later chapters were compiled into a separate novel, titled Sequel to Water Margin (續水滸傳), which is attributed to Luo Guanzhong
.
Known simplified editions of Water Margin include:
The Water Margin has been translated into many languages. Japanese translations date back to at least 1757, when the first volume of an early Suikoden (Water Margin rendered in Japanese) was printed. Other early adaptations include Takebe Ayakari's 1773 Japanese Water Margin (Honcho suikoden), the 1783 Women's Water Margin (Onna suikoden), and Santō Kyōden
's 1801 Chushingura Water Margin (Chushingura suikoden).
In 1805, Kyokutei Bakin
released a Japanese translation of the Water Margin illustrated by Hokusai
. The book, called the New Illustrated Edition of the Suikoden (Shinpen Suikogaden), was a success during the Edo period
and spurred a Japanese "Suikoden" craze.
In 1827, publisher Kagaya Kichibei commissioned Utagawa Kuniyoshi to produce a series of woodblock prints illustrating the 108 heroes of the Water Margin. The 1827-1830 series, called 108 Heroes of the Water Margin or Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori, catapulted Kuniyoshi to fame. It also brought about a craze for multicolored pictorial tattoos that covered the entire body from neck to mid-thigh.
Following the great commercial success of the Kuniyoshi series, other ukiyo-e
artists were commissioned to produce prints of the Water Margin heroes, which began to be shown as Japanese heroes rather than the original Chinese personages.
Among these later series was Yoshitoshi
's 1866-1867 series of 50 designs in Chuban size, which are darker than Kuniyoshi's and feature strange ghosts and monsters.
Pearl S. Buck
was one of the first English
translators of the 70-chapter version. Titled All Men are Brothers and published in 1933, the book was well-received by the American public. However, it was also heavily criticized for its errors and inaccuracies; an often cited example from this edition is Buck's mistranslation of Lu Zhishen
's nickname "Flowery Monk" as "Priest Hua".
Of the later translations, Chinese-naturalized scholar Sidney Shapiro
's Outlaws of the Marsh (1980) is considered to be one of the best. However, as it was published during the Cultural Revolution
, this edition received little attention then.
It is a translation of a combination of both the 70-chapter and 100-chapter versions. The most recent translation, titled The Marshes Of Mount Liang, by Alex and John Dent-Young, is a five-volume translation of the 120-chapter version.
, such as Tetsuo Hara
and Buronson's Fist of the North Star
, and Masami Kurumada
's Fūma no Kojirō
, Otokozaka and Saint Seiya
. In both works of fiction, characters bearing the same stars of the Water Margin characters as personal emblems of destiny are featured prominently. Recently, a Japanese manga called Akaboshi: Ibun Suikoden
, based on the story of Water Margin, has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump.
Between 1978 and 1988, Italian artist Magnus
published four acts of his work, I Briganti, which places the Water Margin story in a science fiction setting. Before his death in 1996, the four completed "acts" were published in volume by Granata Press; two following "acts" were planned but never completed.
Four Great Classical Novels
The Four Great Classical Novels, or the Four Major Classical Novels of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly regarded by scholars to be the greatest and most influential of pre-modern Chinese fiction. Dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, they are well known to most Chinese readers...
of Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
.
Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
, tells of how a group of 108 outlaws gathered at Mount Liang
Mount Liang
Mount Liang is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong province, China which rises to 197.9 m above sea level. It is well known as the stronghold of the 108 legendary Song Dynasty heroes of the classic Chinese novel Water Margin...
(or Liangshan Marsh) to form a sizable army before they are eventually granted amnesty by the government and sent on campaigns to resist foreign invaders and suppress rebel forces. The novel was originally titled in Chinese Jianghu Haoke Zhuan (江湖豪客傳), and the title was sometimes extended to Zhongyi Shuihu Zhuan (忠義水滸傳).
Historical context and development
Water Margin is a novel based on the outlaw Song JiangSong Jiang
Song Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
and his 36 companions. The group was active in the Huainan
Huainan
Huainan is a prefecture-level city with 2,334,000 inhabitants in central Anhui Province, People’s Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the south, Lu’an to the southwest, Fuyang to the west, Bozhou to the northwest, Bengbu to the northeast and Chuzhou to the east.Its...
region and surrendered to the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
government in 1121. They were recorded in the historical text History of Song
History of Song
The History of Song or Song Shi is one of the official Chinese historical works known as the Twenty-Four Histories of China that records the history of the Song Dynasty...
. The name of "Song Jiang" appeared in the biography of Emperor Huizong of Song, which stated:
The outlaw Song Jiang of Huainan and others attacked the army at Huaiyang, (the Emperor) sent generals to attack and arrest them. (The outlaws) infringed on east of the capital (KaifengKaifengKaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
), HebeiHebei' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
, and entered the boundaries of Chu (referring to present-day HubeiHubei' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and HunanHunan' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
) and Haizhou (covering parts of present-day JiangsuJiangsu' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
). The prefect Zhang Shuye was ordered to pacify them.
Zhang Shuye's biography further described Song Jiang and the outlaws' activities, and how they were eventually defeated by Zhang.
Folk stories of Song Jiang circulated during the Southern Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
. The first text to name Song Jiang's 36 companions was Miscellaneous observations from the year of Guixin (癸辛雜識) by Zhou Mi, written in the 13th century. Among the 36 were Lu Junyi
Lu Junyi
Lu Junyi is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 2nd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Jade Unicorn"...
, Guan Sheng
Guan Sheng
Guan Sheng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 5th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Great Blade".-Background:...
, Ruan Xiaoer
Ruan Xiaoer
Ruan Xiaoer, also known as Ruan the Second, is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature...
, Ruan Xiaowu
Ruan Xiaowu
Ruan Xiaowu, also known as Ruan the Fifth, is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature...
, Ruan Xiaoqi
Ruan Xiaoqi
Ruan Xiaoqi, also known as Ruan the Seventh, is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 31st of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Living King Yama".-Background:The Water Margin describes...
, Liu Tang
Liu Tang
Liu Tang is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 21st of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Red Haired Devil".-Background:...
, Hua Rong
Hua Rong
Hua Rong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 9th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Little Li Guang".-Background:...
and Wu Yong
Wu Yong
Wu Yong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 3rd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Resourceful Star".-Background:...
. Some of the characters who later became associated with Song Jiang also appeared around this time. They include Sun Li, Yang Zhi, Lin Chong
Lin Chong
Lin Chong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 6th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Panther Head"...
, Lu Zhishen
Lu Zhishen
Lu Zhishen, nicknamed "Flowery Monk", or Sagacious Lu , is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but...
and Wu Song
Wu Song
Wu Song, nicknamed "Pilgrim", is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 14th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes. Wu Song also appears in the novel Jin Ping Mei, a spin-off of Water Margin...
.
A direct precursor of Water Margin was the Old incidents in the Xuanhe period of the great Song Dynasty (大宋宣和遺事), which appeared around the mid 13th century. The text is a written version of storytellers' tales, based on supposed historical events. It is divided into ten chapters, roughly covering the history of the Song Dynasty from the early 11th century to the establishment of the Southern Song regime in 1127. The fourth chapter covers the adventures of Song Jiang and his 36 companions, and their eventual defeat by Zhang Shuye. Some of the more well known stories and characters in Water Margin are clearly visible, including "Yang Zhi sells his precious saber", "Robbing the convoy of birthday gifts", "Song Jiang kills Yan Poxi", "Fighting Fang La
Fang La
Fang La was a rebel leader who lived during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:...
", among others. Song Jiang and his outlaws were said to operate in the Taihang Mountains
Taihang Mountains
The Taihang Mountains are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Henan, Shanxi and Hebei provinces. The range extends over 400 km from north to south and has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. The principal peak is Xiao Wutaishan...
.
Stories about the outlaws became a popular subject for Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
drama. During this time, the material on which Water Margin was based evolved into what it is in the present. The number of outlaws increased to 108. Even though they came from different backgrounds (including scholars, fishermen, imperial drill instructors etc.), all of them eventually came to occupy Mount Liang
Mount Liang
Mount Liang is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong province, China which rises to 197.9 m above sea level. It is well known as the stronghold of the 108 legendary Song Dynasty heroes of the classic Chinese novel Water Margin...
(or Liangshan Marsh). There is a theory that Water Margin became popular during the Yuan era as the common people (predominantly Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
) resented the Mongol
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
rulers. The outlaws' rebellion was deemed "safe" to promote as it was supposedly a negative reflection of the fallen Song Dynasty. Concurrently, the rebellion was also a call for the common people to rise up against corruption in the government. The Chongzhen Emperor
Chongzhen Emperor
The Chongzhen Emperor was the 16th and last emperor of the Ming Dynasty in China. He reigned from 1627 to 1644, under an era name that means "honorable and auspicious".- Early years :...
of the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, acting on the advice of his ministers, banned the book as a means of preventing revolts.
The novel, praised as one of the earliest "masterpieces" of vernacular fiction
Vernacular literature
Vernacular literature is literature written in the vernacular—the speech of the "common people".In the European tradition, this effectively means literature not written in Latin...
, is renowned for the "mastery and control" of its mood and tone. The work is however also known for its use of vivid, humorous and especially racy languages. It has been denounced as "obscene" by various critics from the Ming Dynasty on.
Plot
The opening episode in the novel is the release of the 108 spirits, imprisoned under an ancient stele-bearing tortoiseBixi (tortoise)
Bixi , also called guifu or baxia , is a stone tortoise, used as a pedestal for a stele or tablet. Tortoise-mounted stelae have been traditionally used in the funerary complexes of Chinese emperors and other dignitaries. Later, they have also been used to commemorate an important event, such as...
.
The next chapter describes the rise of Gao Qiu
Gao Qiu
Gao Qiu was a government official who served Emperor Huizong during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the main antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan outlaws in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:According to the Chinese...
, one of the primary antagonists of the story. Gao Qiu abuses his status as a grand marshal by bullying Wang Jin, whose father taught Gao a painful lesson when the latter was still a street roaming ruffian. Wang Jin flees from the capital with his mother and by chance he meets Shi Jin
Shi Jin
Shi Jin is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 23rd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Nine Tattooed Dragons".-Background:...
, who becomes his student. The next few chapters tell the story of Shi Jin's friend Lu Zhishen
Lu Zhishen
Lu Zhishen, nicknamed "Flowery Monk", or Sagacious Lu , is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but...
, followed by the story of Lu's sworn brother Lin Chong
Lin Chong
Lin Chong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 6th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Panther Head"...
. Lin Chong is framed by Gao Qiu for attempted assassination and almost dies in a fire at a supply depot set by Gao's lackeys. He slays his foes and abandons the depot, eventually making his way to Liangshan Marsh, where he becomes an outlaw. Meanwhile, the "Original Seven", led by Chao Gai
Chao Gai
Chao Gai is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is widely considered as the founding father of the Liangshan outlaws' cause to serve the nation and deliver justice on behalf of Heaven...
, rob a convoy of birthday gifts intended for the minister Cai Jing
Cai Jing
Cai Jing , style name Yuanchang , was a government official and calligrapher who lived during the Northern Song Dynasty. Cai Jing is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese...
, another primary antagonist of the story. They flee to Liangshan Marsh after defeating a group of soldiers sent by the authorities to arrest them, and settle down there as outlaws as well, with Chao Gai as chief of the outlaw band. As the story progresses, more people come to join the outlaw band, among whom include army generals and civil servants who grew tired of serving the corrupt government, as well as men with special skills and talents. Stories of the outlaws are told in separate sections in the following chapters. Connections between characters are vague, but the individual stories are eventually pieced together by chapter 40 after Song Jiang
Song Jiang
Song Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
succeeds Chao Gai as the leader of the outlaw band, after the latter dies in battle against the Zeng Family Fortress.
The plot further develops by illustrating the conflicts between the outlaws and the Song government after the Grand Assembly. Song Jiang strongly advocates making peace with the government and seeking redress for the outlaws. After defeating the imperial armies, the outlaws are eventually granted amnesty by the Emperor Huizong. The emperor recruits them to form a military contingent and allows them to embark on campaigns against invaders from the Liao Dynasty
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
and suppress the rebel forces of Tian Hu
Tian Hu
Tian Hu is one of the antagonists in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Tian Hu is one of the three rebel leaders in China, together with Fang La and Wang Qing, that the Liangshan heroes have to defeat in the final chapters of the novel.-Biography:Tian...
, Wang Qing
Wang Qing
Wang Qing is one of the antagonists in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Wang Qing is one of the three rebel leaders in China, together with Fang La and Tian Hu, that the Liangshan heroes have to defeat in the final chapters of the novel.-Early life:The...
and Fang La
Fang La
Fang La was a rebel leader who lived during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:...
within the Song Dynasty's domain.
Outline of chapters
The following outline of chapters is based on a 100 chapters edition. Yang Dingjian's 120 chapters edition includes other campaigns of the outlaws on behalf of Song Dynasty, while Jin ShengtanJin Shengtan
Jin Shengtan , former name Jin Renrui , also known as Jin Kui , was a Chinese editor, writer and critic, who has been called the champion of Vernacular Chinese literature.-Biography:...
's 70 chapters edition omits the chapters on the outlaws' acceptance of amnesty and subsequent campaigns.
| Chapter | Main events |
|---|---|
| 1 | Marshal Hong releases the 108 spirits |
| 2 | The rise of Gao Qiu Gao Qiu Gao Qiu was a government official who served Emperor Huizong during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the main antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan outlaws in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:According to the Chinese... |
| 2–3 | The story of Shi Jin Shi Jin Shi Jin is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 23rd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Nine Tattooed Dragons".-Background:... |
| 3–7 | The story of Lu Zhishen Lu Zhishen Lu Zhishen, nicknamed "Flowery Monk", or Sagacious Lu , is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but... |
| 7–12 | The story of Lin Chong Lin Chong Lin Chong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 6th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Panther Head"... |
| 12–13 | The story of Yang Zhi |
| 13–20 | The robbing of the birthday gifts by the "Original Seven" |
| 20–22 | The story of Song Jiang Song Jiang Song Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great... |
| 23–32 | The story of Wu Song Wu Song Wu Song, nicknamed "Pilgrim", is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 14th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes. Wu Song also appears in the novel Jin Ping Mei, a spin-off of Water Margin... |
| 32–35 | The story of Hua Rong Hua Rong Hua Rong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 9th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Little Li Guang".-Background:... |
| 36–43 | Song Jiang's encounters in Jiangzhou |
| 44–47 | The story of Shi Xiu Shi Xiu Shi Xiu is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 33rd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Daredevil Third Brother".-Background:... and Yang Xiong |
| 47–50 | The three assaults on the Zhu Family Village |
| 51–52 | The story of Lei Heng Lei Heng Lei Heng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 25th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Winged Tiger".-Background:... and Zhu Tong Zhu Tong Zhu Tong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 12th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Lord of the Beautiful Beard".-Background:... |
| 53–55 | The outlaws attack Gaotangzhou; the search for Gongsun Sheng Gongsun Sheng Gongsun Sheng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 4th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Dragon in the Clouds".-Background:... |
| 55–57 | The first imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh (led by Huyan Zhuo) |
| 57–59 | The outlaws attack Qingzhou; Huyan Zhuo defects to Liangshan |
| 59–60 | The outlaws led by Gongsun Sheng attack Mount Mangdang |
| 60 | The first assault by the outlaws on the Zeng Family Village; the death of Chao Gai |
| 60–67 | The story of Lu Junyi Lu Junyi Lu Junyi is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 2nd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Jade Unicorn"... ; the outlaws attack Daming Prefecture; the second imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh (led by Guan Sheng Guan Sheng Guan Sheng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 5th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Great Blade".-Background:... ) |
| 67 | Guan Sheng defects to Liangshan; The third imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh (led by Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo) |
| 68 | The second assault by the outlaws on the Zeng Family Fortress; |
| 69–70 | The outlaws attack Dongping and Dongchang prefectures |
| 71–74 | The Grand Assembly; the funny and lethal antics of Li Kui |
| 75–78 | The emperor offers amnesty for the first time; the fourth imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh (led by Tong Guan) |
| 78–80 | The fifth imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh (led by Gao Qiu) |
| 81–82 | The outlaws are granted amnesty |
| 83–89 | The Liangshan heroes attack the Liao invaders |
| 90–99 | The Liangshan heroes attack Fang La Fang La Fang La was a rebel leader who lived during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:... |
| 100 | The tragic dissolution of the Liangshan heroes |
The extended version includes the Liangshan heroes' expeditions against other notable rebel leaders, Tian Hu in Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
and Wang Qing in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, prior to the campaign against Fang La.
Other stories tells such as the heroes fighting the Jurchen-ruled Jin Dynasty or moving to Siam.
Authorship
Luo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
(the author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
), Shi Hui (施惠) and Guo Xun (郭勛).
Shi Nai'an
Many scholars believe that the first 70 chapters were written by Shi Nai'an, while the final 30 chapters were written by Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
. Luo may have been a student of Shi. Another theory, which first appeared in Gao Ru's Baichuan Shuzhi (百川書志) during the Ming Dynasty, suggests that the whole novel was written and compiled by Shi Nai'an, and then edited by Luo Guanzhong later.
Another thesis states that the novel was created based on information accumulated over time. Stories of the Liangshan outlaws first appeared in Old incidents in the Xuanhe period of the great Song Dynasty (大宋宣和遺事) and have been circulating since the Southern Song Dynasty, while folk tales and opera related to Water Margin have already existed long before the novel itself came into existence. This theory suggests that Shi Nai'an gathered and compiled these pieces of information to write Water Margin.
Luo Guanzhong
Some believe that Water Margin was written entirely by Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
. Wang Daokun (汪道昆), who lived during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor
Jiajing Emperor
The Jiajing Emperor was the 11th Ming Dynasty Emperor of China who ruled from 1521 to 1567. Born Zhu Houcong, he was the former Zhengde Emperor's cousin...
in the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, first mentioned in Classification of Water Margin (水滸傳敘) that: "someone with the family name Luo, who was a native of Yue (a reference to the southern China region covering Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
), wrote the 100-chapter novel." Several scholars from the late Ming and Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
dynasties after Wang Daokun's time also pointed out that Luo Guanzhong was the author of Water Margin. During the early Republican era, Lu Xun
Lu Xun
Lu Xun or Lu Hsün , was the pen name of Zhou Shuren , one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the leading figure of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua as well as classical Chinese...
and Yu Pingbo
Yu Pingbo
Yú Píngbó , former name Yú Mínghéng and courtesy name Píngbó , was an essayist, poet, historian, Redologist, and critic....
suggested that the simplified edition of Water Margin was written by Luo Guanzhong, while the traditional version was by Shi Nai'an.
However, Huikang Yesou (惠康野叟) in Shi Yu (識餘) disagree with Wang Daokun's view on the grounds that there were significant differences between Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, therefore these two novels could not have been written by the same person.
Hu Shih
Hu Shih
Hu Shih , born Hu Hung-hsing , was a Chinese philosopher, essayist and diplomat. His courtesy name was Shih-chih . Hu is widely recognized today as a key contributor to Chinese liberalism and language reform in his advocacy for the use of written vernacular Chinese...
felt that the draft of Water Margin was done by Luo Guanzhong, and could have contained the chapters on the outlaws' campaigns against Tian Hu
Tian Hu
Tian Hu is one of the antagonists in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Tian Hu is one of the three rebel leaders in China, together with Fang La and Wang Qing, that the Liangshan heroes have to defeat in the final chapters of the novel.-Biography:Tian...
, Wang Qing
Wang Qing
Wang Qing is one of the antagonists in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Wang Qing is one of the three rebel leaders in China, together with Fang La and Tian Hu, that the Liangshan heroes have to defeat in the final chapters of the novel.-Early life:The...
and Fang La
Fang La
Fang La was a rebel leader who lived during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:...
, but not invaders from the Liao Dynasty
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
.
Another theory states that Luo Guanzhong was from the Southern Song period and not the Ming Dynasty. Cheng Muheng (程穆衡) suggested in Notes on Water Margin (水滸傳注略) that Luo lived in the late Southern Song Dynasty and early Yuan era. Huang Lingen (黃霖根) pointed out that the name of one of the compilers of Anecdotes of Jingkang (靖康稗史) was Nai'an, and suggested that this "Nai'an", who lived during the Southern Song Dynasty, was Shi Nai'an. He also felt that Shi Nai'an wrote a simplified version of Water Margin, which is not the current edition.
Shi Hui
Water Margin was also said by some to be authored by Shi Hui (施惠), a nanxi (southern opera) playwright who lived during the late Yuan DynastyYuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
and early Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
.
Xu Fuzuo (徐復祚) of the Ming Dynasty mentioned in Sanjia Cunlao Weitan (三家村老委談) that Junmei (君美; Shi Hui's style name)'s intention in writing Water Margin was to entertain people, and not to convey any messages.
During the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
many people started linking Shi Hui and Shi Nai'an together, suggesting that they are actually the same person. An unnamed writer wrote in Chuanqi Huikao Biaomu (傳奇會考標目) that Shi Nai'an's given name was actually Hui, style name Juncheng (君承), and he was a native of Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
. Sun Kaidi (孫楷第) also wrote in Bibliography of Chinese Popular Fiction that "Nai'an" was Shi Hui's pseudonym. Later studies revealed that Water Margin contained lines in the Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
and Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
dialect, and that You Gui Ji (幽闺记), a work of Shi Hui, bore some resemblance to Water Margin, hence the theory that Water Margin was authored by Shi Hui.
Guo Xun
Another theory attributes the authorship of Water Margin to Guo Xun (郭勛), a politician who lived during the Ming Dynasty. Shen Defu (沈德符) mentioned in Wanli Yehuo Bian (萬曆野獲編) that Guo Xun wrote Water Margin. Shen Guoyuan (沈國元) added in Huangming Congxin Lu (皇明從信錄) that Guo Xun mimicked the writing styles of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin to write Guochao Yinglie Ji (國朝英烈記). Qian Xiyan (錢希言) also stated in Xi Gu (戲嘏) that Guo Xun edited Water Margin before.Hu Shih
Hu Shih
Hu Shih , born Hu Hung-hsing , was a Chinese philosopher, essayist and diplomat. His courtesy name was Shih-chih . Hu is widely recognized today as a key contributor to Chinese liberalism and language reform in his advocacy for the use of written vernacular Chinese...
countered this theory in his Research on Water Margin (水滸傳新考) that Guo Xun's name was used as a disguise for the real author of Water Margin. Dai Bufan (戴不凡) had a differing view, as he suspected that Guo Xun wrote Water Margin, and then used "Shi Nai'an" to conceal his identity as the author of the novel.
Editions
The earliest extant complete edition of Water Margin is a 100-chapter printed book dating from the mid-16th century. Another edition, with 120 chapters by Yang Dingjian (楊定見), has been preserved from the reign of the Wanli EmperorWanli Emperor
The Wanli Emperor was emperor of China between 1572 and 1620. His era name means "Ten thousand calendars". Born Zhu Yijun, he was the Longqing Emperor's third son...
(1573–1620) in the Ming Dynasty. Yet other editions were published since this era to the early Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, including a 70-chapter edition by Jin Shengtan
Jin Shengtan
Jin Shengtan , former name Jin Renrui , also known as Jin Kui , was a Chinese editor, writer and critic, who has been called the champion of Vernacular Chinese literature.-Biography:...
.
A printed copy of the Water Margin, dating from the Jiajing Emperor
Jiajing Emperor
The Jiajing Emperor was the 11th Ming Dynasty Emperor of China who ruled from 1521 to 1567. Born Zhu Houcong, he was the former Zhengde Emperor's cousin...
's reign in the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, titled Jingben Zhongyi Zhuan (京本忠義傳), is currently preserved in the Shanghai Library
Shanghai Library
Shanghai Library is the second largest library in China after the National Library of China in Beijing. It is located in Shanghai, China. At 24 stories and 348 feet tall, it is the tallest library in the world...
. The various editions of Water Margin can roughly be classified into two groups - simplified and traditional.
Simplified editions
The simplified editions include stories on the outlaws being granted amnesty, followed by their campaigns against the Liao DynastyLiao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
, Tian Hu
Tian Hu
Tian Hu is one of the antagonists in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Tian Hu is one of the three rebel leaders in China, together with Fang La and Wang Qing, that the Liangshan heroes have to defeat in the final chapters of the novel.-Biography:Tian...
, Wang Qing
Wang Qing
Wang Qing is one of the antagonists in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Wang Qing is one of the three rebel leaders in China, together with Fang La and Tian Hu, that the Liangshan heroes have to defeat in the final chapters of the novel.-Early life:The...
and Fang La
Fang La
Fang La was a rebel leader who lived during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:...
, all the way until Song Jiang
Song Jiang
Song Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
's death. At one point, the later chapters were compiled into a separate novel, titled Sequel to Water Margin (續水滸傳), which is attributed to Luo Guanzhong
Luo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
.
Known simplified editions of Water Margin include:
- A 115 chapters edition, Masterpieces of the Han and Song dynasties (漢宋奇書)
- A 110 chapters edition, Chronicles of Heroes (英雄譜)
- A 164 chapters edition, combined with Sequel to Water Margin
Traditional editions
The traditional editions are more descriptive and circulated more widely than their simplified counterparts. The three main versions of the traditional editions are a 100 chapters, a 120 chapters and a 70 chapters edition. The most commonly modified parts of the traditional edition are the stories on what happened after the outlaws are granted amnesty.- 100 chapters edition: Includes the outlaws' campaigns against the Liao Dynasty and Fang La after they have been granted amnesty.
- 120 chapters edition: An extended version of the 100 chapters edition, includes the outlaws' campaigns against Tian Hu and Wang Qing.
- 70 chapters edition: Edited by Jin ShengtanJin ShengtanJin Shengtan , former name Jin Renrui , also known as Jin Kui , was a Chinese editor, writer and critic, who has been called the champion of Vernacular Chinese literature.-Biography:...
in the late Ming Dynasty, this edition uses chapter 1 as a prologue and ends at chapter 71 of the original version, and does not include the stories about the outlaws being granted amnesty and their campaigns.
Translations
Santo Kyoden
was a Japanese poet, writer and artist in the Edo period. His real name was , and he was also known popularly as . He is the brother of Santō Kyōzan.- Life :...
's 1801 Chushingura Water Margin (Chushingura suikoden).
In 1805, Kyokutei Bakin
Kyokutei Bakin
was a late Japanese Edo period gesaku author best known for works such as Nansō Satomi Hakkenden and Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki.-Life:He was born as , he wrote under the pen name which is a pun as the kanji may also be read as Kuruwa de Makoto meaning a man who is truly devoted to the courtesans of...
released a Japanese translation of the Water Margin illustrated by Hokusai
Hokusai
was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. He was influenced by such painters as Sesshu, and other styles of Chinese painting...
. The book, called the New Illustrated Edition of the Suikoden (Shinpen Suikogaden), was a success during the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
and spurred a Japanese "Suikoden" craze.
In 1827, publisher Kagaya Kichibei commissioned Utagawa Kuniyoshi to produce a series of woodblock prints illustrating the 108 heroes of the Water Margin. The 1827-1830 series, called 108 Heroes of the Water Margin or Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori, catapulted Kuniyoshi to fame. It also brought about a craze for multicolored pictorial tattoos that covered the entire body from neck to mid-thigh.
Following the great commercial success of the Kuniyoshi series, other ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e
' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
artists were commissioned to produce prints of the Water Margin heroes, which began to be shown as Japanese heroes rather than the original Chinese personages.
Among these later series was Yoshitoshi
Yoshitoshi
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was a Japanese artist.He is widely recognized as the last great master of Ukiyo-e, a type of Japanese woodblock printing. He is additionally regarded as one of the form's greatest innovators. His career spanned two eras – the last years of feudal Japan, and the first years of...
's 1866-1867 series of 50 designs in Chuban size, which are darker than Kuniyoshi's and feature strange ghosts and monsters.
Pearl S. Buck
Pearl S. Buck
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu , was an American writer who spent most of her time until 1934 in China. Her novel The Good Earth was the best-selling fiction book in the U.S. in 1931 and 1932, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932...
was one of the first English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translators of the 70-chapter version. Titled All Men are Brothers and published in 1933, the book was well-received by the American public. However, it was also heavily criticized for its errors and inaccuracies; an often cited example from this edition is Buck's mistranslation of Lu Zhishen
Lu Zhishen
Lu Zhishen, nicknamed "Flowery Monk", or Sagacious Lu , is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but...
's nickname "Flowery Monk" as "Priest Hua".
Of the later translations, Chinese-naturalized scholar Sidney Shapiro
Sidney Shapiro
Sidney Shapiro is an American-born author and translator who has lived in China since 1947. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he is of Jewish ethnicity. He resides in Beijing, and is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Council...
's Outlaws of the Marsh (1980) is considered to be one of the best. However, as it was published during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, this edition received little attention then.
It is a translation of a combination of both the 70-chapter and 100-chapter versions. The most recent translation, titled The Marshes Of Mount Liang, by Alex and John Dent-Young, is a five-volume translation of the 120-chapter version.
Influences and adaptations
Literature
- Jin Ping MeiJin Ping MeiJin Ping Mei, or The Plum in the Golden Vase is a Chinese naturalistic novel composed in the vernacular during the late Ming Dynasty. The author was Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng , "The Scoffing Scholar of Lanling", a clear pseudonym, and his identity is otherwise unknown...
(1610) is an erotic novel written by Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng (蘭陵笑笑生) during the late Ming DynastyMing DynastyThe Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. The novel is based on the story of Wu SongWu SongWu Song, nicknamed "Pilgrim", is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 14th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes. Wu Song also appears in the novel Jin Ping Mei, a spin-off of Water Margin...
avenging his older brother in Water Margin, but the focus is on Ximen Qing's sexual relations with other women, including Pan Jinlian. In Water Margin, Ximen Qing is killed by Wu Song for murdering the latter's older brother, while in Jin Ping Mei he dies a horrible death due to an accidental overdose of aphrodisiac pills.
- Shuihu Houzhuan (水滸後傳; roughly translates to The Later Story of Water Margin) is a novel written by Chen Chen (陳忱) during the Qing DynastyQing DynastyThe Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. The story is set after the end of the original Water Margin, with Li Jun as the protagonist. It tells of how the surviving Liangshan heroes are forced to become outlaws again due to corruption in the government. When the armies of the Jurchen-ruled Jin DynastyJin DynastyJin Dynasty may refer to:* Jin Dynasty , Chinese dynasty, subdivided into the Western and Eastern Jin periods* Later Jin Dynasty , one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China.* Jin Dynasty , a Jurchen kingdom in northern China* Later Jīn Dynasty, or...
invade the Song Dynasty, the heroes rise up to defend their nation from the invaders. The heroes eventually decide to leave China for good and sail to distant lands. Apart from the surviving Liangshan heroes from the original novel, Shuihu Houzhuan also introduces new characters such as Hua RongHua RongHua Rong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 9th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Little Li Guang".-Background:...
's son Hua Fengchun (花逢春), Xu NingXu NingXu Ning is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 18th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Gold Lancer".-Background:...
's son Xu Sheng (徐晟) and Huyan Zhuo's son Huyan Yu (呼延鈺).
- Dang Kou Zhi (蕩寇志; roughly translates to The Tale of Eliminating Bandits) is a novel written by Yu Wanchun (俞萬春) during the reign of the Daoguang EmperorDaoguang EmperorThe Daoguang Emperor was the eighth emperor of the Manchurian Qing dynasty and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850.-Early years:...
in the Qing Dynasty. Yu disagreed that the Liangshan outlaws are loyal and righteous heroes, and was determined to portray them as ruthless mass murderers and destroyers, hence he wrote Dang Kou Zhi. The novel starts at the Grand Assembly of the 108 outlaws at Liangshan Marsh, and tells of how the outlaws plundered and pillaged cities before they are eventually eliminated by government forces under Zhang Shuye's command.
- Qing Dynasty writer Qian Cai intertwined the life stories of Yue FeiYue FeiYue Fei , style name Pengju, was a military general of the Southern Song Dynasty. His ancestral home was in Xiaoti, Yonghe Village, Tangyin, Xiangzhou, Henan...
and the outlaws Lin ChongLin ChongLin Chong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 6th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Panther Head"...
and Lu JunyiLu JunyiLu Junyi is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 2nd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Jade Unicorn"...
in The Story of Yue Fei (1684). He stated that the latter were former students of the general's martial arts tutor, Zhou Tong. However, literary critic C. T. Hsia commented that the connection was a fictional one created by the author. The Republican era folktale Swordplay Under the Moon, by Wang ShaotangWang ShaotangWáng Shàotáng is the stage name of the Chinese artist of Yangzhou storytelling, whose birth name is Wáng Dézhuāng . As a master of Yangzhou storytelling, his most famous works are The 10 chapters of Wu Song , The 10 chapters of Song Jiang , The 10 chapters of Lu Junyi , and The 10 chapters of Shi...
, further intertwines Yue Fei's history with the outlaws by adding Wu SongWu SongWu Song, nicknamed "Pilgrim", is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 14th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes. Wu Song also appears in the novel Jin Ping Mei, a spin-off of Water Margin...
to the list of Zhou's former students. The tale is set in the background of Wu Song's mission to Kaifeng, prior to the murder of his brother. Zhou tutors Wu in the "rolling dragon" style of swordplay during his one month stay in the capital city. It also said that Zhou is a sworn brotherBlood brotherBlood brother can refer to one of two things: two males related by birth, or two or more men not related by birth who have sworn loyalty to each other. This is usually done in a ceremony, known as a blood oath, where the blood of each man is mingled together...
of Lu ZhishenLu ZhishenLu Zhishen, nicknamed "Flowery Monk", or Sagacious Lu , is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but...
and shares the same nickname with the executioner-turned-outlaw Cai FuCai FuCai Fu is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 94th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 58th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Iron Arm". He shares the same nickname as the fictionalized persona of Zhou...
.
- Frank ChinFrank ChinFrank Chin is an American author and playwright.- Life and career :Frank Chin was born in Berkeley, California, but was raised to the age of six by a retired Vaudeville couple in Placerville, California. At six his mother brought him back to the San Francisco Bay Area to live in Oakland Chinatown...
's novel, Donald DukDonald DukDonald Duk is a coming-of-age novel written by Frank Chin and was first published in February 1991. It is about an eleven year old boy named Donald Duk dealing with the struggles of cultural identity as he learns to accept himself for who he is....
, contains many references to the Water Margin. Song JiangSong JiangSong Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
and Li Kui make several appearances in the protagonist's dreams.
- A Hong Kong comic series was also created by the manhuaManhuaManhua are Chinese comics originally produced in China. Possibly due to their greater degree of artistic freedom of expression and closer international ties with Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan have been the places of publication of most manhua thus far, often including Chinese translations of...
artist Lee Chi Ching.
- Eiji YoshikawaEiji Yoshikawawas a Japanese historical novelist, probably one of the best and most famous authors in the genre. Among his most well-known novels, most are revisions of past works. He was mainly influenced by classics such as The Tale of the Heike, Tale of Genji, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Romance of the Three...
wrote Shin Suikoden (新水滸伝), which roughly translates to "New Tales from the Water Margin".
- In Jin Yong's wuxiaWuxiaWuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
novel The Legend of the Condor HeroesThe Legend of the Condor HeroesThe Legend of Condor Heroes is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong, and the first part of the Condor Trilogy. It was first serialized between January 1, 1957 and May 19, 1959 in Hong Kong Commercial Daily...
, the protagonist Guo JingGuo JingGuo Jing is the fictional protagonist of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, a wuxia novel by Jin Yong. He plays a supporting role in the sequel novel The Return of the Condor Heroes as well...
is a descendant of Guo ShengGuo ShengGuo Sheng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 55th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 19th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Comparable to Rengui".-Background:...
, one of the 108 outlaws.
Comics
The Water Margin is referred to in numerous Japanese mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, such as Tetsuo Hara
Tetsuo Hara
is a Japanese manga artist famous for drawing the series Fist of the North Star , which he co-authored with Buronson...
and Buronson's Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star
is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...
, and Masami Kurumada
Masami Kurumada
is a Japanese manga artist and writer, known for specializing in fighting manga featuring bishōnen and/or mahō shōnen. He is famous as the creator/author of popular manga, such as Ring ni Kakero, Fūma no Kojirō, Saint Seiya and B't X. His male protagonists are a reflection of the classical and...
's Fūma no Kojirō
Fuma no Kojiro
is a manga series by Japanese author Masami Kurumada, later adapted to anime. It tells the story of sword legends and rivalry between ninja clans. The main character Kojirō is a young boy who is a member of the Fūma clan...
, Otokozaka and Saint Seiya
Saint Seiya
, also known as Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac or simply Knights of the Zodiac, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada and serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1986 to 1991, and adapted into an anime TV series by Toei Animation from 1986 to 1989.The story follows...
. In both works of fiction, characters bearing the same stars of the Water Margin characters as personal emblems of destiny are featured prominently. Recently, a Japanese manga called Akaboshi: Ibun Suikoden
Akaboshi: Ibun Suikoden
is a shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Yōichi Amano. It runs weekly in Weekly Shōnen Jump beginning from May 2009. The story is based on a Chinese novel, Shui Hu Zhuan also known as Water Margin, and is set in the year 1112 in China. Amano Youichi is also the author of Over Time and...
, based on the story of Water Margin, has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump.
Between 1978 and 1988, Italian artist Magnus
Roberto Raviola
Magnus, pseudonym of Roberto Raviola, was an Italian comic book artist, regarded as one of the foremost cartoonists of all time in his country.-Biography:Born in Bologna in 1939, Raviola lived there for his whole life....
published four acts of his work, I Briganti, which places the Water Margin story in a science fiction setting. Before his death in 1996, the four completed "acts" were published in volume by Granata Press; two following "acts" were planned but never completed.
Film
- The Water Margin (1972), produced by the Shaw Brothers StudioShaw Brothers StudioThe Shaw Brothers Studio , owned by Shaw Brothers Ltd., was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies.From their distribution base in Singapore where they founded parent company Shaw Organization in 1924, and as a strategic development of their movie distribution...
and directed by Chang ChehChang ChehChang Cheh was Shaw Brothers Studio's best known and most prolific film director, with such films as the Five Venoms, the Brave Archer , the The One-Armed Swordsman, and other classics of wuxia and kung fu film.-Career:Referred to as "The Godfather of Hong Kong cinema", Chang Cheh directed over 100...
, Wu MaWu MaWu Ma is a Chinese actor, director, producer and writer. Wu Ma made his screen debut in 1963, and with over 180 appearances to his name , Wu Ma is one of the most familiar faces in the history of Hong Kong Cinema...
and Pao Hsueh-li, starring David ChiangDavid ChiangJohn Chiang is a Hong Kong actor. His Chinese name is Chiang Da-wei . He is sometimes credited as David Chiang.-Biography:...
, Ti LungTi LungTommy Tam Fu-Wing, also known as Ti Lung , or Dik Lung, is a Hong Kong actor.-Background:He studied Wing Chun under the martial arts master Chu Wan. In 1969, Ti was found by the Shaw Brothers and cast in Return of the One-Armed Swordsman opposite Jimmy Wang Yu, a role which would launch his career...
and Chen Kuan-tai.
- The Delightful Forest (1972), produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Chang ChehChang ChehChang Cheh was Shaw Brothers Studio's best known and most prolific film director, with such films as the Five Venoms, the Brave Archer , the The One-Armed Swordsman, and other classics of wuxia and kung fu film.-Career:Referred to as "The Godfather of Hong Kong cinema", Chang Cheh directed over 100...
. It tells the story of Wu Song, who is played by Ti LungTi LungTommy Tam Fu-Wing, also known as Ti Lung , or Dik Lung, is a Hong Kong actor.-Background:He studied Wing Chun under the martial arts master Chu Wan. In 1969, Ti was found by the Shaw Brothers and cast in Return of the One-Armed Swordsman opposite Jimmy Wang Yu, a role which would launch his career...
.
- Pursuit (1972), produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Kang Cheng. It tells the story of Lin Chong, who is played by Elliot NgokElliot NgokElliot Ngok Wah, better known as Yueh Hua, is a former Shaw Brothers actor and veteran TVB actor.-Career:Elly was born Leung Lok Wah in Shanghai, with native Cantonese roots. He immigrated to Hong Kong in 1962. He joined Shaw Brothers and started his acting career in 1965. His breakout film role...
.
- All Men Are BrothersAll Men Are Brothers (film)All Men Are Brothers, also known as Seven Soldiers of Kung Fu, is a 1975 Hong Kong wuxia film based on the Chinese classical novel Water Margin...
(1975), a sequel to The Water Margin (1972).
- Tiger Killer (1982), produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Li Han-hsiang, with Ti Lung reprising his role as Wu Song.
- All Men Are Brothers: Blood of the Leopard, also titled Water Margin: True Colors of Heroes (1992), starring Tony Leung Ka-faiTony Leung Ka-FaiTony Leung Ka-fai is a three-time Hong Kong Film Award-winning Chinese film actor.Because he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony", while Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is known as "Little Tony", nicknames which correspond to the actors' respective...
. It centered on the stories of Lin Chong, Lu Zhishen and Gao Qiu.
- Troublesome Night 16Troublesome Night 16Troublesome Night 16 is a 2002 Hong Kong horror comedy film produced by Nam Yin and directed by Yip Wai-ying. It is the 16th of the 19 films in the Troublesome Night film series.-Plot:...
(2002), a Hong Kong horror comedy film. Two men travel back in time to the Song Dynasty and they encounter Wu SongWu SongWu Song, nicknamed "Pilgrim", is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 14th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes. Wu Song also appears in the novel Jin Ping Mei, a spin-off of Water Margin...
, Song JiangSong JiangSong Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
, Yan QingYan QingYan Qing is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 36th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Wanderer" or "Prodigal"....
and Lu ZhishenLu ZhishenLu Zhishen, nicknamed "Flowery Monk", or Sagacious Lu , is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but...
. The film parodies the story of Wu Song avenging his brother, and the two men play important roles in affecting how the story unfolds.
Television
- The Water Margin (1973) is a Japanese television series produced by Nippon TelevisionNippon Televisionis a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
and filmed in mainland China in 1973. It starred Atsuo Nakamura and Kei Sato in the lead roles. It was broadcast on television in other countries.
- Shui Hu ZhuanShui Hu Zhuan (1983 TV series)Shui Hu Zhuan is a Chinese television series adapted from Shi Nai'an's classical novel Water Margin. It was first broadcast on Shandong TV in China in 1983. The series was one of the earliest television dramas with an ancient China setting to be produced in mainland China. It was divided into...
(1983) is a Chinese television series first broadcast on Shandong TV in 1983. The series was one of the earliest television dramas with an ancient China setting to be produced in mainland China. The series also won a Golden Eagle AwardGolden Eagle Awards (China)China Golden Eagle TV Art Festival also known as the Golden Eagle Awards is the main national television award of the Chinese television industry. For the event's influence, it's also known as the Chinese Emmy Awards. Presented by China Television Artists Association...
.
- Giant Robo: The Animation (1992) is an anime series based on Mitsuteru YokoyamaMitsuteru Yokoyamawas a Japanese manga artist born in Suma-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo. His personal name was originally spelled , with the same pronunciation. His works include Tetsujin 28-go, Giant Robo, Akakage, Babel II, Sally, the Witch, Princess Comet, and adaptations of the Chinese classics Outlaws of the Marsh and...
's manga series. Some locations and characters from Water Margin appeared in the manga. Yokoyama had previously published a manga adaptation of the novel.
- The Water MarginThe Water Margin (1997 TV series)The Water Margin is a 1998 Chinese television series adapted from Shi Nai'an's classical novel of the same title. It was produced by CCTV with Zhang Jizhong as producer. It was first broadcast in China in January 1998...
(1997) is a Chinese television series aired on CCTVChina Central TelevisionChina Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV, is the major state television broadcaster in mainland China. CCTV has a network of 19 channels broadcasting different programmes and is accessible to more than one billion viewers...
. The series was produced by Zhang Jizhong and featured fight choreography by Yuen Woo-pingYuen Woo-pingYuen Woo-ping is a Chinese martial arts choreographer and film director, renowned as one of the most successful and influential figures in the world of Hong Kong action cinema. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong...
. The iconic theme song Haohan Ge (好汉歌) was performed by Liu HuanLiu HuanLiu Huan is a Chinese Mandopop singer and songwriter.-Biography:Liu graduated from Yaohua High School in Tianjin in 1981. Four years later, he graduated from the University of International Relations in Beijing, majoring in French...
.
- Outlaw StarOutlaw Staris a seinen manga series written and illustrated by Takehiko Itō and his affiliated Morning Star Studio. The series is a space opera/Space Western that takes place in the "Toward Stars Era" universe in which spacecraft are capable of traveling faster than the speed of light...
(1998) is an anime series that has several references to the novel. The series' title itself is a reference to the novel. "Gene Starwind", who starts out as a small time bounty hunter/repairman and quickly works his way up to a spaceship captain, is similar to the character "Gao QiuGao QiuGao Qiu was a government official who served Emperor Huizong during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the main antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan outlaws in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:According to the Chinese...
" from the novel. The series also features similar themes, such as a number of individuals that are seemingly bound by fate and toward the end become a group of people with the same goals. In addition, the Kei Pirate group that is seen in the show is known as the 108 Stars. (Though the roles are reversed in a way, because the 108 Stars are the antagonists of the series, while Gene is the protagonist).
- Shades of TruthShades of TruthShades of Truth is a 25-episode television comedy-drama from Hong Kong. Produced by Siu Hin-fai, the drama is a TVB production...
(2004) is a Hong Kong television series produced by TVBTelevision Broadcasts LimitedTelevision Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...
. It tells of Song JiangSong JiangSong Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
, Lin ChongLin ChongLin Chong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 6th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Panther Head"...
and Wu SongWu SongWu Song, nicknamed "Pilgrim", is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 14th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes. Wu Song also appears in the novel Jin Ping Mei, a spin-off of Water Margin...
being reincarnated into present-day Hong Kong as a triad boss and two police officers respectively.
- Hero: 108Hero: 108Hero: 108 is an animated television series on Cartoon Network and the Cartoon Network international cable network, and Kabillion OnDemand channel in the United States...
(2010) is a flash animated series produced by Mike Young ProductionsMike Young ProductionsMike Young Productions LLC is an animation studio that produces children's TV series. It is named after co-founder and partner Mike Young, and is part of the Moonscoop Group...
, Gamania Digital EntertainmentGamaniaGamania Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. is a PC online game and digital entertainment corporation with its headquarters located in New Taipei, Taiwan....
, Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
, Telegael and Hong Ying. The series was released around the world on Cartoon Network in 2010.
- All Men Are Brothers (2011) is a Chinese television series directed by Kuk Kwok-leung and featuring cast members from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Video games
- The novel inspired the Japanese console RPG series SuikodenSuikodenis a role-playing game series originally created by Yoshitaka Murayama. The game series is loosely based on the classical Chinese novel, Shui Hu Zhuan by Shi Naian and Luo Guanzhong. Shui Hu Zhuan is rendered as 水滸伝 in Japanese, and read as Suikoden...
by KonamiKonamiis a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
.
- A character named "Black Whirlwind" in the RPG Jade EmpireJade EmpireJade Empire is an action role-playing game developed by Canadian developer BioWare and first published in 2005 by Microsoft Game Studios as a worldwide release for the Xbox. The later, two-disc Limited Edition contained extra content...
is inspired by Li Kui.
- A strategy game produced by Koei, called Bandit Kings of Ancient ChinaBandit Kings of Ancient ChinaBandit Kings of Ancient China, also known as Suikoden-Tenmei no Chikai in Japan, is a turn-based strategy role-playing simulation video game developed and published by Koei, and released in 1989 for MS-DOS, Amiga and the Macintosh and in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System...
is one of the oldest video game adaptations of the novel.
- Data EastData Eastalso abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy...
released a fighting game that was known under three different titles. Suiko Enbu in Japan, Outlaws Of The Lost DynastyOutlaws Of The Lost DynastyOutlaws Of The Lost Dynasty, known in Japan as , is a 1995 fighting arcade game developed and published by Data East.-Story:For generations, people have believed in the Chinese myth known as the Dark Legend. It occurs sometime in the 11th or 12th century when China plunges into a state of total...
in the United States, and Dark Legend on the American Sega SaturnSega SaturnThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
. The game's characters are inspired by Water Margin.
- The MMORPG 9Dragons9Dragons9Dragons is a martial arts-themed massively multiplayer online role playing game, developed by Korean video game company Indy21. The game features 3D graphics and traditional Massively multiplayer online game control schemes...
has characters based on those in Water Margin.
- The MMORPG Shin Megami Tensei: IMAGINEShin Megami Tensei: IMAGINE, formerly , is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game based in the Megami Tensei universe. Aeria Games acquired the rights to the game from Cave Co., Ltd. Shin Megami Tensei is a major intellectual property of the Japanese developer and publisher, Atlus Co., Ltd...
has weapons based on those in Water Margin.
Music
- Water Marginised (水滸後傳) (2007) is a folk reggae narrative by Chan Xuan. It tells the story of a present-day jailbird who travels to Liangshan Marsh in hope of joining the outlaw band, only to find that Song JiangSong JiangSong Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
and his men have all taken bureaucratic jobs in the ruling party.
Further reading
- Haruo Shirane and James Brandon. Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900. Columbia University Press (2002). ISBN 0231109903.