Water Margin

Synopsis

"Water Margin" is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. It is a heroic legend written by the author Shi Nai'an during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. The entire book depicts the story of 108 heroes led by Song Jiang, who gather at Liangshan Marsh during the late Northern Song Dynasty to uphold justice on behalf of heaven. They eventually accept an amnesty from the imperial court and campaign against various adversaries. The novel profoundly reveals the social reality of officials driving the people to rebellion.

Overview

Water Margin is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels and a representative work of Chinese heroic legend fiction. Its author, Shi Nai'an (c. 1296–c. 1370), also known as Shi Er, courtesy name Zhaorui, pseudonym Zi'an, and alternative name Nai'an, was a novelist from Xinghua, Jiangsu (present-day Baiju Town, Dafeng, Yancheng) during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. Ming dynasty records indicate that Luo Guanzhong was Shi Nai'an's student, and both participated in the late Yuan rebellion led by Zhang Shicheng. Shi Nai'an served as an official in Qiantang for about two years but abandoned his post due to dissatisfaction with official corruption. He later established a school in Hangzhou to take on students and spent his later years in seclusion in his hometown of Huai'an.

The novel is set during the Xuanhe era (c. 1119–1121) of Emperor Huizong of Song in the late Northern Song dynasty. It tells the story of 108 heroes led by Song Jiang who gather at Liangshan Marsh to carry out justice on behalf of heaven. The historical prototype, the Song Jiang rebellion, is a real event recorded in historical texts like the History of Song, but the actual rebellion involved only 36 men, far fewer than the 108 heroes in the novel. After being defeated by Zhang Shuye, the prefect of Haizhou, in 1121, they accepted an amnesty offer from the government.

Water Margin was compiled based on centuries of oral tradition, storytelling scripts, and operas. Three major version systems exist today: the 100-chapter version (the earliest complete version, published in 1589), the 120-chapter version (which adds campaigns against Tian Hu and Wang Qing), and the 70-chapter version (edited by Jin Shengtan, ending when the 108 heroes are assembled, the most widely circulated version).

The 108 Heroes

The 108 heroes are divided into the 36 Heavenly Spirits and the 72 Earthly Fiends, comprising 105 men and 3 women. Below are the core characters:

Classic Stories

Water Margin contains many well-known classic episodes:

• Wu Song Fights the Tiger on Jingyang Ridge: Wu Song kills a fierce tiger bare-handed on Jingyang Ridge, becoming a legendary hero.
• Lu Zhishen Punches the Butcher of Guanxi: To save Jin Cuilian and her father, he kills the bully Zheng Tu with three punches.
• Lin Chong at the Mountain Spirit Temple on a Snowy Night: Framed and exiled, Lin Chong kills his enemies at the Mountain Spirit Temple on a snowy night.
• Wu Song Bloodies the Mandarin Duck Tower: Wu Song kills Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing to avenge his brother.
• The Plot to Steal the Birthday Gifts: Chao Gai, Wu Yong, and the other six stars seize the ill-gotten wealth of Liang Zhongshu.
• Song Jiang Inscribes a Rebellious Poem: Drunk at the Xunyang Tower, Song Jiang inscribes a poem and is falsely accused of rebellion.

Classic Film & TV Adaptations

The 1998 CCTV version is the final installment of CCTV's Four Great Classical Novels TV series. Its theme song, "Song of the Heroes," sung by Liu Huan, remains popular. With a Douban rating of 9.1 based on approximately 104,000 reviews (63.5% 5-star), it is widely recognized as a classic.

World Translations

Water Margin has five complete English translations, along with numerous translations in French, German, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other languages:

Pearl S. Buck (1892–1973), winner of the 1938 Nobel Prize in Literature, saw her translation appear on the U.S. bestseller list. Professor Victor Mair of the University of Pennsylvania considers Buck's translation his favorite version.

Cultural Impact

Water Margin has profoundly influenced Chinese culture and language. Many everyday expressions originate from it, such as "forced to go to Liangshan" (driven to rebellion out of desperation), "carry out justice on behalf of heaven" (enact justice), and "no discord, no concord" (friendship formed through conflict). Mao Zedong published a significant commentary on Water Margin, which had a far-reaching impact.

In East Asia, the influence of Water Margin extends across the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Korean scholars confirm its long history of dissemination in Korea, making it one of the most popular Chinese classical novels. Since 2008, Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press has been publishing a bilingual Chinese-English edition of the Four Great Classical Novels, completing the set over nearly a decade.

References

1. Wikipedia — 108 Heroes: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/一百单八将
2. Douban — Water Margin (1998): https://movie.douban.com/subject/3904560/
3. People's Daily — The Historical Song Jiang: http://paper.people.com.cn/rmwz/html/2014-07/01/content_1461606.htm
4. Wikipedia — Water Margin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Margin
5. China Academy of Translation — Sidney Shapiro: http://www.catl.org.cn/2019-12/17/content_75520756.ctm