Zhang Heng (Water Margin)
Zhang Heng is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Boatman", he ranks 28th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background The novel depicts Zhang Heng as seven ''chi'' tall and having triangle-shaped crimson eyes, yellow whiskers and red hair. He is an excellent swimmer who can survive under water in all weathers. Nicknamed "Boatman" , he preys on travellers who take his boat thinking he is just a simple ferryman. Zhang Heng and his younger brother Zhang Shun live at Jieyang Ridge (揭陽嶺; believed to be in present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi) near the Xunyang River. They use a trick to rob their boat passengers without taking lives. Zhang Shun would disguise himself as a passenger whom Zhang Heng would throw overboard when he pretends to defend his valuables. Zhang Shun would make it to shore while the other travellers are so frightened that they surrender all t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Utagawa Kuniyoshi ( ja, 歌川 国芳, ; January 1, 1798 – April 14, 1861) was one of the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints and painting.Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al'' (2005). "Kuniyoshi" in He was a member of the Utagawa school.Nussbaum, "Utagawa-ryū" in The range of Kuniyoshi's subjects included many genres: landscapes, beautiful women, Kabuki actors, cats, and mythical animals. He is known for depictions of the battles of legendary samurai heroes.Lubow, Arthur "Everything But the Robots: A Kuniyoshi Retrospective Reveals the Roots of Manga,"''New York Magazine.'' March 7, 2010. His artwork incorporated aspects of Western representation in landscape painting and caricature. Life Kuniyoshi was born on January 1, 1798, the son of a silk-dyer, Yanagiya Kichiyemon,Robinson (1961), p. 5 originally named Yoshisaburō. Apparently he assisted his father's business as a pattern designer, and some have suggested that this experien ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Li Jun (Water Margin)
Li Jun is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "River Dragon", he ranks 26th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background The novel depicts Li Jun as eight ''chi'' tall and having thick eyebrows, large eyes, a reddish face, wire-like whiskers and a booming voice. Born in Luzhou (蘆州; present-day Hefei, Anhui), he moves to Jieyang Ridge (揭陽嶺; believed to be in present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi) with his close friend Li Li. He is a good fighter and an excellent swimmer. As water is like his natural habitat, he is nicknamed "River Dragon". Li Jun engages in illegal salt smuggling on Xunyang River with his sidekicks Tong Wei and Tong Meng, who are brothers, while Li Li runs an inn on Jieyang ridge, where he drugs, robs and butchers customers. Joining Liangshan On his way to exile in Jiangzhou (江州; present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi) as a mitigated sentence f ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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36 Heavenly Spirits
The 108 Heroes are the main characters of the Ming dynasty classic Chinese novel the ''Water Margin'', which was written in the 14th century and usually attributed to Shi Nai'an. The heroes are divided into the 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends, groups that are based on a belief in Daoism that Ursa Major has 36 Heavenly stars and 72 Earthly stars. The 108 Heroes represent 108 demonic generals who were banished by Shangdi, a supreme god in Chinese folk religion. Having repented since their banishment, the stars are released from imprisonment by accident, and are reborn in the world as 108 heroes who band together for the cause of justice. The bulk of the novel describes the lives of these men and women and how they came to come together in Mount Liang to rebel against the evil forces controlling the court of the Song dynasty. Appearances and mentions in other stories One Heavenly Spirit, Lu Zhishen, is represented in Media about Zhou Tong#How Wu Song becomes Zhou's student, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bandit Kings Of Ancient China
''Bandit Kings of Ancient China'', also known as in Japan, is a turn-based strategy video game developed and published by Koei, and released in 1989 for MSX, MS-DOS, Amiga, and Macintosh and in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In 1996, Koei issued a remake for the Japanese Sega Saturn and PlayStation featuring vastly improved graphics and new arrangements of the original songs. Gameplay Based on the 14th century Great Classical Novel ''Water Margin'', the game takes place in ancient China during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. The Bandit Kings of Ancient China—a band of ten bandits—engage in war against China's Minister of War Gao Qiu, an evil minister with unlimited power. The objective of the game is to build, sustain, and command an army of troops to capture Gao Qiu before the Jurchen invasion in January 1127. Players hold certain attributes such as strength, dexterity, and wisdom. Players must also deal with other situations such as ta ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fang Tianding
The following is a list of characters in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. 108 Stars of Destiny The 108 Stars of Destiny are at the core of the plot of ''Water Margin''. Based on the Taoist concept that each person's destiny is tied to a "Star of Destiny" (), the 108 Stars of Destiny are stars representing 108 demonic overlords who were banished by the deity Shangdi. Having repented since their expulsion, the 108 Stars are accidentally released from their place of confinement, and are reborn in the world as 108 heroes who band together for the cause of justice. They are divided into the 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends. 36 Heavenly Spirits The 36 Heavenly Spirits () are: # Song Jiang (), nicknamed "Protector of Righteousness" () and "Timely Rain" () # Lu Junyi (), nicknamed "Jade Qilin" () # Wu Yong (), nicknamed "Resourceful Star" () # Gongsun Sheng (), nicknamed "Dragon in the Clouds" () # Guan Sheng (), nicknamed "Great ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fang La
Fang La (; died 1121) was a Chinese rebel leader who led an uprising against the Song dynasty. In the classical novel ''Water Margin'', he is fictionalised as one of the primary antagonists and nemeses of the 108 Stars of Destiny. He is sometimes associated with Manichaeism but was most likely not a follower of the religion. Life Fang La was from Shezhou, which is roughly present-day She County, Anhui. However, other sources claimed that he was from Qingxi County (), which is present-day Chun'an County, Zhejiang. In 1120, he led an uprising against the Song Empire in Qixian Village (), Shezhou. Others claimed that he started the rebellion in Wannian District (), Chun'an County. Fang La's forces captured Hangzhou and subsequently took control over parts of present-day Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces, with a total of 52 counties and six prefectures. In 1121, the Song government sent a general, Wang Yuan (), to lead an army to crush the rebellion. Wang Yuan's subo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hangzhou
Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, which separates Shanghai and Ningbo. Hangzhou grew to prominence as the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and has been one of China's most renowned and prosperous cities for much of the last millennium. It is a major economic and e-commerce hub within China, and the second biggest city in Yangtze Delta after Shanghai. Hangzhou is classified as a sub-provincial city and forms the core of the Hangzhou metropolitan area, the fourth-largest in China after Guangzhou-Shenzhen Pearl River agglomeration, Shanghai-Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou conurbation and Beijing. As of 2019, the Hangzhou metropolitan area was estimated to produce a gross metropolitan product ( nominal) of 3.2 trillion yuan ($486.53 billion), making it larger than the economy of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Emperor Huizong Of Song
Emperor Huizong of Song (7 June 1082 – 4 June 1135), personal name Zhao Ji, was the eighth emperor of the Northern Song dynasty of China. He was also a very well-known calligrapher. Born as the 11th son of Emperor Shenzong, he ascended the throne in 1100 upon the death of his elder brother and predecessor, Emperor Zhezong, because Emperor Zhezong's only son died prematurely. He lived in luxury, sophistication and art in the first half of his life. In 1126, when the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty invaded the Song dynasty during the Jin–Song Wars, Emperor Huizong abdicated and passed on his throne to his eldest son, Zhao Huan who assumed the title Emperor Qinzong while Huizong assumed the honorary title of '' Taishang Huang'' (or "Retired Emperor"). The following year, the Song capital, Bianjing, was conquered by Jin forces in an event historically known as the Jingkang Incident. Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong and the rest of their family were taken captive by the Jurc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Liao Dynasty
The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 916 and 1125, ruled by the Yelü clan of the Khitan people. Founded around the time of the collapse of the Tang dynasty, at its greatest extent it ruled over Northeast China, the Mongolian Plateau, the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, southern portions of the Russian Far East, and the northern tip of the North China Plain. The dynasty had a history of territorial expansion. The most important early gains was the Sixteen Prefectures (including present-day Beijing and part of Hebei) by fueling a proxy war that led to the collapse of the Later Tang dynasty (923–936). In 1004, the Liao dynasty launched an imperial expedition against the Northern Song dynasty. After heavy fighting and large casualties between the two empires, both sides worked out the Chany ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ruan Xiaoqi
Ruan Xiaoqi, also known as Ruan the Seventh, is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Living King Yama", he ranks 31st among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background The novel depicts Ruan Xiaoqi as having bulging eyes, pale yellow whiskers and dark patches on his skin, which make him look like a fearsome bronze statue. As this image is similar to that of the ruler of Hell in Chinese mythology, he is nicknamed "Living King Yama". Ruan Xiaoqi is the youngest of the three Ruan brothers (his seniors being Ruan Xiaoer and Ruan Xiaowu). They live in Shijie Village (石碣村; in present-day Liangshan County, Shandong), where they make a living by fishing in waters near the Liangshan Marsh. Like his brothers, Ruan Xiaoqi is a good swimmer and fights well under water. Becoming an outlaw Wu Yong recommends involving the three Ruan brothers when Chao Gai, headman of Do ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Song Dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The Song often came into conflict with the contemporaneous Liao, Western Xia and Jin dynasties in northern China. After retreating to southern China, the Song was eventually conquered by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The dynasty is divided into two periods: Northern Song and Southern Song. During the Northern Song (; 960–1127), the capital was in the northern city of Bianjing (now Kaifeng) and the dynasty controlled most of what is now Eastern China. The Southern Song (; 1127–1279) refers to the period after the Song lost control of its northern half to the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty in the Jin–Song Wars. At that time, the Song court retreated south o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Guan Sheng
Guan Sheng is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Great Blade", he ranks fifth among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background A descendant of Guan Yu, Guan Sheng resembles his famous ancestor of the Three Kingdoms era. His height of eight ''chi'' and five/six '' cun,'' his flowing beard, his long eyebrows and his eyes which are like those of a fenghuang are features of Guan Yu. Guan Sheng's weapon is a guandao, just like his ancestor's, which earns him the nickname "Great Blade". His horse and that of Guan Yu are also similarly named "Red Rabbit". Though a skilled and talented warrior, Guan Sheng serves as a minor military inspector in a town east of Puzhou (蒲州; present-day Yuncheng, Shanxi). Battle against Liangshan When the outlaws of Liangshan Marsh attack Daming (present-day Daming County, Hebei) to rescue Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu, the Grand Tutor Cai Jing ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |