Dishan Tian Gang: "Water Margin" and Folk Culture: "Water Margin" and Folk Culture

Author: Wang Tongzhou
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: Some have compared the folk customs descriptions in Water Margin to the rare panoramic folk custom paintings in the history of painting, Along the River During the Qingming Festival. In terms of the scope of folk customs covered, Water Margin undoubtedly depicts a broader range. It is widely accepted that Water Margin portrays outlaws; however, if it is said to depict chivalrous heroes, readers might raise doubts: Are there chivalrous heroes among the heroes? The folk customs of China throughout the dynasties are rarely seen in official histories compiled by the government, but they can still be glimpsed in novels. Water Margin scholar He Xin once said on this point: "Although Water Margin narrates the story of the Song Dynasty, the author was a person from the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, and the revisers were all Ming Dynasty people. Therefore, many of the folk customs depicted in the book may be from the Yuan or Ming Dynasties, and it cannot be assumed that they are all from the Northern Song Dynasty's social conditions. However, regardless of whether it is from the Song, Yuan, or Ming Dynasty, the ability to see many folk customs from several hundred years ago in a single novel is always something to be pleased about and should not be easily overlooked."