Fengshen Yanyi

Author: Xu Zhonglin [Ming Dynasty]
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The extraordinary and thrilling mythological world depicted in Fengshen Yanyi is a world that bursts with imagination and creativity. This way of thinking is not only a challenge to the closed and conservative old mindset of feudalism but also, we might argue, has an inherent connection to the development of technology in ancient times, and even to modern technology. Upon first reading Fengshen Yanyi, people might feel that the characters and events in the book have no connection to the social life of that time, not even a trace of reality to be found—what we see is the author's fantastical imagination. Yet, it is this very imagination that captures the readers' interest, gradually revealing deeper meanings and making this novel popular both at home and abroad, enduring for centuries.
After the Jiajing era, the feudal autocratic system in the Ming Dynasty had developed to an unbearable extent. Corruption among officials and oppression of the people led to worsening social crises. Meanwhile, capitalist economic growth further flourished in the southeastern coastal regions of China, and the urban class began to demonstrate its power in places like Suzhou and Hangzhou. Against this backdrop of widespread public discontent, Xu Zhonglin used the Yuan Dynasty's storytelling ballad Wang Wu Fa Zhou Ping Hua as the foundation, referencing the later folk version Lie Guo Zhi (Western Zhou section), and compiled a 100-capter, 700,000-character Fengshen Yanyi by weaving together folk myths, legends, historical anecdotes, Buddhist tales, and other plots, infused with brilliant fantasy. Through this, he criticized the tyrannical King Zhou of Yin, targeting the autocratic Ming Dynasty. This is precisely the ideological significance of Fengshen Yanyi. Some scenes, such as Nuwa's bone-removing and meat-restoring, also critically touch upon the feudal moral and ethical order.
In terms of ideological content, Fengshen Yanyi also has its shortcomings. Throughout the entire book, we find that every story and every character's fate is inevitably bound by the "fate" of destiny, with the outcome being "divinely ordained." No matter how hard people (including the immensely powerful gods and immortals) struggle, their efforts are largely futile, leaving them helpless against the predetermined ending. This fatalistic ideology is the rot of the entire work, and it undoubtedly has a negative impact on readers. This should be pointed out and noted.
Fengshen Yanyi is a romantic mythological novel, using absurd fantasy to shape characters, tell stories, and arrange details. The author's imagination is astonishing.