Dishan Tiangang (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 painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival in the history of painting. In terms of the scope of folk customs covered, Water Margin undoubtedly depicts a wider range. It is widely accepted that Water Margin portrays outlaws and heroes, but when it comes to depicting chivalrous figures, readers might raise doubts: Are there chivalrous heroes among the outlaws? 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 actually be from the Yuan or Ming dynasties, not necessarily the Northern Song Dynasty. However, regardless of whether it is the Song, Yuan, or Ming Dynasty, the ability to see many folk customs from centuries ago in a single novel is always something to be pleased about and should not be easily overlooked."