Archive for category Chinese Folktale
Ma Liang and His Magic Brush
Posted by sharon in Chinese Folktale on August 19, 2010
Ma Liang and His Magic Brush is a literary classic in the world and is also the gem of Chinese children literature. It is written by Hong Xuntao, the famous children’s literature writer in China.
The tale goes that, in a village, there lived a boy called Ma Liang, whose family was so poor that he could not go to school. However, he loved painting and studied very hard at it. One day, he got a special brush with magic power: Anything he painted with the magic brush would turn real. Then he used his magic brush to help the poor people in his village.
Soon, news about his magic brush reached the greedy local officer. He wanted Ma to draw gold coins and ingots for him, but Ma refused. Therefore, Ma was put into the prison and his brush was also confiscated. However, the local officer found that the brush did not have any magic power when it was used by others. He had no choice but to force Ma to draw for him again. This time, Ma agreed and drew a golden mountain, but he also drew the wavy ocean around it. After the officer and his servants sailed across the sea, Ma waved his brush to draw the fierce storm and finally the officer sank into the water.
After that, Ma left but no one knew where he went then. Maybe he travelled around and wherever he went he used his magic brush to help the poor.
The tale of Ma Liang and His Magic Brush is popular not only among the children, but also the adults. This tale has been translated into several languages and is favored by the people throughout the world. It also has a variety of literary forms including cartoons, films, songs, etc.
Lady Meng Jiang Wailed at the Great Wall
Posted by sharon in Chinese Folktale on August 5, 2010
Lady Meng Jiang Wailed at the Great Wall is a traditional legend and also has been one of the four love Chinese Folktales. It has been widespread for thousands of years.
The folklore tells a tragic love story between Meng Jiang and her husband named Fan Xiliang. It goes that during the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC), the newlywed couple Fan and Meng were separated as the groom was forced to build the Great Wall. Meng missed him very much. After innumerable hardships, Meng finally arrived at the construction site. However, she was told that her husband had died of starvation and fatigue and his corpse was buried under the Great Wall. She went nearly mad with grief and cried for three days. It was said that she cried down 800 miles of the Great Wall. Due to the collapse of the Great Wall, she finally managed to find her husband’s skeletons. After that, she committed suicide by jumping into the sea.
According to the ancient documents, the earliest version of legend of Lady Meng Jiang was recorded in “Zuo Zhuan” (a historical book). It had various details at the very beginning for it had been transmitted by word of mouth. This legend has a variety of literary forms such as folk songs, poems, operas, etc. It has been one of the widely known legends since ancient times and is loved by the people throughout the world.
Legend of the White Snake
Posted by sharon in Chinese Folktale on July 22, 2010
Legend of the White Snake is a Chinese traditional legend and also is one of the Four Chinese Folklores. It is listed as the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage.
The folklore tells a love legend between a white snake and a human being. The legend goes that once upon a time, a white snake, named Bai Suzhen (the heroine of the legend) who had magical power, practiced thousands of years and finally transformed to be a beautiful lady. In order to repay a life-saving debt, she married a scholar named Xu Xian who saved her life thousands of years ago. But Fa Hai, a Buddhist monk with magic power, insisted that humans and demons could not marry and believed that every demon should be eliminated. He imprisoned Bai under the Leifeng Pagoda. Many years later, Bai’s son saved his mother from Leifeng Pagoda and the family was reunited at last.
Legend of the White Snake originated from the Tang Dynasty (618~907). It has various versions and details as it was transmitted by word of mouth at the very beginning. The legend also has a variety of literal forms including ballad, fiction, historical novel, drama, movie, TV play, cartoon, etc. It is one of the widely known legends in China and is loved by the people throughout the world.
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