1. Core Character Profile
Meng Jiangnu: A noblewoman from the Qi State during the Spring and Autumn Period (alternatively a Qin Dynasty commoner). The Zuo Zhuan records her as the prototype of “Qi Liang’s wife,” while the Biography of Exemplary Women documents her “skill in lamentation.” Archaeological finds in Zibo, Shandong include a tombstone for “Qi Liang’s Wife,” confirming historical roots.
2. Historical Origins
First mentioned in Zuo Zhuan (549 BCE), recounting the wife of General Qi Liang refusing a roadside condolence from Duke Zhuang of Qi. The Book of Rites added the detail of her “mourning her husband’s coffin by the road” in the Han Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty Tongxian Ji first introduced the name “Meng Jiangnu” and the “Great Wall collapse” plot.
3. Core Narrative Development
Journey to Find Her Husband: According to the Dunhuang manuscript Dao Lian Zi (Song of Pounding Silk), Meng Jiangnu set out after learning her husband Fan Xiliang was conscripted for wall construction. She endured eighty-one hardships, encountering a snowstorm in Kuquan Town, Tongchuan, Shaanxi. The Shaanxi Provincial Gazetteer records her “tears turning to blood, which then transformed into sweet springs.”
The Great Wall Collapse: Upon reaching Shanhaiguan, she learned Fan had died and been buried in the wall. Meng Jiangnu wept day and night, with the Commentary on the Book of Rites citing the Qin Cao: “Her lament shook heaven, causing the wall to crumble.” The Ming Dynasty Chang’an Kehua records the specific figure of 800 li (400 km) of collapsed walls.
Archaeological Evidence: Shanhaiguan’s Meng Jiangnu Temple features the “Most Extraordinary Couplet”: “Hǎishuǐ cháo, zhāo zhāo cháo, zhāo cháo zhāo luò; Fúyún zhǎng, cháng cháng zhǎng, cháng zhǎng cháng xiāo” (repeating characters create multiple readings). The temple’s “Number One Stele” documents Ming Wanli-era excavations uncovering bones believed to be Fan Xiliang’s.
4. Key Relationship Network
- Husband: Fan Xiliang (also Wan Xiliang in Qin versions)
- Historical prototype: General Qi Liang
- Cultural symbol: Tyranny of Qin Shi Huang
- Geographical connections: Relics in Boshan (Shandong), Shanhaiguan (Hebei), and Tongchuan (Shaanxi)
5. Literary and Artistic Legacy
- Poetry: Guan Xiu’s “Qi Liang’s Wife,” Zhang Ji’s “Song of Wall Building”
- Opera: Ming Dynasty The Great Wall Record, Peking Opera Meng Jiangnu
- Modern works: Cao Yu’s adapted play, China’s first color animation Meng Jiangnu (1955)
6. Folk Customs and Festivals
- Weeping Rituals: Annual performances during Qingming Festival and Winter Clothing Festival
- Cold Clothing Festival: Northern custom of sending paper clothes on Lunar October 1st
- Meng Jiangnu Temple Fair: Held April 18th at Shanhaiguan temple
Last Updated on 3 weeks