Chinese Folk Tale: Shi Gan Dang Getting Rid of Demons

Preface: Shi Gan Dang, also known as Tai Shan Shi Gan Dang, is a deity in ancient Chinese folk beliefs, with the symbolic meaning of driving away evil spirits and keeping people safe. This belief and custom has a long history, dating back to ancient times, and is still widely practiced in many parts of China today.

在Zài泰tài山shān脚jiǎo下xià ， 住zhù着zhe一yī个gè人rén 。

At the foot of Mount Tai, there lived a man.

他Tā叫jiào石shí敢gǎn当dāng ， 非fēi常cháng勇yǒng敢gǎn 。

His name was Shi Gan Dang, and he was very brave.

石Shí敢gǎn当dāng武wǔ功gōng高gāo强qiáng ， 喜xǐ欢huān帮bāng助zhù弱ruò小xiǎo 。

Shi Gan Dang was skilled in martial arts and liked to help those weaker than him.

他Tā在zài泰tài山shān周zhōu围wéi很hěn有yǒu名míng 。

He was famous around Mount Tai.

泰Tài山shān南nán边bian有yǒu个gè大dà汶wèn口kǒu镇zhèn 。

To the south of Mount Tai, there was a town called Dawenkou.

镇Zhèn里lǐ住zhù着zhe姓xìng张zhāng的de一yī家jiā人rén 。

In the town lived a family surnamed Zhang.

张Zhāng家jiā有yǒu个gè女nǚ儿ér ， 今jīn年nián十shí六liù岁suì 。

The Zhang family had a daughter who was sixteen years old.

她Tā长zhǎng得de非fēi常cháng漂piào亮liàng ， 像xiàng仙xiān女nǚ一yī样yàng 。

She was very beautiful, like a fairy.

有Yǒu一yī天tiān ， 太tài阳yáng下xià山shān时shí ， 刮guā来lái一yī股gǔ奇qí怪guài的de妖yāo风fēng 。

One day, as the sun was setting, a strange demonic wind blew in.

妖Yāo风fēng从cóng东dōng南nán方fāng向xiàng吹chuī来lái ， 吹chuī开kāi了le张zhāng家jiā的de门mén 。

The demonic wind blew from the southeast and blew open the Zhang family’s door.

从Cóng那nà以yǐ后hòu ， 女nǚ孩hái变biàn得de面miàn黄huáng肌jī瘦shòu ， 非fēi常cháng虚xū弱ruò 。

From then on, the girl became pale and skinny, and very weak.

人Rén们men找zhǎo了le很hěn多duō医yī生shēng ， 但dàn女nǚ孩hái一yī直zhí不bù见jiàn好hǎo转zhuǎn 。

People sought many doctors, but the girl did not improve.

大Dà家jiā说shuō ：“ 这zhè是shì妖yāo气qì缠chán身shēn ， 吃chī药yào治zhì不bù好hǎo 。”

Everyone said, “This is demonic possession, and medicine cannot cure it.”

张Zhāng家jiā的de老lǎo人rén听tīng说shuō泰tài山shān有yǒu个gè石shí敢gǎn当dāng ， 能néng降xiáng妖yāo除chú魔mó 。

The old man of the Zhang family heard that there was a Shi Gan Dang on Mount Tai who could subdue demons.

于Yú是shì ， 他tā骑qí上shàng马mǎ去qù请qǐng石shí敢gǎn当dāng 。

So, he rode a horse to invite Shi Gan Dang.

老Lǎo人rén告gào诉sù石shí敢gǎn当dāng女nǚ孩hái的de情qíng况kuàng ， 石shí敢gǎn当dāng立lì刻kè跟gēn着zhe老lǎo人rén去qù了le张zhāng家jiā 。

The old man told Shi Gan Dang about the girl’s situation, and Shi Gan Dang immediately followed the old man to the Zhang family’s home.

石Shí敢gǎn当dāng让ràng张zhāng家jiā准zhǔn备bèi十shí二èr个gè童tóng男nán和hé十shí二èr个gè童tóng女nǚ 。

Shi Gan Dang asked the Zhang family to prepare twelve boy and twelve girl children.

童Tóng男nán每měi人rén一yī个gè鼓gǔ ， 童tóng女nǚ每měi人rén一yī面miàn锣luó 。

Each boy was given a drum, and each girl was given a gong.

还Hái要yào准zhǔn备bèi一yī口kǒu锅guō和hé一yī把bǎ椅yǐ子zi 。

They also prepared a pot and a chair.

天Tiān黑hēi后hòu ， 石shí敢gǎn当dāng点diǎn燃rán了le香xiāng油yóu灯dēng 。

After it got dark, Shi Gan Dang lit a sesame oil lamp.

他Tā用yòng锅guō扣kòu住zhù盆pén子zi ， 坐zuò在zài旁páng边biān 。

He covered a basin with the pot and sat beside it.

用Yòng脚jiǎo挑tiāo着zhe锅guō沿yán ， 远yuǎn处chù看kàn不bù见jiàn灯dēng光guāng 。

He used his foot to lift the edge of the pot so that the light could not be seen from a distance.

过Guò了le一yī会huì儿ér ， 从cóng东dōng南nán方fāng向xiàng吹chuī来lái一yī阵zhèn妖yāo风fēng 。

After a while, a demonic wind blew in from the southeast.

石Shí敢gǎn当dāng用yòng脚jiǎo一yī踢tī ， 踢tī翻fān了le锅guō 。

Shi Gan Dang kicked with his foot and overturned the pot.

灯Dēng光guāng一yī亮liàng ， 童tóng男nán童tóng女nǚ开kāi始shǐ敲qiāo锣luó打dǎ鼓gǔ 。

The light came on, and the boys and girls began to beat their drums and gongs.

妖Yāo怪guài进jìn屋wū后hòu ， 看kàn到dào灯dēng光guāng ， 吓xià得de立lì刻kè跑pǎo了le出chū去qù 。

The demon entered the house and, seeing the light, was scared and immediately ran out.

它Tā朝cháo南nán方fāng跑pǎo去qù ， 一yī直zhí跑pǎo到dào了le福fú建jiàn 。

It ran towards the south and kept running until it reached Fujian.

福Fú建jiàn有yǒu个gè农nóng户hù也yě被bèi妖yāo风fēng缠chán住zhù了le 。

A farmer in Fujian was also possessed by the demonic wind.

他Tā听tīng说shuō石shí敢gǎn当dāng能néng治zhì妖yāo ， 就jiù把bǎ石shí敢gǎn当dāng请qǐng了le过guò去qù 。

He heard that Shi Gan Dang could subdue demons, so he invited Shi Gan Dang over.

石Shí敢gǎn当dāng用yòng同tóng样yàng的de方fāng法fǎ ， 妖yāo怪guài又yòu跑pǎo了le ， 去qù了le东dōng北běi 。

Shi Gan Dang used the same method, and the demon ran away again, going to Northeast China.

东Dōng北běi有yǒu个gè姑gū娘niáng也yě得dé了le同tóng样yàng的de病bìng 。

A girl in Northeast China also had the same illness.

他Tā们men又yòu请qǐng来lái石shí敢gǎn当dāng 。

They invited Shi Gan Dang again.

石Shí敢gǎn当dāng想xiǎng了le个gè办bàn法fǎ ， 找zhǎo石shí匠jiàng刻kè了le块kuài石shí头tou 。

Shi Gan Dang came up with an idea and asked a stonemason to carve a stone.

石Shí头tou上shàng写xiě着zhe “ 泰tài山shān石shí敢gǎn当dāng ”。

The stone was inscribed with “Tai Shan Shi Gan Dang”.

谁Shuí家jiā闹nào妖yāo气qì ， 就jiù把bǎ这zhè块kuài石shí头tou放fàng在zài墙qiáng上shàng 。

Whenever there was demonic possession in a household, they would place this stone on the wall.

妖Yāo怪guài看kàn到dào石shí头tou ， 吓xià得de立lì刻kè跑pǎo了le 。

The demon, seeing the stone, was scared and immediately ran away.

这Zhè个gè办bàn法fǎ传chuán开kāi了le 。

This method spread.

大Dà家jiā说shuō妖yāo怪guài怕pà石shí敢gǎn当dāng 。

Everyone said that demons were afraid of Shi Gan Dang.

只Zhǐ要yào找zhǎo块kuài石shí头tou ， 刻kè上shàng “ 泰tài山shān石shí敢gǎn当dāng ”， 妖yāo怪guài就jiù不bù敢gǎn来lái了le 。

As long as they found a stone and inscribed “Tai Shan Shi Gan Dang” on it, demons would not dare to come.

所Suǒ以yǐ现xiàn在zài盖gài房fáng子zi 、 垒lěi墙qiáng时shí ， 人rén们men总zǒng会huì刻kè上shàng这zhè几jǐ个gè字zì辟bì邪xié 。

So now, when building houses or walls, people always inscribe these words to ward off evil spirits.

通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！

Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!