Great Wall Folklore – The Legend of Meng Jiang Nu

Great Wall Folklore – Let me re-tell The Legend of Meng Jiang Nu

In the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-206 B.C.), there were two lonely old man who were neighbors, Mr. Meng and Mr. Jiang. In the boundary of theirgardens, there was a very big gourd.

One day, within the gourd, a very beautiful girl was born. Both of them like this girl, so they called her Meng Jiang Nu (“Nu” means girl). (don’t ask me how it happen)

18 years Later, Meng Jiang Nu became a very pretty lady and married a handsome young man named Fan Qi Liang. But soon after their marriage, Fang Qi Liang was forced to leave Meng Jiang Nu to build the Great Wall.

After his departure, the couple lost contact for nearly ayear. When winter came, Meng Jiang Nu sewed clothing for her husband, but she was forced to endure danger and countless hardships on her journey to the foot of the Great Wall to meet her husband.

Once at the Great Wall, she was told that her husband had already died of hunger and exhaustion. Even worse, his body had been built within the base of the Great Wall.

Meng Jiang Nu will never be able to see her husband’s forever. Meng Jiang Nu stayed by the Wall and wept for days and nights. Her cries touched the Heaven above.

Suddenly, 300 miles wall collapsed and her husband's body appeared, amidst the rubble in front of her. Out of extreme grief, she buried her husband and then jumped to her death into the sea.

Though this is only a legend, people have admired Meng Jiang Nu's love and rebelliousspirit for thousands of years. She is remembered in poetry, folk songs, and plays.

There is even a Temple of Meng Jiang Nu, thought to have been built before the Song Dynasty (960 A.D. – 1279 A.D.) andrepaired during the Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D. – 1644A.D.).

Among the dozen or so major ones, the temple at Shanhaiguan remains in good condition to this day.

Take a look at this Great Wall Folklore video

It’s a lady singing the song about Meng Jiang Nu At the Great Wall of China