Page 23 - The Great Wall of China
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Once, when she was walking in the garden he decided to marry her. Meng Jiangnu had no
she found a man hiding in the bushes, and choice but to agree, but she said she’d marry
immediately called for her parents. When the the Emperor only under three conditions: first,
man came out, it was a young, good looking her husband was to be given a proper burial;
man named Fan Xiliang. Fan was hiding from second, the emperor and his court must go
officials that wanted to take him to build the into mourning for Xiliang; and third, she
great Wall. Jiangnu and Xiliang fell in love, wanted to visit the ocean.
and were married in short order. But their
happiness was not everlasting – three days The Emperor was not happy with the idea of
after their wedding Xiliang was taken by giving a proper funeral to a commoner, but he
officials to build the wall. agreed. After the funeral she was determined
to escape the Emperor and reunite with her
A year passed and Jiangnu did not hear any one true husband, so she threw herself into
news from her husband. Once she had a dream the ocean near the Bohai Sea.
that he was freezing on the wall, after waking
up she started knitting warm clothes for him. The story of “Meng Jiangnu” was created,
It was then she decided she would find him, due to people’s hatred toward Emperor
no matter the cost. Day and night she climbed Qinshihuang. It reflects the grievances
over mountains and went through the rivers, ancient people had about tyranny as well as
slipping and falling many times, and after the praise of unyielding women. The Temple
many moons she finally reached the foot of of Meng Jiangnu was first established in the
the Great Wall at the present Shanhaiguan Song Dynasty about 1,000 years ago, and ever
Pass. And when she reached there, it turned since it has been maintained and worshiped
out that her husband had died from hard at the eastern beginning of the Great Wall,
labor and was buried somewhere under the in the Qinhuangdao City of Hebei Province.
Great Wall like thousands of other workers.
Upon hearing such news Meng Jiang could
not help but cry with grief for her beloved
husband, she wept like this for three days and
and three nights.
Suddenly with a tremendous noise, that part
of the wall just collapsed. Chinese believed
in the telepathy between heaven and man.
They thought man’s cries could move God,
and that’s why she was able to “bring down
the Great Wall with her tears”.
Emperor Qin Shihuang (Qin Dynasty (221BC-
206BC) happened to be touring the wall at
that exact time, and he wanted to punish
Meng for destroying the wall. When soldiers
brought him Meng Jiangnu, he was astonished
by her beauty, and instead of punishing her,
Source: https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2015/03/the-legend-of-meng-jiangnu/
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