奇速英语

中国古代民间传说之孟姜女哭长城

According to Chinese legend, the Meng family — consisting of an old childless couple, lived next door to the Jiang family — also an old childless couple — in Jiangnan. One year, Old Man Meng planted a gourd vine (葫芦藤). The vine grew into his neighbor’s yard and produced a gourd there. Both families agreed to share it. When they cut open the gourd, they found a baby girl inside. Surprised and happy, both couples wanted to adopt her. After neighbors intervened, they decided to raise her together. They named her Meng Jiang Nv.

When Meng Jiang grew up, she chose to marry a young man named Fan Xiliang. But on their wedding day, soldiers took Xiliang to work on the Great Wall. Life there was hard and many workers died. After a year without any news from Xiliang, Meng Jiang Nv went to look for him. She traveled far to the Great Wall, only to learn that Xiliang had died from overwork and was buried under it. Distraught, Meng Jiang Nv cried and hit the wall, causing part of it to fall and uncover many bones. She then bit her finger and tested each skeleton with her blood, hoping to find her husband’s by seeing if the bones absorbed it. When she found Xiliang’s bones, she held them and wept.

The angry Emperor of Qin Dynasty (221 B.C. - 206 B.C.) inspected the damage to his wall. When he saw Meng Jiang Nv, he fell for her beauty and wanted to marry her. Meng Jiang said she would only marry him on three conditions — first, her former husband was to be given a grand burial; second, the emperor and his court must go into mourning for Xiliang; and third, she wanted to visit the ocean. The emperor agreed. After Meng Jiang Nv got her third wish, she cast herself into the ocean. The Emperor sent his men to get her back but the waves chased them away.

The Temple of Meng Jiang Nv, first established in the Song Dynasty about 1,000 years ago, has been maintained and worshipped at the eastern beginning of the Great Wall till this day in Qinhuangdao City of Hebei Province.