Water, Heroes and Donkeys
The Unlikely History of Liaocheng City
There are many stories about Cao Zhi in Dong’e, as in his later years he was governor of Dong’e. He enjoyed strolling up and around Yushan, a small hill but distinctive as the only such topographical feature in otherwise flat Liaocheng. One day, he was sitting and daydreaming at the top of the hill when he thought he could hear faint strains of music. Moved by the elegance of the melody, he noted it down, and later developed it into China’s first Buddhist air. A commemoration to this story, in the shape of a cave named “Buddhist Music,” stands halfway up the hill.
It is said that Buddhist music was later taken to the Korean Peninsula and Japan, where Buddhists regard Cao Zhi as originator of Japanese Buddhist music. There is a hill named “Yushan” in Japan, and Japanese Buddhists still come to visit Cao’s tomb in Dong’e, on the western slope of his beloved hill.
Cao Zhi is something of a tragic figure in China. He was frustrated throughout his life by his brother, Cao Pi (187 - 226), ruler of the Kingdom Wei, who was jealous of his talent. Cao Zhi wrote a brilliant political satire directed at his brother that is still read today. “Boiling the beans while charring the stalks, we grew from the same root; why should we hound each other to death with such impatience?” he famously wrote.
Hometown of Heroes
Its position in the west of Shandong Province meant that Liaocheng was at one time wedged between the states of Yan (1100-222 BC) and Zhao (403-222 BC). Its inhabitants were noted for their gallantry, boldness and bravery. As early as the Warring States Period (476 - 221 BC), Liaocheng had become a strategic location that witnessed several important inter-state battles.
Since modern times, Liaocheng has been known as birthplace of General Zhang Zizhong (1891-1940) and educator Fu Sinian (1896-1950). The highest-ranking allied officer killed in the Pacific during World War II, General Zhang is regarded as a national hero in China. Fu Sinian was a historian and acting president of Peking University, but is more widely known as having been an upright, outspoken activist. He was a student leader in the 1919 May Fourth Movement, which marked the beginning of the new-democratic revolution in China.
Perhaps the greatest catalyst for Liaocheng’s fame was Outlaws of the Marsh, one of the four classic novels of Chinese literature. The book records several popular folktales set in Liaocheng, the most famous being Wu Song Kills a Tiger.
Wu Song, a young warrior, was passing through Jingyang Ridge, a densely wooded hilly terrain in Yanggu County, on his way home, and stopped at a tavern for a rest. The owner told him that the wine they served was so strong that three cups were enough to make the average man fall down drunk. Wu Song decided to test his drinking prowess. After 18 cups, he appeared tipsy but insisted on proceeding with his journey home. While going through the forest he encountered a ferocious tiger and tried to fend it off, but accidentally broke his staff, rending himself weaponless. With more than a little bravery gained from his prodigious drinking effort, he eventually slew the beast by pinning it to the ground and bashing its head repeatedly with his bare fists.
According to Yanggu County annals, the hilly county was historically covered in dense forests, making it an ideal habitat for tigers. Jingyang Ridge covers an area of about 47 hectares where woods are almost impenetrably thick. In one open area stand several small adobe houses – one of them the tavern in which Wu Song stopped for a drink. Not far from it is a stele commemorating Wu Song, erected in the early Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279), just a few decades after he killed the tiger.
At the very top of the ridge stands the Wu Song Temple, and inside are paintings that recount the hero’s feats. The temple is a suitable site for locals to remember Wu Song, as he became a monk later in life.
Another important construction in Yanggu also relates to Wu Song. At the center of the town is a two-story restaurant named Lion Tower. According to local legend, the local people hailed Wu Song as a hero after he killed the local tyrant Ximen Qing in the restaurant. Outlaws of the Marsh and The Plum in the Golden Vase both record this tale.
Lion Tower was first built in 1036. As local people believed the color red could drive away evil spirits, its columns, doors, windows, stairs and even guardrails were painted in this vibrant shade. It is built entirely from wood, without a single nail or iron support. In recent years the tourism industry has sprung up around the restaurant, which reproduces Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) scenarios for delighted diners. Visitors can thus experience life as it was in Wu Song’s time, while at the same time sampling local dishes and beverages.
Wu Xun (1838-1896) holds a special place in Liaocheng’s history. He donated all his savings from 30 years of begging towards building three free schools for poor children. His selfless deed moved, impressed – and surprised – millions of people.
After Wu Xun lost his father at age seven he worked as a servant for a rich family and never attended school. One day he was sent to post couplets – Chinese New Year door greetings – but being illiterate, placed the pair meant for the pig barn on the main door of the house. The mistake was taken as an insult. Fined by his boss and denied his wage, Wu Xun quit and took to begging. He saved almost every penny he was given in hopes of realizing his dream of setting up a school for poor children. His deeds touched Liaocheng’s people and earned him their support. A film about Wu Xun was produced in 1948. A normal school in Nantong, Jiangsu Province also placed a statue of him next to that of Confucius.
Water, the eternal companion of Liao-cheng, has gently flowed through the city as all this history raged on around it. You may visit the city as a tourist, but be warned: it might charm you into wanting to stay for a lifetime.
