Talks about rebellion of the oppressed (and bandits), and therefore has been controversial throughout the many Chinese dictatorships.
The book is based on real events surrounding 12th century rebel leader Song Jiang during the Song dynasty.
It is also interesting that Mao Zedong was apparently a fan of the novel, although he had to hide that to some extent due to the controversial nature of the material, which could be said to instigate rebellion.
The incredible popularity of the novel can also be seen by the large number of paintings of it found in the Summer Palace.
This is a good novel. It appeals to Ciro Santilli's sensibilities of rebelling against unfairness, and in particular about people who are at the margin of society (at the river margin) doing so. Tax the rich BTW.
It also has always made Ciro quite curious how such novels are not used as a way to inspire people to rebel against the Chinese Communist Party.
Full text uploads of Chinese versions:
- www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/23863/pg23863.html No table of contents.
Agriculture is not the official definition of the age. But it is good enough. Likely related to the official end of glaciations thing.
Literally: "capital of the East". Note that the Chinese term 东京 (dong1 jing1) is highly ambiguous in historical contexts, as many places throughout history have been known as "the capital of the East".Of of those other places is the Kaifeng, which is the Capital in Water Margin and in real life during the Song dynasty. The novel is also likely highly popular in Japan apparently as well BTW, e.g. it merited a well funded adaptation: The Water Margin.
Lit. "to kick (leather) ball".
Figures notbaly in Water Margin, where it is played by Gao Qiu. The novel also suggests that it was considered a lesser art, e.g. as opposed to the scholarly four arts and the "proper" martial arts.
This is a good initiative. Since the government is incapable of doing shit in this area, individuals have to do it themselves.
They even have a scholarship program...: www.bolsas.gobrasa.org/
There are unlisted articles, also show them or only show them.