Outlaws of the Marsh

Water Margin

An illustration of the novel
Author	Shi Nai'an
Original title	水滸傳
Country	China
Language	Chinese
Genre	Historical fiction

Water Margin
"Water Margin" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese	水滸傳
Simplified Chinese	水浒传
Literal meaning	"Water Margin Story"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shuǐ hǔ zhuàn IPA [ʂwèi xù ʈʂwân] Wu Romanization Sy去 vhu平 tsuae平 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Séui wú jyuhn Jyutping Seoi2 wu2 zyun6 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Suí hóo tuān

Water Margin is a novel attributed to Shi Nai'an. Considered one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, the novel is written in vernacular Chinese rather than Classical Chinese.

The story, set in the Song dynasty, tells of how a group of 108 outlaws gathers at Mount Liang (or Liangshan Marsh) to form a sizable army before they are eventually granted amnesty by the government and sent on campaigns to resist foreign invaders and suppress rebel forces. It has introduced to readers many of the best-known characters in Chinese literature, such as Wu Song, Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen.

Water Margin was based on the exploits of the outlaw Song Jiang and his 36 companions. The group was active in the Huainan region and surrendered to the Song government in 1121. They were recorded in the historical text History of Song. The name of "Song Jiang" also appeared in the biography of Emperor Huizong of Song, which stated:

The outlaw Song Jiang of Huainan and others attacked the army at Huaiyang, (the Emperor) sent generals to attack and arrest them. (The outlaws) infringed on east of the capital (Kaifeng), Hebei, and entered the boundaries of Chu (referring to present-day Hubei and Hunan) and Haizhou (covering parts of present-day Jiangsu). The prefect Zhang Shuye was ordered to pacify them.

Zhang Shuye's biography further described Song Jiang and the outlaws' activities and how they were eventually defeated by Zhang.