Du Qian
Encyclopedia
Du Qian is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. He ranks 83rd of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 47th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Touching the Sky".
, along with Wang Lun and Song Wan
. He sat for the imperial examination
with Wang Lun but neither of them were successful candidates. They seek temporary shelter in Chai Jin
's residence and move to Liangshan Marsh, where they establish a stronghold for outlaws. They have an army of 800 men under their command. Wang Lun becomes the chief of the band while Du Qian takes the second position of leadership. Song Wan and Zhu Gui
join the band later.
is forced to become an outlaw after killing three enemies during the blaze at the fodder storage field. He flees to Chai Jin
's residence for refuge and Chai writes a letter of recommendation for him to join Liangshan. The selfish Wang Lun refuses to allow Lin Chong to join his band and tries to send him away with precious gifts. Wang Lun agrees to allow Lin Chong to join the band after constant persuasion from his deputies, but Lin must fulfill a condition first; kill someone and present the victim's head to him within three days.
After much waiting on a deserted road, Lin Chong finally meets Yang Zhi and attempts to kill Yang and take his head. However, Yang Zhi proves to be a powerful fighter as well and neither of them is able to defeat his opponent after rounds of fighting. Eventually, Wang Lun and his men arrive on the scene and stop the fight. Wang Lun agrees to let Lin Chong join Liangshan and he invites Yang Zhi to join as well but Yang declines the offer.
and his six companions flee to Liangshan for refuge after robbing the convoy of birthday gifts. Once again, Wang Lun tries to send the seven men away with precious gifts. Lin Chong is unhappy with Wang Lun and he kills Wang in anger through Wu Yong
's instigation. Chao Gai takes over as the chief of Liangshan and he recruits Wang Lun's former deputies, including Du Qian.
invaders and southern rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. During the Fang La
campaign, Du Qian is assigned to attack the enemy city of Qingxi County. He is trampled to death in the battle by enemy cavalry and is posthumously granted the title of "Righteous Gentleman of Integrity" (義節郎) by the emperor in recognition of his contributions.
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
Four Great Classical Novels
The Four Great Classical Novels, or the Four Major Classical Novels of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly regarded by scholars to be the greatest and most influential of pre-modern Chinese fiction. Dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, they are well known to most Chinese readers...
of Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
. He ranks 83rd of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 47th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Touching the Sky".
Background
Du Qian is one of the three pioneers of the outlaw stronghold at Liangshan MarshMount Liang
Mount Liang is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong province, China which rises to 197.9 m above sea level. It is well known as the stronghold of the 108 legendary Song Dynasty heroes of the classic Chinese novel Water Margin...
, along with Wang Lun and Song Wan
Song Wan
Song Wan is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 82nd of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 46th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Giant in the Clouds".-Background:...
. He sat for the imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
with Wang Lun but neither of them were successful candidates. They seek temporary shelter in Chai Jin
Chai Jin
Chai Jin is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 10th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Little Whirlwind"...
's residence and move to Liangshan Marsh, where they establish a stronghold for outlaws. They have an army of 800 men under their command. Wang Lun becomes the chief of the band while Du Qian takes the second position of leadership. Song Wan and Zhu Gui
Zhu Gui
Zhu Gui is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 92nd of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 56th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Dry Land Alligator".-Background:...
join the band later.
Lin Chong joins Liangshan
Lin ChongLin Chong
Lin Chong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 6th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Panther Head"...
is forced to become an outlaw after killing three enemies during the blaze at the fodder storage field. He flees to Chai Jin
Chai Jin
Chai Jin is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 10th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Little Whirlwind"...
's residence for refuge and Chai writes a letter of recommendation for him to join Liangshan. The selfish Wang Lun refuses to allow Lin Chong to join his band and tries to send him away with precious gifts. Wang Lun agrees to allow Lin Chong to join the band after constant persuasion from his deputies, but Lin must fulfill a condition first; kill someone and present the victim's head to him within three days.
After much waiting on a deserted road, Lin Chong finally meets Yang Zhi and attempts to kill Yang and take his head. However, Yang Zhi proves to be a powerful fighter as well and neither of them is able to defeat his opponent after rounds of fighting. Eventually, Wang Lun and his men arrive on the scene and stop the fight. Wang Lun agrees to let Lin Chong join Liangshan and he invites Yang Zhi to join as well but Yang declines the offer.
Chao Gai becomes chief
Subsequently, Chao GaiChao Gai
Chao Gai is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is widely considered as the founding father of the Liangshan outlaws' cause to serve the nation and deliver justice on behalf of Heaven...
and his six companions flee to Liangshan for refuge after robbing the convoy of birthday gifts. Once again, Wang Lun tries to send the seven men away with precious gifts. Lin Chong is unhappy with Wang Lun and he kills Wang in anger through Wu Yong
Wu Yong
Wu Yong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 3rd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Resourceful Star".-Background:...
's instigation. Chao Gai takes over as the chief of Liangshan and he recruits Wang Lun's former deputies, including Du Qian.
Campaigns and death
Du Qian becomes one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry after the Grand Assembly and he participates actively in many of the battles against the enemies of Liangshan. He follows the heroes on their campaigns against the LiaoLiao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
invaders and southern rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. During the Fang La
Fang La
Fang La was a rebel leader who lived during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:...
campaign, Du Qian is assigned to attack the enemy city of Qingxi County. He is trampled to death in the battle by enemy cavalry and is posthumously granted the title of "Righteous Gentleman of Integrity" (義節郎) by the emperor in recognition of his contributions.