Gu Dasao
Encyclopedia
Gu Dasao is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. She ranks 101st of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 65th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. She is nicknamed "Female Tiger".
Gu Dasao practises martial arts instead and excels in using the spear
and staff
. She is a fearsome opponent in combat and can take on 20 to 30 enemies at the same time. She takes great initiative in planning violent killings and raids.
Gu Dasao is married to Sun Xin. She even beats up her husband when she is angry. She earns herself the nickname "Female Tiger" for her fiery temper. They run a tavern in Dengzhou (in present-day Shandong
) where her brother-in-law Sun Li works as a garrison major.
informs Gu Dasao that her cousins (Xie Zhen
and Xie Bao
) have been framed and imprisoned and awaiting execution. Gu Dasao discuses with her husband on a plan to rescue the Xie brothers. They enlist the help of Sun Li, Zou Yuan
and Zou Run
to stage a jailbreak and succeed in rescuing the Xie brothers. They flee to Liangshan Marsh
to join the outlaws there after that.
At that time, the Liangshan outlaws are locked in a stalemate during a battle with the Zhu Family Village. Sun Li is a former fellow student of Luan Tingyu, a martial arts instructor of the village. He decides to make use of his relationship with Luan Tingyu to conduct an espionage mission, bringing along those who followed him to Liangshan earlier. They receive a warm welcome from Luan Tingyu and the Zhu brothers.
However, the Zhus are suspicious of Sun Li's allegiance to them initially. Sun Li proves his loyalty by capturing Liangshan's Shi Xiu
during a duel. The Zhus then believe that Sun Li is genuinely faithful to them. Sun Li and his team work together with the Liangshan forces to bring down the Zhus and capture the village, making his first major contribution.
invaders and rebel forces after that. She survives the campaigns and is granted the honorific title of "Lady of Dongyuan County" (東源縣君) by the emperor in recognition of her contributions. She returns to Dengzhou with her family.
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...
. She ranks 101st of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 65th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. She is nicknamed "Female Tiger".
Background
The Water Margin describes Gu Dasao as having thick eyebrows, large eyes, a plump face and a thick waist. She wears several decorative ornaments on her head and wrists. She is different from most women of her time as she does not know how to do household chores like any other typical housewife.Gu Dasao practises martial arts instead and excels in using the spear
Qiang (spear)
Qiang is the Chinese term for spear. Due to its relative ease of manufacture, the spear in many variations was ubiquitous on the pre-modern Chinese battlefield...
and staff
Gun (staff)
The Chinese word gun refers to a long Chinese staff weapon used in Chinese martial arts. It is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the qiang , dao , and the jian , called in this group "The Grandfather of all Weapons".-Variants:There are various kinds of gun, and they include the...
. She is a fearsome opponent in combat and can take on 20 to 30 enemies at the same time. She takes great initiative in planning violent killings and raids.
Gu Dasao is married to Sun Xin. She even beats up her husband when she is angry. She earns herself the nickname "Female Tiger" for her fiery temper. They run a tavern in Dengzhou (in present-day Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
) where her brother-in-law Sun Li works as a garrison major.
Becoming an outlaw
Yue HeYue He
Yue He is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 77th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 41st of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Iron Whistle".-Background:...
informs Gu Dasao that her cousins (Xie Zhen
Xie Zhen
Xie Zhen is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 34th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Double-headed Serpent".-Background:...
and Xie Bao
Xie Bao
Xie Bao is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 35th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Twin-tailed Scorpion".-Background:...
) have been framed and imprisoned and awaiting execution. Gu Dasao discuses with her husband on a plan to rescue the Xie brothers. They enlist the help of Sun Li, Zou Yuan
Zou Yuan
Zou Yuan is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 90th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 54th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Forest Emerging Dragon".-Background:...
and Zou Run
Zou Run
Zou Run is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 91st of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 55th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Single-horned Dragon".-Background:...
to stage a jailbreak and succeed in rescuing the Xie brothers. They flee to Liangshan Marsh
Mount 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...
to join the outlaws there after that.
At that time, the Liangshan outlaws are locked in a stalemate during a battle with the Zhu Family Village. Sun Li is a former fellow student of Luan Tingyu, a martial arts instructor of the village. He decides to make use of his relationship with Luan Tingyu to conduct an espionage mission, bringing along those who followed him to Liangshan earlier. They receive a warm welcome from Luan Tingyu and the Zhu brothers.
However, the Zhus are suspicious of Sun Li's allegiance to them initially. Sun Li proves his loyalty by capturing Liangshan's Shi Xiu
Shi Xiu
Shi Xiu is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 33rd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Daredevil Third Brother".-Background:...
during a duel. The Zhus then believe that Sun Li is genuinely faithful to them. Sun Li and his team work together with the Liangshan forces to bring down the Zhus and capture the village, making his first major contribution.
Campaigns and later life
Gu Dasao becomes one of the scout leaders of Liangshan after the Grand Assembly and stationed in the tavern east of Liangshan. She is tasked with making preparations to receive the imperial envoy from the emperor, who grants the outlaws amnesty. She 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 rebel forces after that. She survives the campaigns and is granted the honorific title of "Lady of Dongyuan County" (東源縣君) by the emperor in recognition of her contributions. She returns to Dengzhou with her family.