Zhang Heng (Water Margin)
Encyclopedia
Zhang Heng is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. He ranks 28th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Boatman".
tall, with triangular eyes, yellow whiskers, red hair and crimson eyes. He is an excellent swimmer and he can leapt out of the water from wave to wave like flying fish. Even harsh weather conditions do not deter him from performing superhuman feats in water. He is nicknamed "Boatman" for his marine abilities.
Zhang Heng lives at the foot of Mount Gu with his younger brother Zhang Shun
. The brothers engage in some illegal trading on the nearby Xunyang River
to earn a living. Zhang Heng is an impulsive gambler and loses large sums of money from frequent gambling. He decides to become a pirate in disguise as a ferryman to rob his customers.
Once, Song Jiang
is pursued by the Mu brothers after offending them and he boards Zhang Heng's boat to escape from them in desperation. In the middle of the river, Zhang Heng attempts to kill Song Jiang by forcing him off the boat. Just then, Li Jun appears and he stops Zhang Heng. Li Jun then introduces Song Jiang to Zhang Heng and the others, who recognise him as the famous philanthropist. Zhang Heng apologises to Song Jiang and becomes friends with him.
outlaws storm the execution ground in Jiangzhou (present-day Jiangxi
) and rescued Song Jiang from death, Zhang Heng, Li Jun and several others fetch them at the riverbank after they defeat the pursuing soldiers. Zhang Heng and company ferry the heroes back to Liangshan Marsh and Zhang decides to join the Liangshan cause after that. He becomes a leader of Liangshan's navy and make great contributions to Liangshan in the naval campaigns against the enemies of Liangshan.
When Huyan Zhuo leads the imperial army to attack the outlaws, he orders the artillery commander Ling Zhen
to bombard Liangshan with heavy cannon fire. Zhang Heng leads the navy to sabotage the cannons and lure Ling Zhen into a trap. Ling Zhen pursues the outlaws to the middle of the river where his boat is capsized and he is captured. Song Jiang persuades Ling Zhen to join Liangshan. When the imperial army attack Liangshan a second time under Guan Sheng
's command, Zhang Heng attempts to launch a surprise offensive on the enemy but he falls into a trap and is captured. He is only released after Guan Sheng surrenders and joins Liangshan.
invaders and other rebel forces. During the Fang La
campaign, Zhang Shun is killed in the battle of Hangzhou
. After Zhang Shun's death, his spirit possesses Zhang Heng and he slays the enemy general Fang Tianding
for revenge. Zhang Shun's spirit leaves his brother's body after that and Zhang Heng recovers from his trance. He is deeply saddened by the loss of his brother and collapses on the spot, dying from illness not long later.
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 28th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Boatman".
Background
The Water Margin describes Zhang Heng as a man seven chiChi (unit)
The chi is a traditional Chinese unit of length, approximately equal to one foot. Its length is derived from the length of human forearm and has first appeared during the Shang Dynasty approximately 3000 years ago. Since then it has spread to and adopted by other East Asian cultures, such as...
tall, with triangular eyes, yellow whiskers, red hair and crimson eyes. He is an excellent swimmer and he can leapt out of the water from wave to wave like flying fish. Even harsh weather conditions do not deter him from performing superhuman feats in water. He is nicknamed "Boatman" for his marine abilities.
Zhang Heng lives at the foot of Mount Gu with his younger brother Zhang Shun
Zhang Shun
Zhang Shun is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 30th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "White Stripe in the Waves".-Background:...
. The brothers engage in some illegal trading on the nearby Xunyang River
Xunyang River
Xunyang River is a section of Yangtze River north of Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China.Jiujiang had ancient names like Chaisang and Xunyang , thus the section of Yangtze River passing Jiujiang was thus named. Today, there is one Xunyang District in Jiujiang....
to earn a living. Zhang Heng is an impulsive gambler and loses large sums of money from frequent gambling. He decides to become a pirate in disguise as a ferryman to rob his customers.
Once, Song Jiang
Song Jiang
Song Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
is pursued by the Mu brothers after offending them and he boards Zhang Heng's boat to escape from them in desperation. In the middle of the river, Zhang Heng attempts to kill Song Jiang by forcing him off the boat. Just then, Li Jun appears and he stops Zhang Heng. Li Jun then introduces Song Jiang to Zhang Heng and the others, who recognise him as the famous philanthropist. Zhang Heng apologises to Song Jiang and becomes friends with him.
Becoming an outlaw
After the LiangshanMount 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...
outlaws storm the execution ground in Jiangzhou (present-day Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
) and rescued Song Jiang from death, Zhang Heng, Li Jun and several others fetch them at the riverbank after they defeat the pursuing soldiers. Zhang Heng and company ferry the heroes back to Liangshan Marsh and Zhang decides to join the Liangshan cause after that. He becomes a leader of Liangshan's navy and make great contributions to Liangshan in the naval campaigns against the enemies of Liangshan.
When Huyan Zhuo leads the imperial army to attack the outlaws, he orders the artillery commander Ling Zhen
Ling Zhen
Ling Zhen is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 52nd of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 16th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Heaven Shaking Thunder".-Background:...
to bombard Liangshan with heavy cannon fire. Zhang Heng leads the navy to sabotage the cannons and lure Ling Zhen into a trap. Ling Zhen pursues the outlaws to the middle of the river where his boat is capsized and he is captured. Song Jiang persuades Ling Zhen to join Liangshan. When the imperial army attack Liangshan a second time under Guan Sheng
Guan Sheng
Guan Sheng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 5th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Great Blade".-Background:...
's command, Zhang Heng attempts to launch a surprise offensive on the enemy but he falls into a trap and is captured. He is only released after Guan Sheng surrenders and joins Liangshan.
Campaigns and death
After the Liangshan outlaws are granted amnesty by the emperor, Zhang Heng follows them 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 other rebel forces. 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, Zhang Shun is killed in the battle of Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
. After Zhang Shun's death, his spirit possesses Zhang Heng and he slays the enemy general Fang Tianding
Fang Tianding
Fang Tianding is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Fang Tianding is a son of the rebel leader, Fang La, one of the antagonists and enemy of the 108 Liangshan outlaws.-Biography:...
for revenge. Zhang Shun's spirit leaves his brother's body after that and Zhang Heng recovers from his trance. He is deeply saddened by the loss of his brother and collapses on the spot, dying from illness not long later.