Mount Liang

Mount Liang
Chinese name
Chinese	Lương sơn
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Liángshān
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese	Lương sơnBạc
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Liángshān Pō
Japanese name
Kanji	Lương sơn bạc
Transcriptions Romanization Ryōzanpaku

Mount Liangis a mountain inLiangshan County,Shandong,China,which rises to 197.9 metres above sea level.It is well known as the stronghold of the108 Heroesin the classic Chinese novelWater Margin.The modern Liangshan County is located a few kilometres to the north and 80 kilometres west of theBeijing–Shanghai railway.

The original Mount Liang was named after the Prince of Liang (Lương vương), a son ofEmperor Wenof theHan dynasty.After his death, the prince was buried on the mountain. The area was from prehistoric times surrounded by the largest marshland inNorth China,called the Daye Marsh and later the Liangshan Marsh. During theSong dynasty,theYellow Riverflowed through the area. Mount Liang was located at the extreme north of what became known as the "eight hundredlimoorage of Mount Liang ". Because the area was largely a wasteland on the frontiers of several administrative units, government control was minimal. It is known that outlaws and bandits were active in the area during the Song dynasty, althoughSong Jiang– a major character inWater Margin– was not associated with the area. Some of the bandits on Mount Liang preyed selectively upon the rich and became known as "righteous bandits" ( nghĩa phỉ;yì fěi). Legends about the heroes of Mount Liang, which provided the basis forWater Margin,probably formed from this historical context. Banditry continued on Mount Liang until the mid-17th century, when theQing dynastyestablished a military garrison in present-day Liangshan County.

Water Margindescribes Mount Liang in majestic terms, imagining its peak to be a plateau ringed by high mountains and protected by sixpassesand eight fortresses. TheYuan dynastyzaju"Black Whirlwind Presents Two Victories" (Hắc toàn phong song hiến công) envisages Mount Liang as having "72 deep rivers, garrisoned with hundreds of warships. In 36 feasting towers, there is enough food for a million soldiers and their mounts."

When the Yellow River shifted course in 1289, the marshes around Mount Liang shrank considerably. During theMing dynasty,it had been reduced to five smaller marshlands. After the Yellow River shifted back to its northern course in 1853, the marshes were gradually filled in by sediments carried downstream by the river and humanland reclamation.Today, the relatively smallDongping Lakeis what remains of the great marshes.

Considerable effort has been made in recent years to develop Liangshan as a destination for tourists.A number of buildings have been erected to match descriptions given inWater Margin.

See also

• Empress Dowager Wenming tomb

External links

• Official site of Mount Liang Scenic Spot( thủy bạc lương sơn phong cảnh khu quan phương võng trạm )