U1 The Legend of Meng Jiang Nü

TheLegendofMengJiangNüAmongalllegendsandstoriesabouttheGreatWall,themostwell-knownoneisprobablyofagirlcalledMengJiangNü.Throughvariousdynasties,thestoryhasbeenmodifiedanddevelopedintomanydifferentversions.Themostpopularonegoesasfollows:ItwasinQinDynasty(221B.C.-206B.C.).HavingescapedfromtheheavylabourworkattheGreatWallconstructionsite,ayoungmancalledFanQiLianghidinaprivategardenwhereheranintoMengJiangNü,thedaughterofthegardenowner.Theymarriedbutrightafterthewedding,FanQiLiangwastakenawaytobuildtheGreatWallagain.MengJiangNüwaitedathome.WintercamebutFanQiLiangdidnotreturn.MengJiangNümadehimsomewarmclothesanddecidedtotakethemtoherhusband.ShegottotheconstructionsitebutFanQiLiangwasnowheretobefound.ShewasthentoldthatFanQiLianghaddiedandhisbodywasbuiltintotheGreatWall.MengJiangNücriednightandday.HersorrowwassodeepthattheGreatWallbrokedownandexposedthebonesandbodiesofmanydeadmen.MengJiangNücutherfingersanddrippedherbloodonthedeaduntilherbloodflowedintoone.Knowingthatthiswasherhusband,sheburiedhimandthenjumpedintowaterandkilledherself.Thisisaverywide-spreadlegendabouttheGreatWallandwasevenmadeintomoviesthreetimes.IfyouevergetachancetovisitShanHaiGuan,theeasternendoftheMingGreatWall-actually,theMingGreatWallusedtoextendfurthereastandnorthward,-youcanpayavisittothetemplededicatedtoMengJiangNü.Thoughjustalegend,thestoryofMengJiangNüdidtellonetruth:ManypeoplehavegiventheirlivesbuildingtheGreatWall,andmanymoredefendingtheWall.Withahistoryofover2,000years,theGreatWallwitnessedthechangesoftime,thelivesofpeople,thehappeningofevents,andthestoriesofmanyindividuals.Somuchlaughter,somanytears,theGreatWallallenduredwithsilence.AStoryAboutJiaYuGuanAtthewesternendoftheMingGreatWall,amostwell-preservedpass,JiaYuGuan,standssolemnlyinthegobidesert.Andifyouaskthelocalguides,theywilldirectyoutoaspecialbrick.ItissaidthatthedesignerofthepassintheMingDynasty(1368-1644)wassopreciseastobeabletocalculatehowmanybrickswouldbeneededfortheconstruction.Uponcompletionofthepass,thesurpluswasonlybyonebrick.TheWidows'TowerAttheTaiPingZhaisectionoftheGreatWallnearHuangYaGuan,thereisawell-knowntowercalledtheWidows'Tower.ItissaidthatwhenbuildingHuangYaGuan,12soldiersfromHenanProvincelosttheirlives.Theirwives,uponlearningthenews,wereallheart-broken.Later,theyusedthecompensationtheygottobuildthetowerinmemoryoftheirhusbands.TheHappyMeetingMouthThebuildingofPanJiaKouReservoirinHebeiProvinceresultedinasectionofunderwaterGreatWall.ThissectioniscalledXiFengKou,theHappyMeetingMouth.Intheolddays,asoldierhadnotreturnedhomeforalongtime.Hisfatherlookedforhimeverywhereandwhatacoincidence,theyranintoeachotherattheSongtingHill.Theyweresohappyandlaughedsomuchthattheybothdied.LatertheywereberriedatthepasswhosenamewasthenchangedtotheHappyMeetingPass.TheMetalSoupGreatWallOntheoutskirtsofBeijing,thereisafamoussectionoftheGreatWallcalledHuangHuaCheng(theyellowflowerfortress).ItwasnamedaftertheyellowflowersthatbloominthesummertimebutthereisafamousstoryaboutthebuildingofthissectionintheMingDynasty.AgeneralcalledCaiKaiwasputinchargeoftheconstruction.Severalyearspassedbeforeitwascompleted.ThecentralgovernmentwasnothappyandGeneralCaiwasaccusedofthelongconstructionperiodandhighinvestment.Hewasexecuted.Later,theemperorrealizedthatsomethingwaswrong.HecarriedoutaninvestigationandfoundthattheGreatWallbuiltbyGeneralCaiwasverysteepandsolid.Notonecrackcouldbeknockedoutofthebricksandstonesthathadbeenreinforcedwithricesoup.Knowingthattheprojectwasofextremelyhighquality,theemperorestablishedatabletforGeneralCaiandwroteonabigrockundertheGreatWalltheMetalSoup.DuringtheSecondWorldWar,theJapaneseinvaderstriedveryhardandeventuallysucceededinblowingupasectionoftheHuangHuaChengGreatWall.ThesectionfellintothelakenearbyandyoucanstillseetodaytheGreatWallextendingonbothsidesofthelake.