The Real Story of Wu Song - The Tiger Killer

He's one of the most famous mythical heroes from Chinese history. In his most well-known story, he kills a tiger with his bare hands. He's been featured in numerous stories, operas, and in modern times, TV shows. Yes, this is the story of Wu Song. But it doesn't end with a tiger. There's a whole tragic tale involving his older brother who's killed by his beautiful yet scheming wife. Wu Song then avenges the death, gets exiled and has a load of adventures. Now obviously we are talking about a mythical character here. You may know the story of Wu Song from Shre or Outlaws of the Marsh. That is the most famous version. But this story has existed and been passed down for a long time. The first known mention of Wuong was in the title of a play that the full script of has since been lost from around the year 1295 called Jan Wong Dahu or Wuong beats the tiger with a broken shoulder pole. The story comes up again in a play called or tale of righteous knights from the 1500s. This is the oldest known complete version of the story still in existence. The Wuong story is then found as a chapter, well actually told across several chapters in versions of Shrehan that survive from the late 1500s. This is one of China's four classic novels and in the book he becomes one of the 108 heroes. So while the stories we have about him are mythical, could Wong, the Dahu Yingong or tigerbeating hero have been based on a real person? Sure, he could have been just like King Arthur and other legends we have in the West. But no matter whether he was based on a real person or not, it is an incredible story with a lot of moral and cultural lessons that can be learned from it. So in this video, I'm going to delve into the real story of Wuong the tiger killer. So Wong is a native of what was then called Chinghuri or Chinghur County in modern-day Herbe province. Although in the stories they describe him as from Shandong, which that county does border, and he he does spend time in Shandong too, as you're going to see. Since his parents died young, he's raised by his brother, who is known for being short and ugly, in contrast to Wong, who grows up to be a strong, handsome young man who is really good at martial arts. Like this guy is literally the person the term halhan or a good man or a capable man was invented for. [Music] In the TV show I watched about Wong, he trains at the Shaolin Temple. Although this isn't in Outlaws of the Marsh, but Shaolin is in Hunan Province, very close to the area that Wong was supposedly from. So I guess it is plausible. Another story has him learning sword skills from Jong, the legendary martial arts master of the great general UF. Anyway, let's keep going with the story. So, Wu Song first leaves Chingha County after getting into a brawl with a man and knocking him senseless. Thinking that he has killed him, he runs away. But sometime later, news reaches Wuong that the man did indeed recover and is still alive. So, he decides to go back to Chinghur County to see his brother. To get there, he has to cross Jingyang Gang or Jingyang Ridge, which is in modernday Yangu, Yangu County in Shandong Province, which in modern times they have obviously turned into a tourist attraction. I mean, how could they resist, right? Look at that tiger. Anyway, before he crosses the ridge, he stops at a little tavern to eat and drink. This tavern has a big banner reading San Juan Buang. Three bowls and you can't cross the ridge. At first, he's really enjoying the wine, but then after three bowls, the waiter explains that he cannot have anymore, citing how the name of the restaurant is. Wuong being the tough guy that he is, and he's already had three bowls anyway, so in theory, he's already beyond the limit, presses the waiter, who explains that there is a tiger on the ridge, and thus he cannot go up there drunk. But Wu Song is having none of it. Maybe he had Chumba Womba playing on his iPod or something. He drinks some whiskey drink. And he really feels unstoppable. like nothing can keep him down. In the end, the waiter can't do anything about it and Wong drinks 18 bowls of wine and then he storms off towards the ridge. When he sees a government proclamation about the tiger, he assumes it's a forgery by the inkeeper to trick guests into paying to stay overnight. So, Wong keeps going and he marches up the ridge. For some reason, maybe because all that wine is making him drowsy, he decides to have a little nap right up on the ridge exactly where the tiger is supposed to be. And of course, the tiger attacks. Mong manages to evade the attacks and swipes at it with his staff, but it unfortunately snaps. He then jumps on top of the tiger and beats it with his bare hands until it dies. Outlaws of the Marsh describes this as 60 or 70 blows and then he picks up the broken staff and beats it some more until it's thoroughly dead. Then in a twist to the story, some hunters in tiger suits jump out at him. And this wasn't just added in the TV shows. It is actually in Outlaws of the Marsh. Although in this particular show, the guys look like they just got back from Spirit Halloween. Anyway, these hunters realize Wuong has killed the tiger and they take him down into Yangu County as a hero. He is made a constable by the local magistrate and he then discovers that his brother has moved there too with his young pretty wife Panindian. Now there is a story behind this. Remember Wong's brother is short and ugly. So what is the reason that he ends up marrying such a beautiful woman? So Panin was originally a maid in a rich household. The master of the house comes onto her and tries to jump into bed with her and she resists his advances. And then the lady of the house, okay, his wife, finds out about the whole thing. And the husband is so mad at her for this that he marries her off to the ugly and short older Woo brother as a punishment. Actually, in the TV show I watched about this, he instead sells her to a brothel. And then the ugly older Woo brother finds out about this since it's the daughter of his friend or something. and he then sells his house to buy her freedom and then the family arrange her to marry him to express their gratitude. I actually like that version better. But anyway, because of this, it's an arranged marriage. She doesn't really love him. He is a lot older than her and as we've seen, he's short and ugly. So when Muong turns up, the handsome, tall, strapping younger brother, she is immediately smitten with him. But Wong is a halan and he resists the temptation. He would never betray his brother. Even though Ginlen tries to get him drunk and seduce him, he never breaks and maintains his righteousness. [Music] So Jinlen moves on and when Wuong is out of town delivering some silver to the capital for the magistrate, the lady who owns the tea shop opposite Big Brother Woos house for a fee, sets up Jinlen with a wealthy local man, and they start having an affair. This is then discovered by Big Brother Woo, who naturally threatens to kill the man, but he's no match for him. Remember, he's basically a hobbit, but without the one ring to rule them all. So he gets injured in the fight and is now resting at home. But now because big brother Woo knows about it, he could easily tell his younger brother about it and so they fear repercussions when Wuong comes back. So the tea shop lady comes up with an idea to poison big brother Woo with arsenic disguised as medicine so he can't tell his brother what happened. And then after the morning period, Jinlan can remarry her lover. They carry out the plan and murder big brother Wu. When Wong comes back, he's shocked that his brother has died, and he has no doubt at all about what happened. He tries to go through the courts, but they've all been bribed. So, he forces a confession out of Ginlen at knife point and then kills her. He then tracks down her lover and kills him, too. And after that, he turns himself in to authorities. I'm not sure what Wong actually thought would happen. I mean, did he think the magistrate would just be like, "Oh, I was bribed before, but now the guy's dead, so it doesn't matter. You can go free." But you know, Wong, he has that Chumba Womba vibe, right? He can drink 18 bowls of wine. He's fearless. Nothing keeps him down. Except for Oh, yeah. It turns out like this. He gets arrested and now Wong, a righteous warrior with a good heart and an incredible spirit, learns how cruel and unjust the world can be. He gets arrested, he becomes an outlaw, and he gets exiled. Now guys, that is really only the first half of Wuong's story. There are actually more adventures to come, but this video is already getting long, so that's where I'm going to end it for today. If you want a part two, do leave a like and a comment, and maybe we'll give you part two next week. And guys, if you want to support us, you know, it's hard to get a lot of views doing China cultural content on YouTube, okay? Compared to some other niches on this platform. So, if you want to support us, do consider hitting that join button down below and becoming a China scholar for $4.99 a month. Basically, you're just buying us a coffee each month. Like a nice coffee, a cappuccino or something. You're not getting an Americano for $4.99, but it's just like buying us a coffee. 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