I want to share a painting Wu Song’s Slaying of the Tiger 《武松打虎》created by the renowned Chinese artist, Chen Yanning (陈衍宁), which I acquired some years ago. This painting depicts the famous legend of Wu Song, who killed a tiger while he was drunk. This event occurred before he joined the outlaws and became one of the “108 Heroes of the Liang Mountain” at the Water Margins to oppose the corrupt government of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Wu Song is a legendary hero recounted since the 13th century; he is one of the well-known fictional characters in the Water Margins, also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, one of the four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Wu Song was tall and good-looking with shining eyes, thick eyebrows, a muscular build, and an impressive bearing. His dwarfish elder brother Wu Dalang (Wu the Older), whom he respected and cared very much for, raised him (as their parents died young). Wu Song’s nickname was Wu Erlang (referred to him being the second-born son.)
One day on his way home, he passed by an inn near Jingyang Ridge in Shandong. There was a banner outside the inn that read “After Three Bowls of Wine, Do Not Cross the Ridge” (三碗不過崗). The innkeeper explained that the inn’s home-brewed wine was so strong that customers would get drunk after the third bowl and not cross the mountain ridge. Wu Song ignored the warning and went in for a drink.
Still sober after three bowls, Wu Song asked for more. By the end of his meal, he had consumed 18 bowls of wine but still looked steady. He was about to leave when the innkeeper stopped him and warned him about a fierce tiger in the forest of the ridge. Wu Song suspected that the man used the “tiger story” advice to persuade customers to spend the night at his inn. Ignoring the warning, he continued his journey, armed with only a quarterstaff.
At the entrance to the ridge, Wu Song noticed an official warning about the tiger. Fearing the loss of face if he returned to the inn, he moved on and entered the forest. He started to feel the effect of the wine and took a nap on a large rock.
As he fell asleep, a tiger lept out from the woods, shocking him out of his stupour. After narrowly dodging the tiger’s first three charges, Wu Song attempted to fight back but broke his staff on a tree. Unarmed, he summoned all his might and managed to pin the tiger facedown with his arms. He then rained blows on its head using his bare fist. After punching the tiger unconscious, he picked up his broken staff and whacked the tiger till he was sure it was dead. Exhausted and fearing another tiger might appear, he fled the spot after a short rest and ran into some local hunters, who were amazed to learn of his incredible feat.
Impressed, the local magistrate of the nearby Yanggu County offered him the job of the chief constable. Wu Song accepted it and settled down, and surprisingly met his long-separated dwarf brother Wu Dalang, who had just moved to Yanggu from another town.
The story has been performed in the form of dramas and operas for diverse dialect speaking groups in China and adapted for long serial dramas for TV and movies for cinemas.
Tan It Koon
Before retirement, Dr Tan It Koon was, among many appointments, Head of Clinical Biochemistry at SGH’s Dept of Pathology. He was the Deputy Chairman of the National Theatre Trust and Chairman for Grants and Scholarships of the Spore Cultural Foundation. He received the National Day Awards, PBM, and PPA, for his contribution to cultural and community development and excellence in Public Administration.
