Literary Development
In 1051, scholar Ouyang Xiu inscribed this on a Yang family member's tombstone: "The father and the sons being such renowned generals are considered matchless in terms of bravery and intelligence. Everyone in the world, including children in the countryside, can recount their stories." Considering Yang Wenguang was still alive, this indicated that folk legends of the Yangs began very early.
In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), there were already at least 2 plays about the Yangs, though the scripts haven't survived. More plays were created in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), many in the form of zaju.
In Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), a number of novels on the Yang family began to appear. The two that have survived to this day are:
- Records of the Two Songs, South and North (兩宋南北志傳) by Xiong Damu (熊大木), the earliest version found from 1593
- Popular Romance of Generations of Loyal and Brave Yang Family Members (楊家府世代忠勇通俗演義) by Ji Zhenlun (纪振伦), the earliest version found from 1606
These novels would become the primary source materials for the legends. In Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), more novels appeared. Some are modifications of the previous novels, some retold particular stories, while some are sequels. Other novels about similar time periods would also feature characters from the Yang family, for example the 3-part Romance of Di Qing (狄青演義) by Li Yutang (李雨堂) first published in 1801.
Jiaqing Emperor who reigned from 1796 to 1820 ordered the compilation of a Song Book to Enlighten Generations (昭代箫韶), containing 240 plays in kunqu about the generals of the Yang family. The compilation was published in 1813 and attributed to Wang Tingzhang (王廷章) and Fan Wenxian (范聞賢). Over the years the opera series were only performed 3 times due to its length. Later, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered its modification into the Peking opera version, a huge project that lasted from 1898 until 1900 when it was interrupted by the Boxer Rebellion and subsequent foreign invasions.
In addition to the plays shown in the Forbidden City, qinqiang, yuju, pingju and many other local Chinese opera forms have all throughout the centuries developed their own stories about generals of the Yang family. Many of the stories aren't found in novels and have vastly enriched the legends. In the 20th century, the stories were greatly popularized in China through the performing art pingshu (storytelling).
Read more about this topic: Yang Jia Jiang
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