Hou Jian

Hou Jian is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Long Armed Ape", he ranks 71st among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 35th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

Hou Jian
Water Margin character
First appearanceChapter 41
Nickname"Long Armed Ape"
通臂猿
Rank71st, Succeed Star (地遂星) of the 72 Earthly Fiends
Chief tailor of Liangshan
OriginTailor
Ancestral home / Place of originHongdu (present-day Nanchang, Jiangxi)
Names
Simplified Chinese侯健
Traditional Chinese侯健
PinyinHóu Jiàn
Wade–GilesHou Chien
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Hou.

Background

Skinny and dexterous, Hou Jian is nicknamed "Long Armed Ape" both for his appearance and his sleek skill in needlework. A native of Hongdu (洪都; present-day Nanchang, Jiangxi), Hou, who works as a tailor in Jiangzhou (江州; present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi), has been trained in martial arts by Xue Yong.

Joining Liangshan

Hou Jian is hired to work in the house of Huang Wenbing, a petty government official in the garrison town of Wuwei near to Jiangzhou. Huang one day stumbles upon the seditious poem that Song Jiang, who is living as an exile in Jiangzhou, has written on a wall in a restaurant when drunk and reports it to Cai Jiu, the prefect's governor. Song Jiang is arrested and by and by sentenced to death. The outlaws from Liangshan Marsh hurry to Jiangzhou, storm the execution ground and save Song.

As the group rest in the manor of the Mu brothers (Mu Hong and Mu Chun), Song Jiang swears that he is not appeased until he has revenge on Huang Wenbing. Xue Yong recommends Hou Jian as the guide to help them steal into the town of Wuwei and break into Huang's house. Hou Jian leads the group to the Huang's address, where he tricks the official's family to open the door. The outlaws then charge in and kill the family. Although Huang himself is not at home, he is captured by Zhang Shun on the Xunyang River as he hurries home upon seeing Wuwei is burning. After butchering Huang at the manor of the Mus, the group, including Hou Jian, returns to Liangshan.

Campaigns and death

Hou Jian is placed in charge of making flags, banners and clothing for Liangshan after the 108 Stars of Destiny came together in what is called the Grand Assembly. He participates in the campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces on Song territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan.

In a flank attack by waterway led by Ruan Xiaoqi in the campaign against Fang La, Hou Jian falls into the open sea when a storm sweeps the Liangshan fleet. Being a non-swimmer, he drowns.

References
  • Buck, Pearl S. (2006). All Men are Brothers. Moyer Bell. ISBN 9781559213035.
  • Miyazaki, Ichisada (1993). Suikoden: Kyoko no naka no Shijitsu (in Japanese). Chuo Koronsha. ISBN 978-4122020559.
  • Keffer, David. "Outlaws of the Marsh: A Somewhat Less Than Critical Commentary". Poison Pie Publishing House. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  • Li, Mengxia (1992). 108 Heroes from the Water Margin (in Chinese). EPB Publishers. p. 143. ISBN 9971-0-0252-3.
  • Miyamoto, Yoko (2011). "Water Margin: Chinese Robin Hood and His Bandits". Demystifying Confucianism. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  • Shibusawa, Kou (1989), Bandit Kings of Ancient China, Koei
  • Zhang, Lin Ching (2009). Biographies of Characters in Water Margin. Writers Publishing House. ISBN 978-7506344784.
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