The Generals of the Yang Family

A map from the year 1111, showing the geographical position of the Song Dynasty relative to the 2 neighbor countries it had to pay indemnities to: the Khitan-ruled Liao Dynasty to its north and the Tangut-ruled Western Xia Empire to its northwest.

In 907, when the once-glorious Tang Dynasty officially ended, imperial China entered the chaotic and fragmented phase known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The decades that followed were marked by regional warlords, many legitimizing themselves as emperors, fighting amongst one another for power and territories. The year 907 also marked the beginning of such a militaristic state — officially called the Liao after 947 — established by Khitan people in roughly today's Liaoning and Inner Mongolia. The Khitans were largely nomadic people and frequently engaged in raids of the more affluent agricultural Han Chinese and Korean people in the south for wealth.[2]

The southern area known as the Central Plain, or the Chinese heartland, defended against the Khitan incursions with strategical points or passes established roughly along the line of the old Great Wall. However, the area including these passes, known as the Sixteen Prefectures, were given to the Liao Dynasty in 936 by general Shi Jingtang, in exchange for military aid in Shi's personal war against the Later Tang. With no more passes impeding their army, the Khitans gained unlimited access to the Central Plain: just a decade later, they easily took their army south to extinguish the same Later Jin they helped Shi establish.

Even though the Khitans did not occupy the Central Plain, partially because their constant looting had caused unmanageable unrest, the sad fate of Later Jin already illustrated the danger looming in the north for any succeeding Chinese dynasty. When the Song Dynasty was established in the Central Plain in 960, it first tried to appease the Liao Dynasty to focus on campaigns against the states in southern China, but the goal of recovering the Sixteen Prefectures had always been there.

(Yang Ye) really earned the respect of his soldiers. The soldiers under him could not bear to leave him, they'd rather die in battle with him. The spirit of loyalty and righteousness is quite apparent. — A Yuan Dynasty historian commenting in History of Song (1345)[3]

Yang Ye, a general of the Northern Han Kingdom, was nicknamed "Invincible" (無敵) due to his tactical prowess and unmatched gallantry in battle. He served the Song Dynasty after Liu Jiyuan, ruler of Northern Han, surrendered. Emperor Taizong of Song had great faith in Yang Ye and commissioned him to defend Song's northern border from the Khitan-ruled Liao Dynasty, which Yang Ye proved himself by defeating in the Battle of Yanmen Pass, instilling fear in the enemy but also incurring jealousy of some Song officials.

In 986, during a northern campaign against Liao forces, the Song force commanded by General Pan Mei was attacked by main enemy force along the way. Pan Mei and others forced Yang Ye to lead an army to resist a much larger enemy despite Yang Ye's opposition. Yang Ye engaged Liao forces in a bloody battle at Chenjiagu (陳家谷), but reinforcements did not arrive as promised. Surrounded by the much larger army, Yang Ye was captured by Liao forces and starved himself to death. One of Yang Ye's seven sons was killed. Pan Mei was later demoted by Emperor Taizong for Yang Ye's death.

The most outstanding of Yang Ye's seven sons was Yang Yanzhao, who continued defending Song's northern border from Liao forces for more than two decades and the Khitans feared him. Yang Yanzhao's son Yang Wenguang also became an important general and followed Di Qing on a southern campaign against Nong Zhigao. He also defended Song's western borders from Western Xia.

Legends on the Yang family began very early. In 1051, even before Yang Wenguang distinguished himself in the military, scholar Ouyang Xiu had inscribed the following on the tombstone of a Yang family relative. He was clearly referring to Yang Ye and Yang Yanzhao:[4]

Father and son were both famous generals, and their tactical knowledge and bravery are known as being without equal. To this day gentlemen throughout the empire and even village kids and country yokels can all speak about them.

The earliest reference to the saga were from the so-called Southern Song (1127–1279), when the Song Dynasty had to relocate its capital to Southern China in Lin'an (modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang), for its northern territory had been conquered by the Jurchen-ruled Jin dynasty. Among a recorded list of stories told by Lin'an storytellers, two titles clearly involved the Yang family:[5]

• "Commander Lord Yang" (楊令公)
• "The fifth son becomes a monk" (五郎為僧)

In a list of plays from Southern Song Dynasty's northern neighbor Jin dynasty (1115–1234), one title probably refers to an episode in the Yang saga:[6]

• Da Wang Shumi Cuan (打王樞密爨; "The Skit of Beating Military Affairs Commissioner Wang")

By the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), plays in the form of zaju on the Yang saga appeared. Many scripts survived in its entirety, almost all compiled the Ming Dynasty so their authenticity have

Haotian Pagoda in Beijing, where Yang Ye's bones are said to have been kept by the Khitans after his death. According to legend, the tombs of Jiao Zan and Meng Liang are next to the pagoda today.

• Haotian ta Meng Liang dao gu (昊天塔孟良盜骨; "At Haotian Pagoda Meng Liang Steals the Bones")
• Ba dawang kaizhao jiu zhongchen (八大王開詔救忠臣; "The Eighth Great Prince Opens a Proclamation and Saves a Loyal Vassal")
• Xie Jinwu zha chai Qingfeng fu (謝金吾詐拆清風府; "Xie Jinwu Underhandedly Tears Down Clear Breeze Mansion")
• Yang Liulang diaobing po tianzhen (楊六郎調兵破天陣; "Yang's 6th son lines up his troops and defeats the Heavenly Battle Array")
• Jiao Guangzan huona Xiao Tianyou (焦光贊活拿蕭天佑; "Jiao Guangzan catches Xiao Tianyou alive")
• Huang Meiweng cifu shangshou (黃眉翁賜福上壽; "The Yellow-Eyebrows Greybeard offers blessing and extends longevity")

In Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), a number of novels on the Yang family began to appear. The two that have survived to this day both appeared during Wanli Emperor's reign (1572–1620):

• Liang Song Nanbei Zhizhuan (兩宋南北志傳) [Records of the Two Songs, South and North]. The earliest extant version was from 1593, but it was probably written during Jiajing Emperor's reign (1521–1567). The author was almost certainly Xiong Damu (熊大木), a bookstore owner.
• Yang Jia Fu Shidai Zhongyong Tongsu Yanyi (楊家府世代忠勇通俗演義) [Popular Romance of the Loyalty and Bravery over Successive Generations of the Yang Family]. The earliest extant edition was from 1606, but it was likely a slightly revised edition of text from the early 16th century.[7] The author was Qinhuai Moke (秦淮墨客; "The Qinhuai Ink Guest"), believed to be the pen name of Ji Zhenlun (紀振倫), probably a bookstore scribe in Jinling (金陵; modern Nanjing, Jiangsu).

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.[8] Other novels with similar settings would also feature characters from the Yang family, for example the novels featuring Zhao Kuangyin (927–976) or Di Qing (1008–1057) as their main character.

Other novels in later settings also included characters who were alleged descendants of the Yang family:

• "Blue Faced Beast" Yang Zhi (楊志), a character in the classical novel Water Margin, is a fictitious descendant of Yang Ye.
• Yang Zaixing (died 1140), a historical general of the Southern Song Dynasty, was said to be a descendant of Yang Ye through Yang Yanzhao in the novel Shuo Yue Quanzhuan (說岳全傳) about Yue Fei. Yang Zaixing had two sons, Yang Zhengyuan (楊正園) and Yang Zhengguo (楊正國).

A 2006 Sichuan opera performance of a Generals of the Yang Family story, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

The 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 was only performed 3 times due to its length.[9] 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.[9]

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.[9] In the 20th century, the stories were greatly popularized in China through the performing art pingshu (storytelling).[9]

• Wilt L. Idema and Stephen H. West's The Generals of the Yang Family-Four Early Plays,[10] offers a complete translation of four early plays of the Yang Family Generals.
• Yang Zhi (Water Margin), the Blue-Faced Beast of the Water Margin, is a fictional descendant of the Yang Generals.
• In Louis Cha's Condor Trilogy, Yang Tiexin (楊鐵心), Yang Kang (楊康) and Yang Guo (楊過) are fictitious descendants of Yang Zaixing.

A 2007 Peking opera performance of a Generals of the Yang Family story, Beijing, China.

Composer Du Mingxin wrote a Beijing opera to a Chinese libretto titled Yang Men Nü Jiang (simplified Chinese: 杨门女将; traditional Chinese: 楊門女將; pinyin: Yáng Mén Nǚ Jiàng; lit. 'The Female Generals of the Yang family'). The opera was based on the Yangju opera Commanding the Troops at 100 Years Old, and was first performed in 1960 by the China Peking Opera Company. The opera is set during the war between the Northern Song Dynasty and the Kingdom of Western Xia, after the death of Song general Yang Zongbao. Yang Zongbao's 100-year-old grandmother, She Saihua, along with Mu Guiying and other widows of the Yang family, lead the Song army to resist the invaders.

In 2000 Du Mingxin also produced a symphonic version of the opera for the China Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), consisting of an overture, three movements and an epilogue. This was the first symphonic work commissioned for the newly established CPO at that time.[11]

Musical films

• How Muk Kwai-ying Thrice Captured and Released Yeung Chung-bo (穆桂英三擒三縱楊宗保), a 1956 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
• Eighth Sister Yeung (楊八妹招親), a 1956 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
• How Muk Kwai-ying and Yeung Chung-bo Defeated the Heavenly Gate Militia (穆桂英楊宗保大破天門陣), a 1957 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
• Mu Guiying Battling in Hongzhou (穆桂英大戰洪州), a 1958 Chinese film in Peking opera.
• Mu Guiying Takes Command (穆桂英掛帥), a 1958 Chinese film in Yu opera.
• The Fourth Son (四郎探母), a 1959 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
• Golden Sword (楊八妹取金刀), a 1959 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
• Yang Female Warriors (楊門女將), a 1960 Chinese film in Peking opera.
• Conqueress (無敵楊家將), a 1961 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
• Muk Kwai-ying Finds a Husband (穆桂英招親), a 1962 Hong Kong film in Teochew opera.
• She Saihua (佘賽花), a 1984 Chinese film in the shangdanglaozi (上黨落子) opera genre.

Musical television series

• The Generals of the Yang Family (楊家將), a 1982 series in Taiwanese opera produced by CTS (Taiwan), starring Yang Li-hua as Yang Yanzhao. in 1986, this TV series sequel from 薛丁山救五美 as the last part.
• The Generals of the Yang Family (楊家將), a 1985 series in Taiwanese opera also produced by CTS, starring Yeh Ching as Yang Yanzhao.
• She Saihua (佘賽花), a 2005 Chinese series in Peking opera first broadcast on CCTV-11.

Animation television series

• The Generals of the Yang Family (楊家將), a 2011–2013 Chinese series first broadcast on CCTV-14, so far airing 3 seasons.

• Yang's Troops (Chinese: 楊家將; pinyin: Yángjiā Jiāng)
• Yīmén Yīngliè Yángjiā Jiāng (Chinese: 一門英烈 楊家將), also known as Yang Warrior Family, is an unlicensed beat 'em up game for the Mega Drive that was published in 1990s.[12] It was developed by Taiwan Sanxun Information Co., Ltd. (台湾三协资讯股份有限公司).