Fang Tianding
| Fang Tianding | |
|---|---|
| Water Margin character | |
| Also known as | "Prince of Nan'an" (南安王) |
| Crown Prince of Fang La | |
| Ancestral home / Place of origin | Shezhou (present-day She County, Huangshan City, Anhui) |
| Names | |
| Simplified Chinese | 方天定 |
| Traditional Chinese | 方天定 |
| Pinyin | Fāng Tiāndìng |
| Wade–Giles | Fang Tien-ting |
Fang Tianding is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is the eldest son and heir apparent of Fang La, a rebel leader who established a separatist regime in southern China against the ruling Song Empire. Fang La is one of the rebel leaders that the 108 Liangshan outlaws have to defeat after they have been granted amnesty by the Song government. Fang Tianding holds the position of Crown Prince in his father's rebel state.
Life
Fang Tianding is the eldest son of Fang La and the Crown Prince of his father's rebel regime. When the Liangshan forces loyal to the Song Empire attacked Fang La's territories, Fang Tianding is tasked with defending Hangzhou from the enemy. Four of Fang La's top generals – Deng Yuanjue, Li Tianrun, Shi Bao and Si Xingfang – are placed under Fang Tianding's command. The four generals inflict heavy casualties on Liangshan: 12 of the 59 Liangshan heroes who perished during the campaign against Fang La were killed in action at the battle of Hangzhou. On his part at the northern gate, he captures and executes Hao Siwen, and his forces manages to hit Xu Ning with a poisoned arrow, which Xu later succumbs to. Fang Tianding also ordered his archers to kill Liangshan's Zhang Shun, who was trying to infiltrate Hangzhou by climbing over the Yongjin Gate (湧金門).
When Hangzhou is overrun by Liangshan forces, Fang Tianding attempts to escape but runs into Zhang Heng, Zhang Shun's brother. He is taken by surprise when his steed refuses to move after encountering Zhang Heng. Zhang Heng drags him off horseback and kills him. It is revealed later that Zhang Heng was possessed by Zhang Shun's spirit and he killed Fang Tianding to avenge himself.
References
- (Chinese) Li, Mengxia. 108 Heroes from the Water Margin, page 217. EPB Publishers Pte Ltd, 1992. ISBN 9971-0-0252-3.
- Buck, Pearl. All Men are Brothers. Moyer Bell Ltd, 2006. ISBN 9781559213035.
- Zhang, Lin Ching. Biographies of Characters in Water Margin. Writers Publishing House, 2009. ISBN 978-7506344784.
- Keffer, David. Outlaws of the Marsh.
- Miyamotois, Yoko. Water Margin: Chinese Robin Hood and His Bandits.
- (Japanese) Ichisada, Miyazaki. Suikoden: Kyoko no naka no Shijitsu. Chuo Koronsha, 1993. ISBN 978-4122020559.
- Shibusawa, Kou. Bandit Kings of Ancient China. KOEI, 1989.