Shi Nai'an facts for kids

Shi Nai'an (Chinese: 施耐庵; pinyin: Shī Nài'ān, around 1296–1372) was a Chinese writer. He lived during the end of the Yuan dynasty and the start of the Ming dynasty. He is famous because people believe he wrote Water Margin. This book is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. We don't have much clear information about his life or his writing.

Who Was Shi Nai'an?

We don't know a lot about Shi Nai'an. For a long time, people thought he was the teacher of Luo Guanzhong. Luo Guanzhong is believed to have written or edited Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This is another one of the Four Great Classical Novels.

What Do We Know About Him?

A scholar named Ge Liangyan says we know very little about Luo Guanzhong. And we know even less about Shi Nai'an! Scholars from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties thought Shi lived near the end of the Yuan dynasty. They also thought he was from Hangzhou. But they might have just been repeating each other's ideas.

In the early 1900s, a scholar named Lu Xun had a different idea. He thought the name "Shi Nai'an" might have been made up. He believed it could have been invented by people who created a later version of the novel.

Searching for Clues

After World War II, a special stone tablet with Shi's name was found. It was in Xinghua county, Jiangsu. In the early 1950s, a team went to investigate. But the main investigator said they found "Not even the faintest trace of Shi Nai'an."

Some family records seemed to confirm he existed. But it's not certain if these records were real. Ge Liangyan thinks the discussion about Shi's existence will "never lead to a clear answer." He also adds that even if Shi and Luo existed, we can't be sure they worked on Shuihu zhuan.

His Legacy

Even with all the mystery, Shi Nai'an is honored. The Shi Nai'an Literary Prize is named after him. This prize celebrates great writing.

See also

In Spanish: Shi Nai'an para niños