Huayue Sanniang (Chinese: 华岳三娘), also known as Sanshengmu (Chinese: 三圣母), is a Chinese goddess and third daughter of the Emperor Xiyue, the god of Mount Hua.[1] After marrying a mortal, she was imprisoned under Mount Hua as a punishment for violating the rules of Heaven. At the summit of the Western Peak of Mount Hua, there stands a giant stone known as Axe-splitting Rock, which stands a hundred feet high and is neatly split into three parts. According to legend, it was split by her son Liu Chenxiang in order to rescue her by separating the mountain.[2]
Legends
The earliest records about Sanniang come from the Guang yi ji (广异记) in the Tang dynasty, which says that she left after marrying a mortal and giving birth to a child. She is the daughter of the Emperor Xiyue (西岳大帝), one of the Great Emperors of Five Mountains. Her mother is one of the three wives of Huashan (one surnamed Wang, one surnamed Du, and the other surnamed Xiao). She has two elder brothers, Huashan Erlang and Huashan Sanlang.[3]
The Jiajing version of the opera Fengyue Jinnang stands as the earliest extant publication narrating the story of Liu Xi, the husband of Sanniang. It was published during the 32nd year of the Jiajing period in the Ming dynasty, this version has only preserved the section known as the Maodian Union, depicting the union between Liu Xi and Sanniang. Unfortunately, all other contents of the opera have been lost. The existing Puxian Opera Liu Xi is a handwritten copy created by an old artist from Fujian during the period of the Republic of China. Although the exact age of the opera is unknown, it can be inferred that Liu Xi is derived from the story of Fengyue Jinnang. In the opera, the Erlang mentioned is not the renowned Erlang Shen residing in Sichuan, but rather Huayue Erlang, the guardian of Huashan and the son of Emperor Xiyue. Huayue Erlang wields a golden mace as his weapon.[4]
The story of Liu Chenxiang, the son of Sanniang, can be traced back to ancient records, including zaju plays like Prince Liu Xi Chenxiang from the Song and Yuan dynasties, as well as the Ming dynasty's Split Huashan Shenxiang to Save His Mother.[5] Unfortunately, these remarkable operas have been lost over time. However, the captivating narrative of the Lotus Lantern is meticulously chronicled in the esteemed Qing dynasty treasure scroll known as Chenxiang Treasure Scroll (沉香宝卷).[4][6]
The tale of the Lotus Lantern reached its final form during the Qing dynasty, influenced by the widespread popularity of the novel Journey to the West. It is an adaptation of the legend of Yan Jian, who split the mountain to save his mother. The origins of the story of Liu Chenxiang splitting the mountain to save his mother can be traced back to the 32nd year of the Ming dynasty's Jiajing period, specifically in the Puxian opera Prince Liu Xi Chenxiang. Throughout the generations, the story of Liu Chenxiang has been passed down, resulting in various versions with different storylines. One such version is the Nanyin opera Chenxiang Prince Nanyin, which, according to the script, does not include the plot of Sanniang being crushed or the storyline of saving the mother by cutting the mountain.[4][7]
In the unfolding of the Lotus Lantern's narrative, Sanniang falls in love with a mortal named Liu Xi. However, their love is vehemently opposed by her elder brother, Huashan Erlang. Following the marriage order, Sanniang sends Liu Xi away three days later. On his way home, Liu Xi visits Mount Hua to see Sanniang. However, he unknowingly carries a treasure from Sanniang, and is mistaken for a thief by the local magistrate. Sanniang later explains the situation, and the magistrate responds by marrying his daughter to Liu Xi. Upon discovering this, Huashan Erlang becomes furious and returns to beat Sanniang and imprison her. Soon after, Xianglong Luohan is reincarnated in Sanniang, giving birth to Liu Chenxiang. One day, Tieguai Li, one of the Eight Immortals, stumbles upon the revelation of Huayue Sanniang's affair with a mortal and reports it to the Jade Emperor. As a result, Huashan Erlang is ordered to capture Sanniang and suppressed under the Lotus Peak of Mount Hua, where she is guarded by her eldest sister. In this version of the story, the names of Sanniang's siblings are not mentioned, and they are simply referred to as Erlang and Sanxianniang. When Chenxiang reaches the age of seven, he sets out on a journey to find his mother. Feeling guilty, Tieguai Li accepts Chenxiang as his disciple and helps him rescue his mother. With Tieguai Li's guidance, he grows into a fifteen-year-old youth and successfully rescues Sanniang.[8]
Chen Xiang split the mountain in order to save his mother
In the 18th-century Chenxiang Treasure Scroll (沉香宝卷) from the Qing dynasty, the age of Chenxiang when he saves his mother is thirteen years old. The story depicts how Chenxiang's age progresses from seven years old at the beginning to thirteen years old during the mountain-splitting incident. In this particular scroll, it is not Tieguai Li but Lü Dongbin who accepts Chenxiang as his disciple. Lü Dongbin gives Chenxiang a sword to fight against Erlang, providing assistance from the sidelines. Towards the end of the story, Chenxiang is deceived by Erlang and imprisoned in a deep well with Sanniang, facing the threat of being burned alive. Fortunately, Lü Dongbin comes to his rescue just in time. Eventually, with the help of San Shengmu and Chenxiang, Liu Yanchang and Wang's mother and son are saved. As a result, the Jade Emperor orders the mother and son to return to heaven.[9]
This indicates that during this time, they were not yet associated with the Yang family as known later on. In 1959, during the performance of the Bangzi operaThe Lotus Lantern in Anqing, Hebei, Huayue Sanniang was officially acknowledged as a member of the Yang family. In this particular opera, Erlang assumes the role of the official figure of the Yang family, which leads to a mistaken conflation with Yang Jian, also known as Erlang Shen.[10][11]
Modern adaptation
The legend of the Lotus Lantern has been adapted into various forms of entertainment since the late Qing dynasty. It has inspired numerous versions of operas, comic strips, movies, and TV dramas.[12]
In the 2005 Chinese television drama Lotus Lantern, produced by CCTV-8, the story revolves around a love affair between Huayue Sanniang and a mortal scholar named Liu Yanchang. However, their relationship is vehemently opposed by Huayue Sanniang's elder brother, Yang Jian (Erlang Shen). With the aid of a magical lotus lantern, Huayue Sanniang manages to overcome her brother's resistance and marries Liu Yanchang. Together, they have a son named Chenxiang. After seven years, Erlang Shen eventually discovers the whereabouts of the couple with the help of the magical lotus lantern. He rejects their marriage and punishes Huayue Sanniang by imprisoning her beneath Mount Hua for her supposed crimes. As Chenxiang grows older, he becomes aware of his mother's captivity and resolves to rescue her from Mount Hua. Throughout his journey, he faces numerous trials and tribulations, honing his martial arts skills under the guidance of Daxian Pili. Ultimately, Chenxiang confronts his uncle and, wielding his magical axe, splits open Mount Hua, successfully rescuing his mother and reuniting their family.[2][13]
Conflations
Huayue Sanniang is often mistakenly conflated as the sister of Erlang Shen and the daughter of Yunhua. However, in the original story, she is actually the daughter of Emperor Xiyue and not related to the Jade Emperor or Erlang Shen. The confusion arises from the gradual merging of the two stories in later generations. It is in these later versions that Huayue Sanniang's uncle is portrayed as the Jade Emperor and her elder brother as Erlang Shen.
In the original narrative, Sanniang's elder brother does not appear in the story, and the scholar who marries her is an ordinary mortal without a name. However, there is already a plot depicting their love and the birth of their children. It is possible that in later folk tales, the concept of the Golden Boy's reincarnation as Liu Yanchang was introduced to create a connection between the characters and align their identities. This was done for the purpose of matching their identities in later adaptations and retellings of the story.[14]
Worship
Huayue Sanniang is enshrined in the Shenmu Hall, which is a side hall of the Xiyue Temple constructed to honor her father. She is accompanied by her son Liu Chenxiang and her servant Shibi Lingzhi.[15][16]
