Gu Dasao, literally "Elder Sister-in-Law Gu", is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Classic Chinese Novels. Nicknamed "Female Tiger", she ranks 101st among the 108 Heroes and 65th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.
Citizenship
Dasong
Overview
Gu Dasao (literally "Elder Sister-in-Law Gu") is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Female Tiger", she ranks 101st among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 65th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.
Background
The novel depicts Gu Dasao as having thick eyebrows, large eyes, a plump face and a thick waist. Although she likes to wear ornaments on her head and wrists, she did not settle into a housewife role as most women did in her time. Instead she behaves like a man often getting into a fight. Specialised in pole weapons such as spear and staff, she could take on 30 men at the same time. She may even beat up her husband Sun Xin if he offends her.
The couple run a tavern in Dengzhou (登州; in present-day eastern Shandong), where Sun Xin's brother Sun Li is the local garrison commandant. Because of her quick temper and pugnacious character, Gu Dasao is nicknamed "Female Tiger".
Prison raid in Dengzhou
Gu Dasao is informed by the jailer Yue He of the Dengzhou prison that the hunter brothers Xie Zhen and Xie Bao, who are Gu's cousins, have been jailed and might be murdered. Yue is related to Gu and the Xies as his sister is married to Sun Li, Gu's brother-in-law. The Xies are arrested for smashing up the house of one Squire Mao after they failed to find a tiger they shot that had fallen into the old man's garden. In fact, the squire had sent the tiger to the prefecture office to claim reward.
