An Daoquan
| An Daoquan | |
|---|---|
| Water Margin character | |
| Nickname | "Divine Physician" 神醫 |
| Rank | 56th, Efficacious Star (地靈星) of the 72 Earthly Fiends |
| Physician of Liangshan | |
| Origin | Physician |
| Ancestral home / Place of origin | Jiankang Prefecture (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu) |
| First appearance | Chapter 65 |
| Names | |
| Simplified Chinese | 安道全 |
| Traditional Chinese | 安道全 |
| Pinyin | Ān Dàoquán |
| Wade–Giles | An Tao-ch'üan |
An Daoquan is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 56th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 20th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Divine Physician".
Background
An Daoquan is a physician from Jiankang Prefecture (建康府; present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu). He inherits the medical skills and knowledge of his ancestors and is famous for his ability to treat various kinds of illnesses. He is comparable to Hua Tuo and is hence nicknamed "Divine Physician".
Joining Liangshan
When Song Jiang is leading the outlaws from Liangshan Marsh to attack Daming Prefecture (大名府; in present-day Handan, Hebei), he contracts a tumour on his back and becomes seriously ill. He is forced to abandon the offensive and return to Liangshan to recover. Zhang Shun's mother was also affected by a similar disease before and was healed by An Daoqun, so Zhang recommends An to heal Song Jiang.
Zhang Shun finds An Daoquan in Jiankang Prefecture. An initially wants to follow Zhang back to Liangshan, but his lover Li Qiaonu refuses to allow him to leave. Zhang Shun overhears their conversation. That night, Zhang sneaks into Li's room, kills her, and writes "An Daoquan is the killer" in blood on the wall near the crime scene to frame An for the murder. An is shocked and has no choice but to follow Zhang to Liangshan and join the outlaw band.
Campaigns
An Daoquan cures Song Jiang's illness within 10 days and becomes Liangshan's chief physician. He follows the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by Emperor Huizong. During the campaign against the rebel leader Fang La, An Daoquan is summoned back to the capital just before the battle of Hangzhou to cure the emperor of a minor illness. He remains in Dongjing (東京; present-day Kaifeng, Henan) for the rest of his life and serves as an imperial physician.
References
- (Chinese) Li, Mengxia. 108 Heroes from the Water Margin, page 113. 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.