The only child of Squire Shi, headman of the Shi Family Village in Huayin County (in present-day Shaanxi province), Shi Jin, a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature, has been very passionate about martial arts since childhood. After losing a fight to Wang Jin, imperial guard instructor, Shi Jin is coached by Wang Jin. Shi Jin becomes headman of Shi Family Village after his father dies, and much later is appointed as one of the Eight Tiger Cub Vanguard Generals of the Liangshan cavalry after all the 108 Stars of Destiny came together in what is called the Grand Assembly, He participates in the campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebels in Song territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan. Nicknamed “Nine-Tattoo Dragon”, he ranks 23rd among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Shi Jin is the first of the 108 Stars of Destiny to appear in the novel.
Alias Shi Jin
Real Names/Alt Names The Nine-Dragoned One, Nine-Tattoo Dragon, Kyumonryu Shishin
First Appearance Water Margin (水浒传), also called Outlaws of the Marsh or All Men Are Brothers or Suikoden (14th century) by Shi Nai’an (subject to academic debate)
First Publisher ○
Appearance List Water Margin (Shuihu zhuan, 水浒传) a.k.a. Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Suikoden (14th century) by Shi Nai’an (施耐庵) — Earliest surviving printed text 16th century editions (c. 1573–1610, e.g. Shidetang edition), one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. 108 Heroes of the Suikoden (1827–30) by Kuniyoshi — definitive early visual depictions (incl. Shishin/Shi Jin); All Men Are Brothers (1933) by Pearl S. Buck (first full English translation of Shui hu zhuan; includes Shi Jin’s early chapters); The Water Margin (1937) translated by J. H. Jackson — commonly reported first ed. (Shanghai: Commercial Press); Shin Suikoden (1937–39; book ed. 1940s) by Yoshikawa Eiji — seminal retelling that includes Shi Jin; All Men Are Brothers (Limited Editions Club, 2 vols., 1948) by Pearl S. Buck, illus. Miguel Covarrubias (major illustrated edition of the Buck translation; widely collected)
Description The only child of Squire Shi, headman of the Shi Family Village in Huayin County (in present-day Shaanxi province), Shi Jin, a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature, has been very passionate about martial arts since childhood. After losing a fight to Wang Jin, imperial guard instructor, Shi Jin is coached by Wang Jin. Shi Jin becomes headman of Shi Family Village after his father dies, and much later is appointed as one of the Eight Tiger Cub Vanguard Generals of the Liangshan cavalry after all the 108 Stars of Destiny came together in what is called the Grand Assembly, He participates in the campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebels in Song territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan. Nicknamed “Nine-Tattoo Dragon”, he ranks 23rd among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Shi Jin is the first of the 108 Stars of Destiny to appear in the novel.
