Quick Answer: Who Is Princess Iron Fan?
Princess Iron Fan (铁扇公主, Tiěshàn Gōngzhǔ) guards a magical plantain fan (芭蕉扇, bājiāo shàn) in Journey to the West (西游记, Xīyóu Jì). Sun Wukong (孙悟空, Sūn Wùkōng) needs it to cross the Flaming Mountains (火焰山, Huǒyàn Shān).[1]
- Her grievance concerns her son Red Boy (红孩儿, Hóng Hái’ér).[1]
- A false fan and two impersonations change who holds the real fan.[2][3]
- Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan adapted the episode as a 1941 animated feature.[4]
The borrowing episode spans Chapters 59–61.
The pilgrims need a passage through a burning landscape. The people living there need rain and a chance to grow their crops. Both problems lead the Monkey King to a woman who has reason to refuse him.
Why the Princess Refuses
The princess, also called Lady Rakshasa (罗刹女, Luóchànǚ), is the wife of the Bull Demon King (牛魔王, Niú Mówáng). Her son Red Boy has gone into Guanyin’s service after an earlier conflict with the pilgrims. Wukong sees that outcome as a benefit. The princess asks when she will see her son again. Their exchange makes the request for a fan inseparable from the earlier quarrel.[1]
What Happens in the Three Chapters?
| Chapter | Who has the fan? | What changes? |
|---|---|---|
| 59 | The princess keeps the real one. | She blows Wukong away and eventually gives him a false fan. |
| 60 | Wukong takes the real one. | The false fan worsens the fire. Wukong returns disguised as the Bull Demon King. |
| 61 | The Bull Demon King takes it back. | He impersonates Zhu Bajie. Allies help Wukong recover the fan. |
These turns come from Chapters 59, 60 and 61, respectively.[1][2][3]
The first attempt also reconnects Wukong with the Bodhisattva Lingji, whom he sought during the Yellow Wind Demon episode. Lingji gives him a wind-calming charm. The charm protects him from the fan’s wind when he returns.[1]
Why Three Strokes Are Only the Beginning
When Wukong has the real fan, he extinguishes the flames, brings up a breeze and calls down rain with three strokes. That makes the crossing possible for Tang Sanzang and his companions. The princess then explains how to put out the fire permanently. Wukong follows her instruction and returns the fan. Her knowledge matters even after the object changes hands.[3]
The 1941 Animated Film
Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan made Princess Iron Fan in wartime Shanghai. The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival identifies the 1941 film as Asia’s first feature-length animated production. It takes the mountain crossing as its central story and gives the princess and the Bull Demon King prominent roles. The festival notes the film’s use of live-action rotoscoping, in which animators work from filmed movement.[4]
FAQs About Princess Iron Fan
Is Princess Iron Fan Red Boy’s mother?
Yes. She calls him her son in Chapter 59.[1]
Is the fan made of iron in the novel?
The princess’s title contains the word iron. The novel calls the magical object a plantain fan and describes its leaf as a supernatural treasure.[1]
Does Wukong keep the fan?
He gives it back to the princess after extinguishing the fire.[3]
Sumber
[1] Journey to the West. Chapter 59
[2] Journey to the West. Chapter 60
[3] Journey to the West. Chapter 61
[4] Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. Princess Iron Fan, 1941