Reflections | Meet Nie Yinniang, Imperial China’s Wonder Woman who was also a skilled assassin
- Written in the 9th century, The Story of Nie Yinniang is about a young woman with amazing powers
- Although she did not quite save the world, she did use her abilities to rid it of some evil
The movie Wonder Woman 1984, released in December, is the latest adaptation of the story of the eponymous heroine with super powers. The character first appeared in a comic book, in October 1941, and has seen multiple transformations in characterisation and appearance since.
China has its own fictitious woman of wonder in the character of Nie Yinniang. Written by Pei Xing in the 9th century, The Story of Nie Yinniang is short, at just over 1,700 characters in total, about a young woman with amazing powers that she acquired in her teens. And while she didn’t quite save the world, she did rid it of some evil.
Nie was abducted from her home aged 10 by a Buddhist nun who trained her in the killing arts. In the beginning, she killed wild animals such as apes, tigers, leopards and eagles for practice. She then progressed to killing humans, often wicked officials or other villains.
On one occasion, she was scolded by her teacher for taking too long to assassinate an official. Nie said the man had been playing with a child and in a moment of weakness, she could not bear to kill him there and then. Next time, kill the child first and then the adult, said the nun dispassionately.
At the age of 15, Nie returned home after completing her training. The happiness her parents felt was soon replaced with unease when they learned what had happened to her in those five years.
When she went out at night and returned home at daybreak, her father, a soldier, would not dare talk to her about it. After her father died, she was employed by his superior, the military commissioner of Weibo, as his personal assassin.
