This story is set during the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC). An elderly couple named Meng lived next door to another childless couple, the Jiangs. One spring, Meng planted a gourd seed in his yard. The vine grew over the wall into Jiang's yard, and both men lovingly tended to it. In autumn, a large gourd appeared. When they cut it open, they found a beautiful baby girl inside. Overjoyed, they raised her together and named her Meng Jiangnu (Meng and Jiang's daughter).
Meng Jiangnu grew into a kind, intelligent, and hardworking young woman. One day, she discovered a young scholar, Fan Qiliang, hiding in her garden. At that time, Emperor Qin Shihuang was conscripting men to build the Great Wall, and Fan was fleeing the officials. Meng and Jiang approved of the honest young man and arranged for him to marry their daughter. The couple was happily married, but just three days later, officials seized Fan and forced him to labor on the Wall.
Heartbroken, Meng Jiangnu sewed warm clothes for her husband and embarked on a long, arduous journey to find him. After overcoming many hardships, she reached the Great Wall at Shanhaiguan. There, she received the devastating news that Fan had died from exhaustion and was buried within the Wall itself. Overwhelmed by grief, she wept bitterly. Her sorrow was so profound that a section of the Wall, hundreds of kilometers long, collapsed.
Emperor Qin Shihuang, who was inspecting the Wall, was furious. However, upon seeing Meng Jiangnu's beauty, he demanded she marry him instead of facing punishment. Concealing her anger, she agreed on three conditions: find Fan Qiliang's remains, hold a state funeral for him, and have the Emperor wear mourning clothes and attend in person. After the Emperor reluctantly fulfilled her requests, Meng Jiangnu, as they prepared to leave, turned and leaped into the Bohai Sea.
This legend reflects the suffering of the common people under the harsh labor system of the Qin Dynasty. To honor her memory, later generations built the Jiangnu Temple at the foot of the Great Wall. Her tale of love, loss, and defiance has been passed down through the ages.