Fang La (? -1121), also known as Fang Shisan, was a native of Shizhou (now Shexian County, Anhui Province), a native of Muzhou Qingxi (now Chun'an County, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province). Leader of the peasant uprising at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty. According to legend, his generous temperament won the hearts of the people, coupled with strong organizational skills, and his own poverty, so he could call on many farmers who lived in poverty. He led the uprising in Qixian Village, Shexian County in October 1120 and established a peasant regime including 52 counties in Liuzhou, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi. At that time, the influence was very great. In the summer of 1121, the uprising failed. Fang La was captured and executed by the court. After Fang La was executed, people in Shexian County and some places in Chun'an still respected the leader of the peasant uprising very much. In order to commemorate him, many place names were named after him, and there are still "Fangla Cave" and "Fangla Village" in these places to this day. There is a ballad "Shuibo Tongjia Store, Fang pulled twice; the water soaked the turtle and backed the stone, and Fang La rebelled" not only indicates the village where he lived, but also explains his motives for the uprising. During the Xuanhe period, farmers could not sell tea, and they could not pay taxes if they sold it. The farmers had to stop picking tea, and the ones they picked fell into the stream with pain. During the severe drought in western Zhejiang, there was no rain in July or August, the seedlings were scorched, and the autumn harvest was hopeless, but the officials forced taxes. In October of the second year of Xuanhe, Fang La launched an uprising. Fang La took a clear stand, advocated the realization of true equality, "robbed everyone's wealth, scattered to raise the crowd", determined to completely overthrow the Song Dynasty and liberate all the toiling masses in the world. In April of the third year of Xuanhe, Fang La lost the decisive battle between Bangyuan and the Song army in the uprising base area, and was forced to take his cronies back to the cave in the northeast of Dongyuan Village to hide. Because the traitor was the guide, he was unfortunately arrested and sent to Bianjing. The Fang La uprising took down 52 counties in the six prefectures, which shocked the southeast half of the wall, fundamentally shaking the rule of the Northern Song Dynasty. The Northern Song Dynasty was in decline and soon fell. The cave Fang La last stood by was called "Fang La Cave".

Comments: Traitor? Hero?