Nezha, a mythical figure who has grown up with generations of Chinese, has lit up the Chinese film market in the Spring Festival of the Year of the Snake. His surname has also become a hot topic of discussion among netizens. In well-known mythological stories, Nezha's father is Li Jing, the general of Chentangguan. He is the third oldest in the family and has two older brothers, Jin Zha and Mu Zha. According to traditional Chinese surname culture, Nezha's surname should follow his father's surname, so many netizens are curious why Nezha's surname is not Li? Some netizens are curious why Nezha is not named after his elder brother and called Shuizha? Professor Miao Huaiming from the School of Literature at Nanjing University has long studied the character images in classical Chinese literature. In an interview with China News Service, he pointed out that the image of Nezha was influenced to some extent by Buddhist culture and completed the mythological identity setting in folk transmission. His name does not belong to the traditional surname system. A common belief is that Nezha originated from the Buddhist esoteric scriptures, and with the spread and translation of ancient Indian Buddhism, it was eventually abbreviated as Nazha, also known as Nezha in Chinese. And the folk added a "mouth" to "that", and thus the name "Nezha" was born. According to Miao Huaiming's research, the earliest record of Nezha in Chinese classics dates back to the Tang Dynasty. Nezha was the son of the Northern King of Vishnu, a Buddhist protector god and a god of the night fork. His fierce image contrasts greatly with the well-known image of a young hero today. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, there were sayings such as Nezha returning bones to his father, meat to his mother, and three heads and six arms. The Northern Pishan Heavenly King also evolved into the Tang Dynasty general Li Jing. During this period, Nezha's identity began to undergo a localization transformation, and his story gradually became rich. In Miao Huaiming's view, the widespread dissemination of Nezha's story relies on the Ming Dynasty novel "Fengshen Yanyi". The book devotes three full chapters to setting the complete identity of Nezha, who is known to people as Nezha born in Chentangguan. In the novel 'Fengshen Yanyi', the core plot of being pregnant for three years, being born as a meatball, Nezha causing chaos in the sea, and transforming into a lotus flower are all present, and Nezha has also transformed from a Buddhist protector god to a Taoist immortal. Miao Huaiming believes that "Fengshen Yanyi" has completed the localization of Nezha's image, which is an important step in Nezha's transformation from an Indian god to a Chinese youth god. Miao Huaiming said that from the evolution of Nezha's identity, the establishment of his father son relationship with Li Jing mainly came from folklore and literary creation. Nezha himself has his own name, which does not follow the traditional surname system and follows his father's surname, reflecting his independence as a mythological figure. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why Nezha did not continue the names of his two brothers, Jin Zha and Mu Zha, and named himself Shui Zha. Some studies suggest that Jin Zha and Mu Zha were originally Indian gods, but later evolved into Chinese gods, perhaps created to shape the image of Nezha. According to this statement, Nezha came first, followed by Jin Zha and Mu Zha. Nezha did not need to change his name to maintain continuity with his two brothers' names Miao Huaiming said. Just like the evolution of Nezha's identity, many mythological characters have gradually taken shape through long-term evolution, and their origins have provided a unique perspective for the public to recognize and understand mythological characters. The current attention to the issue of Nezha's surname is a reflection of the traditional culture carried by movies constantly breaking through boundaries. In the New Year of the Snake, the movie "Ne Zha: The Demonic Child Roars in the Sea" reshapes the traditional Chinese mythological character Ne Zha into a rebellious image with modern teenage characteristics through modern expression of myths and legends. With a tense story core and stunning visual effects, it resonates emotionally with the public. Currently, the film's box office in mainland China is approaching 10 billion yuan. Miao Huaiming believes that from the perspective of origin and evolution, people can also feel the innovation, inheritance, and development of culture between change and constancy. (New Society)