Stories Of Old China

A haunting and delicately observed description of the last days of Mandarin culture before the revolution, 'Peking Story' is a testimony to a way of life, a culture, an aesthetic and a civilisation which has since completely disappeared.

Twenty episodes which preserve and illustrate the folklore of ancient China.

Though he lived mostly in rural South Taiwan, Zhong Lihe (1915–1960) spent several years in Manchuria and Peking, moving among an eclectic mix of ethnicities, classes, and cultures. His fictional portraits unfold on Japanese battlefields and in Peking slums, as well as in the remote, impoverished hill-country villages and farms of Zhong Lihe’s native Hakka districts. His scenic descriptions are deft and atmospheric, and his psychological explorations are acute. The first anthology to present his work in English, this volume features two novellas, ten short stories, and four short prose works.

Discover magical princesses, mighty dragons, mischievous monkeys and more, in this captivating collection of classic Chinese tales. Specially selected and retold for readers today, each story is brought vividly to life by traditional Chinese brush-and-ink illustrations. Beautifully illustrated by renowned Chinese artist Li Weiding.

'A learned, wise, wonderfully written single volume history of a civilisation that I knew I should know more about' Tom Holland 'Masterful and engrossing...well-paced, eminently readable and well-timed. A must-read for those who want - and need - to know about the China of yesterday, today and tomorrow' Peter Frankopan China's story is extraordinarily rich and dramatic. Now Michael Wood, one of the UK's pre-eminent historians, brings it all together in a major new one-volume history of China that is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand its burgeoning role in our world today. China is the oldest living civilisation on earth, but its history is still surprisingly little known in the wider world. Michael Wood's sparkling narrative, which mingles the grand sweep with local and personal stories, woven together with the author's own travel journals, is an enthralling account of China's 4000-year-old tradition, taking in life stationed on the Great Wall or inside the Forbidden City. The story is enriched with the latest archaeological and documentary discoveries; correspondence and court cases going back to the Qin and Han dynasties; family letters from soldiers in the real-life Terracotta Army; stories from Silk Road merchants and Buddhist travellers, along with memoirs and diaries of emperors, poets and peasants. In the modern era, the book is full of new insights, with the electrifying manifestos of the feminist revolutionaries Qiu Jin and He Zhen, extraordinary eye-witness accounts of the Japanese invasion, the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao, and fascinating newly published sources for the great turning points in China's modern history, including the Tiananmen Square crisis of 1989, and the new order of President Xi Jinping. A compelling portrait of a single civilisation over an immense period of time, the book is full of intimate detail and colourful voices, taking us from the desolate Mongolian steppes to the ultra-modern world of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. It also asks what were the forces that have kept China together for so long? Why was China overtaken by the west after the 18th century? What lies behind China's extraordinary rise today? The Story of China tells a thrilling story of intense drama, fabulous creativity and deep humanity; a portrait of a country that will be of the greatest importance to the world in the twenty-first century.

This colorfully illustrated multicultural children's book presents Chinese and Tibeten folk and fairytales and other stories—providing insight into a rich literary culture. Favorite Children's Stories from China and Tibet is a captivating collection of stories from different parts of China and Tibet. Enter a mythical world where animals speak and play tricks on each other, and especially on the great striped tiger, often characterized as powerful and strong, but who can be fooled. Also depicted are humans who perform magic, both good and bad; humans who become animals; animals who become human; magic pancakes; wishing cups; fairy boats, a Chinese Cinderella, and a Tibetan creation story. These unique stories are fresh and charming, filled with humorous insights into Tibetan and Chinese culture and life, including the power and influence of the moon and the importance of festivals. Readers of all ages will find much to love within these pages. Chinese and Tibeten folk tales include: A Chinese Cinderella The Country of the Mice The Wishing Cup The Story of the Tortoise and the Monkey A Hungry Wolf The King of the Mountain How the Deer Lost His Tale The Children's Favorite Stories series was created to share the folktales and legends most beloved by children in the East with young readers of all backgrounds in the West. Other multicultural children's books in this series include: Asian Children's Favorite Stories, Indian Children's Favorite Stories, Indonesian Children's Favorite Stories, Japanese Children's Favorite Stories, Singapore Children's Favorite Stories, Chinese Children's Favorite Stories, Korean Children's Favorite Stories, Balinese Children's Favorite Stories, and Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories.