Selections from Records of the Historian in the three volume hardback book from Library of Chinese Classics. This books are in English and simplified Chinese and is a wonderful addition to any library. Selections from Records of the Historian was published by the Foreign Languages Press in 2008 and there are over 1200 pages.

Selections from Records of the Historian
Records of the Historian (also known as Records of the Grand Historian and Shiji) was written by Sima Qian in the Western Han Dynasty. The Records of the Historian was the first general history in the form of a series of biographies to appear in China. It records the history of China from the most remote past, the era of the legendary founder of the Chinese nation Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) in prehistoric China to the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. The book has 130 chapters, recording the progress of history by means of biographies of historical figures.

Records of the Historian has been renowned and followed by poets and novelists as Sima Qian critically used stories passed on from antiquity as part of his sources, balancing reliability and accuracy of the records. Sima Qian is diplomatic and has a way of accentuating the positive in his treatment of rulers in the Basic Annals and adding negative information into other chapters, and so his work must be read as a whole to obtain full information.

Selections from Records of the Historian is part of Library of Chinese Classics and there are over 60 books in the series so far. Library of Chinese Classics is a ‘mirror’ format which means that there is a page of Chinese followed by a page of English. As they are bilingual, the books are extremely suitable for Western readers interested in Chinese culture, people learning Chinese and native Chinese readers who want to read an accessible version of the classics. Since their publication, they have been immensely popular and Library of Chinese Classics has also been translated into Spanish, French, German, Russian and Arabic.

Creation of the Gods in the four volume hardback book from Library of Chinese Classics. This books are in English and simplified Chinese and is a wonderful addition to any library. Creation of the Gods was published by the Foreign Languages Press in 2001 and there are over 2000 pages.

Creation of the Gods
Creation of the Gods (also known as The Investiture of the Gods or Fengshen Bang) is one of the most popular Chinese classics of mythical literature. It is rumoured that the author, Xu Zhonglin, spent all his money on his first daughter and decided to write this book for his second daughter. Creation of the Gods was written towards the end of the 16th century. In Creation of the Gods, there are many stories in which many gods, goddesses and immortals came to the Earth and changed the fate of everything with their magical power.

China was a country in which most people were polytheists believing in numerous gods of the Three Realms-Heaven, the World, and Hell. The gods ruled over everything and were created to satisfy the needs and desires of the people. Most of them were historical national heroes and upright officials who had been canonized so that they became heavenly deities sent to the world to deliver mankind from misery.

The roots of many such popular beliefs and legends are found in Creation of the Gods. Creation of the Gods is not simply a piece of literature; it is a collection of folk and religious beliefs which formed the basis of Chinese culture.

Creation of the Gods is part of Library of Chinese Classics and there are over 60 books in the series so far. Library of Chinese Classics is a ‘mirror’ format which means that there is a page of Chinese followed by a page of English. As they are bilingual, the books are extremely suitable for Western readers interested in Chinese culture, people learning Chinese and native Chinese readers who want to read an accessible version of the classics. Since their publication, they have been immensely popular and Library of Chinese Classics has also been translated into Spanish, French, German, Russian and Arabic.

Selections from Strange Tales from the Liaozhai Studio in the four volume hardback book from Library of Chinese Classics. This books are in English and simplified Chinese and is a wonderful addition to any library. Selections from Strange Tales from the Liaozhai Studio was published by the Foreign Languages Press in 2007 and there are over 2000 pages.

Strange Tales from the Liaozhai Studio
Strange Tales from the Liaozhai Studio was written by Pu Songling (1640-1715) in the Qing Dynasty. Based on folk tales, the work is unique in Chinese literature. Its nearly 500 tales conjure up a fanciful world of men, ghosts, spirits and monsters. Pu Songling vividly depicts a group of “Liaozhai Studio” characters with his superb grasp of descriptive and concise writing. The strange tales are satirical and mix the supernatural with the ordinary. Enriched by the author’s powerful imagination, Strange Tales from the Liaozhai Studio is a true treasure in Chinese literature. This Chinese-English version is based on Zhang Youhe’s edited Chinese text.

Selections from Strange Tales from the Liaozhai Studio is part of Library of Chinese Classics and there are over 60 books in the series so far. Library of Chinese Classics is a ‘mirror’ format which means that there is a page of Chinese followed by a page of English. As they are bilingual, the books are extremely suitable for Western readers interested in Chinese culture, people learning Chinese and native Chinese readers who want to read an accessible version of the classics. Since their publication, they have been immensely popular and Library of Chinese Classics has also been translated into Spanish, French, German, Russian and Arabic.

Anecdotes about Spirits and Immortals in the two volume hardback book from Library of Chinese Classics. This book is in English and simplified Chinese and is a wonderful addition to any library. Anecdotes about Spirits and Immortals was published by the Foreign Languages Press in 2004 and there are 1131 pages. It was translated into English by Huang Diming.

Anecdotes about Spirits and Immortals
Anecdotes about Spirits and Immortals is a collection of myths, legends and stories of strange and wonderful occurences. Anecdotes about Spirits and Immortals is a treasure trove of Chinese folklore prior to the third century A.D. Gan Bao, who compiled this book, was a historian of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). Gan Bao was a believer in fate and the occult and applied the historian’s method of recording to the fantastic stories which were current in his time. Anecdotes about Spirits and Immortals has a far-reaching impact on Chinese literature of later generations and provided a fountain of inspiration for writers.

Anecdotes about Spirits and Immortals is part of Library of Chinese Classics and there are over 60 books in the series so far. Library of Chinese Classics is a ‘mirror’ format which means that there is a page of Chinese followed by a page of English. As they are bilingual, the books are extremely suitable for Western readers interested in Chinese culture, people learning Chinese and native Chinese readers who want to read an accessible version of the classics. Since their publication, they have been immensely popular and Library of Chinese Classics has also been translated into Spanish, French, German, Russian and Arabic.

A Dream Under the Southern Bough in the one volume hardback book from Library of Chinese Classics. This book is in English and simplified Chinese and is a wonderful addition to any library. A Dream Under the Southern Bough was published by the Foreign Languages Press in 2003 and there are 566 pages.

A Dream Under the Southern Bough
A Dream Under the Southern Bough is one of the literary masterpieces written by Chinese dramatist Tang Xianzu (author of the Handan Dream, Peony Pavilion, The Purple Hairpin, Record of Southern Bough, The Purple Flute) in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Tang Xianzu was a very influential playwright and this is partially why his works are still popular today. A Dream Under the Southern Bough is about a dream in which the hero, a discharged army officer, dreams that he enters an ant hole, and ends up marrying the daughter of the king of the ants.

A Dream Under the Southern Bough is part of Library of Chinese Classics and there are over 60 books in the series so far. Library of Chinese Classics is a ‘mirror’ format which means that there is a page of Chinese followed by a page of English. As they are bilingual, the books are extremely suitable for Western readers interested in Chinese culture, people learning Chinese and native Chinese readers who want to read an accessible version of the classics. Since their publication, they have been immensely popular and Library of Chinese Classics has also been translated into Spanish, French, German, Arabic and Japanese.

Records on the Warring States Period in a three volume hardback set from Library of Chinese Classics. This set is in English and simplified Chinese and is a wonderful addition to any library. This set of Records on the Warring States Period was published by Guangxi Shifan Daxue Publishing House in 2008 and there are 1523 pages. Records on the Warring States Period was translated into English by Zhai Jiangyue.

Records on the Warring States Period Synopsis

Records on the Warring States Period (also known as Strategies of the Warring States and Intrigues of the Warring States) is a renowned ancient Chinese historical work and compilation of materials on the Warring States Period compiled between 3rd century to 1st century BCE. It is an important work in the research of The Warring States Period as it discusses the strategies and political views and reveals the historical and social characteristics of the period. The edition we have today was compiled by Liu Xiang. The six versions of written works from the School of Negotiation were discovered by Liu Xiang during his editing and proofreading of the imperial literary collection. The works of political views and diplomatic strategies from the School of Negotiation were in poor condition, with confusing contents and missing words. Liu Xiang proofread and edited them into the new book under the title Records on the Warring States Period.

Records on the Warring States Period is accomplished in narration and uses many metaphors. The characterization in this book is very accomplished. Significant contents of Records of the Warring States were lost in subsequent centuries. Zeng Gong of the Northern Song Dynasty reclaimed some lost chapters from private collectors, proofread and edited the modern version. It is compiled according to 12 states as The East Zhou, West Zhou, Qin, Chu, Qi, Zhao, Wei I, Han, Yan, Song, Wei II and Zhongshan in 33 books.

Records on the Warring States Period is one of Library of Chinese Classics and there are over 60 books in the series so far. Library of Chinese Classics is a ‘mirror’ format which means that there is a page of Chinese followed by a page of English. As the books are bilingual they are suitable for readers interested in Chinese culture, learners of Chinese as well as native Chinese readers who want to read an accessible version of the classics. Since their publication, they have been immensely popular and Library of Chinese Classics has also been translated into more than 6 languages.

Xunzi in a two volume hardback set from Library of Chinese Classics. This set is in English and simplified Chinese and is a wonderful addition to any library. This set of Xunzi was published by the Hunan Renmin Publishing House in 2010 and there are 1007 pages. Xunzi was translated into English by John Knoblock.

Xunzi Synopsis

Xunzi is a collection of political writings by the late Warring States period philosopher Xunzi(also known as Xun Kuang). He was one of the three great Confucians . The book is composed of 32 “books” or chapters covering philosophy, ethics, politics, military affairs, education, etc.

Many academics believe that he was one of the greatest thinkers who ever lived. Unlike the work of his two predecessors(Confucius and Mencius) he wrote complete essays. In these essays Xunzi defends his own interpretation of the Confucian position and attacks the positions of others. Xunzi critically appraised the academic thinking of the materialism of ancient China and was against the belief of the mandate of heaven.

Xunzi held the belief that human nature is evil and he believed in combining ritual principles and law and attaching equal importance to moral enlightenment and rule by law. In the early Chinese tradition, Xunzi’s writings are arguably the most sophisticated and philosophically developed. Although Xunzi is one of the greatest philosophers in the Chinese tradition, he is not well known in the West and this is the first complete English translation of Xunzi.

Xunzi is one of Library of Chinese Classics and there are over 60 books in the series so far. Library of Chinese Classics is a ‘mirror’ format which means that there is a page of Chinese followed by a page of English. As the books are bilingual they and suitable for readers interested in Chinese culture, learners of Chinese as well as native Chinese readers who want to read an accessible version of the classics. Since their publication, they have been immensely popular and Library of Chinese Classics has also been translated into many other languages.

Ancient Chinese Fables in a one volume hardback set from Library of Chinese Classics. This set is in English and simplified Chinese and is a wonderful addition to any library. This set of Ancient Chinese Fables was published by the Foreign Languages Press in 2008 and there are 295 pages. Ancient Chinese Fables was translated into English by Yang Xiangyi and Gladys Yang.

Ancient Chinese Fables Synopsis
Fables are a type of literature which uses parables to better explain the message. Fables often use creative and imaginative means and distinct and vivid images to embody the philosophy of life in interesting stories. Fables use one example in place of the situation they want to examine.

One hundred and twenty-one of the best ancient Chinese fables – mostly from the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. as well as the 16th and 17th centuries- are contained in Ancient Chinese Fables. Written in simple language to appeal to everyone, these fables embody the experience and wisdom of the Chinese have found their way into the hearts of many over hundreds of years.

Ancient Chinese Fables is one of Library of Chinese Classics and there are over 60 books in the series so far. Library of Chinese Classics is a ‘mirror’ format which means that there is a page of Chinese followed by a page of English. The books are bilingual and suitable for Western readers interested in Chinese culture, people learning Chinese and native Chinese readers who want to read an accessible version of the classics. Since their publication, they have been immensely popular and Library of Chinese Classics has also been translated into many other languages.

Stories to Caution the World in a four volume hardback set from Library of Chinese Classics. This set is in English and simplified Chinese and is a wonderful addition to any library. This set of Stories to Caution the World was published by the Yuelu Publishing House in 2007 and there are 2057 pages. Stories to Caution the World was compiled by Feng Menglong(1574-1646) and translated into English by Shuhui Yang and Yunqin Yang.

Stories to Caution the World Synopsis
Feng Menglong is the best-known compiler of anthologies of popular literature in the Ming dynasty, including other books such as Stories Old and New. This collection of stories was pivotal in the development of Chinese vernacular fiction. These tales in Stories to Caution the World have been compared to the stories of A Thousand and One Nights. Peopled with scholars, emperors, ministers, generals, and a gallery of ordinary men and women in their everyday surroundings – merchants and artisans,prostitutes and courtesans, matchmakers and fortune-tellers, monks and nuns, servants and maids, thieves and imposters – the stories in this collection provide a vivid panorama of the bustling world of imperial China before the end of the Ming dynasty.

Stories to Caution the World is part of Library of Chinese Classics and there are over 60 books in the series so far. Library of Chinese Classics is a ‘mirror’ format which means that there is a page of Chinese followed by a page of English. The books are bilingual and suitable for Western readers interested in Chinese culture, people learning Chinese and native Chinese readers who want to read an accessible version of the classics. Since their publication, they have been immensely popular and Library of Chinese Classics has also been translated into Spanish, French, German and Arabic.

Stories Old and New in a four volume hardback set from Library of Chinese Classics. This set is in English and simplified Chinese and is a wonderful addition to any library. This set of Stories Old and New was published by the Yuelu Publishing House in 2007 and there are 1832 pages. Stories Old and New was compiled by Feng Menglong(1574-1646) and translated into English by Shuhui Yang and Yunqin Yang.

Stories Old and New Synopsis
Feng Menglong is the best-known compiler of anthologies of popular literature in the Ming dynasty, including other books such as Stories to Caution the World. This collection of 40 short stories provides a vivid panoramic view of the bustling world of imperial China before the end of the Ming dynasty. In Stories Old and New we see a collection of men and women – scholars and officials, emperors and ministers, peddlers and artisans, prostitutes and courtesans, match makers and fortunetellers, monks and nuns, rich merchants and servants, thieves and impostors, and even gods and ghosts. These characters find themselves involved in political intrigues, test of friendship, inheritance disputes, extramarital affairs and many other situations. This bilingual edition is an unabridged version including Feng’s notes and marginal comments.

Stories Old and New is part of Library of Chinese Classics and there are over 60 books in the series so far. Library of Chinese Classics is a ‘mirror’ format which means that there is a page of Chinese followed by a page of English. As they are bilingual, the books are extremely suitable for Western readers interested in Chinese culture, people learning Chinese and native Chinese readers who want to read an accessible version of the classics. Since their publication, they have been immensely popular and Library of Chinese Classics has also been translated into French, Spanish, German, Arabic.