Xianyi Yang Livres

"These stories written during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) form a notable part of early Chinese fiction. Indeed, in importance they are comparable to Tang poetry. The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty with its rapid development of agriculture, handicrafts and commerce supplied a rich material basis for the complex social life which was the background to these stories. Since the authors were consciously writing fiction, they produced something more imaginative than the earlier Chinese tales of the supernatural or anecdotes of famous men. The middle period of the Tang Dynasty - the eighth century and early nineth century - was the hay-day of this form of literature. This collection includes some of the best stories of this period." -- Back cover

Bilingual in English and Chinese. Guan Hanqing, the Yuan Dynasty dramatist is sometimes referred to as "China's Shakespeare." A playwright of the Northern Drama, Guan Hanqing (1240-1360), worked in Beijing at a time the capital was known as Dadu, an international city visited by many travelers from Europe, including Marco Polo. Guan is credited with more than 64 plays, of which some 15 have survived in complete form. Like Shakespeare, Guan's biographical information is sketchy, but he also is said to have been a theatrical manager and an actor. This is a collection of four of his most well known plays: Snow in Midsummer, The Wife-Snatcher, The Butterfly Dream and Rescued by a Coquette. You will not only enjoy these classic stories, but will also learn about Chinese culture and history. The translation of each English page is printed in Chinese on the opposite page.