StoriesStories that endure. What makes them matter?
Selected cultural stories, with links to read on the publisher’s website.
All stories
15 articles
The Cold Cave: A Tale of Devotion
A young woman chooses her own marriage and waits for her husband in the Cold Cave near Xi’an. Read the folk tale of devotion and endurance.
How Lady Xi Shi Saved the Kingdom
Explore the story of Xi Shi, whose beauty and sacrifice became part of the struggle between the states of Wu and Yue.
Yang Zhi Sells His Sword
Meet Yang Zhi of Outlaws of the Marsh through the story of his ancestral sword, the setbacks he faces, and the conflict that erupts when he tries to sell it.
Wu Song Beats the Tiger
Follow Wu Song of Outlaws of the Marsh from his barehanded fight with a tiger through the trials that shape his fate.
The Good-Bad Monk Lu Zhishen
Lu Zhishen breaks monastic rules but repeatedly stands up for others. His story includes a fight with a butcher, an uprooted willow, and his protection of Lin Chong.
Monkey King Captures Pigsy – From Journey to the West
Guanyin tells Pigsy to await the scripture pilgrims, but he causes trouble in Gaolao Village before the Monkey King subdues him and they travel west together.
Monkey King Defeats the Demon – From Journey to the West
The White Bone Demon repeatedly deceives Tang Monk. The Monkey King sees through her disguises, yet his master misunderstands him and sends him away.
Journey to the West
Meet Tang Monk, the Monkey King, Pigsy, and their companions on the quest for Buddhist scriptures in this introduction to Journey to the West.
The Four Beauties
Meet Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diao Chan, and Yang Guifei through the histories and legends that made them the Four Beauties.
An Introduction to Traditional Chinese Culture
Explore divine inspiration in traditional Chinese culture, from ancient legends to Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist ideas about morality and reverence for heaven.
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