• The fox spirit’s redemption in “Yatou”

    “Fox Spirit – Yatou” from Strange Tales from Liaozhai, a Chinese Studio, (Liaozhai Zhiyi) is a story centered around a “human-fox romance,” interwoven with themes of resistance by marginalized women, the duality of human nature, and the capriciousness of fate.

  • Yatou

    Wang Wen, a scholar from Dong Chang, was young and honest. Once he visited a region under the rule of the State of Chu as a tourist. After he crossed the river and checked into a hotel, he went out for a stroll.

  • The Mantis that felled the Serpent

    “The Mantis Seizes the Snake” is a short fable from Strange Tales from Liaozhai, a Chinese Studio, (Liaozhai Zhiyi). Through a vivid natural phenomenon, it reveals how the weak may overcome a powerful adversary through wisdom and courage. Though brief, the story carries profound symbolism.

  • The Fight Between a Mantis and a Snake

    A certain Mr. Zhang was walking in a mountain valley and heard a loud noise from the cliffs. He climbed up the cliffs and saw a huge snake as thick as a big bowl tossing in the trees, its tail beating the willows and breaking willow branches. Its desperate tossing and turning suggested that…

  • The Tiger’s Redemption

    “The Tiger of Zhao Cheng (The Repentant Tiger)” is a story from Strange Tales from Liaozhai (Liaozhai Zhiyi), recounting a tale of filial piety, vengeance, and forgiveness. Set in Zhao Cheng, the story revolves around an elderly woman and her son.

  • The Repentant Tiger

    Once upon a time in Zhaocheng County there was an old lady in her seventies who had only one son. One day, her son went into the mountains and was eaten by a tiger. The old lady was so grieved that she nearly committed suicide.