• Nie Xiaoqian

    Ning Caichen, a native of Zhejiang Province, was noted for his galantry, integrity and upright character. He often used to say, “In my whole life, I’ve only had my wife and never another woman.”

  • Behind Yingning’s laughter

    The story “Yingning” from Strange Tales from Liaozhai is a classic short story written by Pu Songling, a writer from the Qing Dynasty. This tale centers around the romantic relationship between the protagonist, Scholar Wang, and Yingning, and is filled with elements of fantasy and profound social commentary.

  • Yingning

    Wang Zifu was a native of Luodian in Luxian County, Shandong Province. His father died when he was still a child. Being extraordinarily clever, he passed the imperial examination at the local level and became a xiucai at the age of fourteen.

  • Justice and Transformation in “Judge Lu”

    Strange Tales from Liaozhai, a collection of classical tales by Qing writer Pu Songling, features fantastical stories about fox spirits, ghosts, etc. Today, we will talk one of the most popular stories, the Judge Lu.

  • Judge Lu

    Zhu Erdan, of Lingyang, whose courtesy name was Xiaoming, was bold and outgoing by nature, though tending to be gullible. He studied industriously but had not yet made a name for himself.

  • Scholar Dong and the Fox Spirit: A cautionary tale of temptation

    “Dong Sheng” (Scholar Dong), from Pu Songling’s Strange Tales from Liaozhai, follows scholar Dong Xiasi living on the western frontier of Qingzhou, Shandong.