SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Tales from Liaozhai

  • Did the mural truly change?

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    After reading Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio: The Painted Wall (The Mural), many may wonder: did the temple mural physically change? Zhu Juren (Zhu Xiaolian) insists the celestial maiden’s hairstyle transformed–from a maiden’s coiffure to a matron’s bun–after his journey into the painting.

  • Monk Baozhi’s Statue in The Mural

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    In Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio: The Painted Wall (The Mural), the statue of Baozhi Monk (Zhi Gong) — a revered monk of the Liang Dynasty–is not a random religious motif but a deliberate spiritual beacon crafted by Pu Songling.

  • Heavenly maidens scattering flowers in The Mural

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    If you have read the story of The Mural (The Painted Wall) from Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio by Pu Songling, you may have the question, why would the temple has the “heavenly maidens scattering flowers” painted on the wall?

  • The nameless protagonist in The Mural

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    As we all know, names are very important. But why the protagonist of the story The Mural(The Painted Wall) from the Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio does not have a name?

  • The Mural

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    Meng Longtan, a native of Jiangxi Province, and a Juren by the name of Zhu (Note: a Juren was one who pasted the imperial examination at the provincial level) were visiting the capital together.

  • Why didn’t the cart driver wake his companions in “Corpse resurrected”?

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    After reading the story of “Corpse Change” from Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio, many readers may have the same question. Why didn’t the cart driver wake his companions despite knowing the corpse was haunting?

  • The poetic philosophy: Inner light beyond material worlds

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    The verse — “With flowers and wine, spring ever stays; Without lamp or candle, night self-illumines” — originates from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: The Examination for the Post of City God (Kao Cheng Huang or Candidate for the City God).

  • Intentionality as the core of ethical judgment

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    The maxim — “Intentional good deeds deserve no reward; unintentional wrongdoings warrant no punishment” — originates from Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio: The Examination for the Post of City God (Candidate for the City God). It was Song Tao’s answer during his underworld examination.

  • Why did Song Tao go to Changshan to inquire about Scholar Zhang?

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    In “The Examination for the Post of City God” from Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio, why would Song Tao go to Changshan to inquire about Scholar Zhang?