family reunion

  • The Five Sheepskins [Spring & Autumn]

    As Duke Huan of Qi aged, Duke Mu of Qin (whose state was then located in parts of present-day Gansu and Shaanxi) saw an opportunity to expand his influence and aspire to leadership among the central states.

  • Cultural encounter in “Yaksha Kingdom”

    Strange Tales from Liaozhai: Yaksha Kingdom (The Land of Demons) narrates merchant Xu’s extraordinary odyssey. Shipwrecked during a storm, he washes ashore in a valley inhabited by Yaksha (savage humanoid demons). Initially terrified, Xu gradually wins their trust by teaching them cooked food, eventually marrying a female Yaksha.

  • Desire, destruction and supernatural justice in “Huang Jiulang”

    “Huang Jiulang” from Liaozhai Zhiyi(Strange Tales from Liaozhai) recounts the tale of He Zixiao, a scholar from Zhejiang with an attraction to men.

  • “Qiao Niang”: a story weaving supernatural romance: scholar, fox spirit and ghost

    “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: Qiao Niang” is a story weaving supernatural fantasy (fox spirits and ghosts), entangled passions, and human redemption. Pu Songling delicately portrays the emotional collisions between humans and the otherworldly (foxes and ghosts).

  • Zhang Cheng

    There was a man surnamed Zhang in Henan Province whose ancestors were from Shandong. During the latter part of the Ming Dynasty, when Shandong was in wide-spread turmoil, his wife was captured and taken away by Manchu soldiers. After that, as Zhang often used to travel to Henan, he decided to settle down there.