Liaozhai Zhiyi

Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: A Gateway to China’s Fantastical Folklore

January 21, 2026

•

Rob

In the vast landscape of Chinese literature, few works blend fantasy, romance, social critique, and folklore as masterfully as Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Liaozhai Zhiyi). Written by Pu Songling (1640–1715), a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, this collection of over 490 short stories has enchanted readers for centuries with its vivid depictions…
Chivalry and tragic heroism in “Tian Qilang”

July 25, 2025

•

Ana

“Tian Qilang” is a classic tale from Pu Songling’s Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Liaozhai Zhiyi), exploring themes of loyalty, gratitude, and social injustice through the relationship between the impoverished hunter Tian Qilang and the aristocrat Wu Chengxiu.
Protected: Huang Jiulang

•

Ana

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
The Mural

July 11, 2025

•

Ana

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.
Protected: Revenant Resurrection

•

Ana

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Pu Songling and Liaozhai

July 10, 2025

•

Ana

Pu Songling was a Qing Dynasty scholar, storyteller, and chronicler of the uncanny, whose life embodied the frustrations of China’s educated class.