Illustrated Myths & Legends of China: The Ages of Chaos and Heroes

by Dehai Huang

Overview

Illustrated Myths & Legends of China is a profusely illustrated collection of 32 carefully chosen tales of Chinese myth and legend.

With more than 100 illustrations drawn over two thousand years of all aspects of Chinese art—including painting, pottery and porcelain, jade, bronzes and tomb decoration—Illustrated Myths & Legends of China is a vividly written collection of tales of the universe's emergence from chaos, the creation of the world in which the first Chinese people appeared and a depiction of how the many strands of myth and legend have influenced Chinese culture.

An impressive array of heroic figures and rich storytelling are at the center of these tales including:

• Pangu opening heaven to save the earth from chaos.
• Nuwa creating man and repairing the vault of heaven.
• Fuxi fixing the calendar by observing the heavens.
• Shennong creating agriculture.
• Cangjie inventing writing thus creating the basis for Chinese culture.

Fragments of these myths and legends are found in Chinese paintings, wood artifacts, relief carvings, and lacquer art which are illustrated in this book along with informative text. Anyone interested in Chinese culture, mythology, history or art will find this collection a must-have volume for their bookshelf.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781602201576
Publisher:	Shanghai Press
Publication date:	05/22/2018
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Zhang Dinghao, born in 1976, is a deputy editor of Shanghai Culture. His publications include the collection Now I've Seen my Love Again: Poetry and People in the Past.

Huang Dehai is a deputy editor of the Sinan Literary Journal and is author of the collection Reading Now is Too Late and other works. He was born in 1977.

Xiang Jing was born in 1981 and is also a deputy editor of the Sinan Literary Journal. Her works include the collection Expression in Our Time.

Table of Contents

Preface 9

A Ballad of the Beginning 13

The Emergence from Chaos 15

Nüwa Creates Man 19

A Harmony Made in Heaven 26

Repairing the Vault of Heaven 31

Kunlun, the Sacred Mountain 37

Jianmu, Tree of the Ladder to Heaven 47

The Severance of Earth from Heaven 51

Dwelling in Nests 55

The Creation of the Eight Trigrams 57

Observing the Heavenly Symbols to Fix the Calendar 63

Auspicious Dragon and Phoenix 71

Shennong the Flame Emperor 79

Drilling Wood for Fire 88

The Noon Market 91

The Flame Emperor's Daughter 93

Yaoji of Wushan 98

The Bird Jingwei Fills the Ocean 102

The Yellow Emperor Builds a Carriage 104

Leizu Teaches Weaving 106

Gang Jie Invents Writing 113

Lfnglun Makes Music 116

The Great War against Chiyou 120

The World of Yao and Shun 127

Houyi Eradicates the Four Evil Monsters 131

Houyi Shoots the Suns 133

Chang'e Flies to the Moon 137

Bogun Receives Orders 142

Stealing the Ever-Growing Soil 145

The Spirit's Journey to the West 149

Asking the Way to Lingshan 155

The Arrival of Yu the Great 157

Yu the Great in His Own Words I 157

Yu the Great in His Own Words II: Hills, Rivers and Land 159

Yu the Great in His Own Words III: Making a Path through the Hills 160

Yu the Great in His Own Words IV: The Xia People 162

Yu the Great in His Own Words V: Managing the Water and Spreading the Soil 165

Yu the Great in His Own Words VI: As the Will of the Gods Would Have It 168

Yu the Great in His Own Words VII: A Condemnation of Offensive War and Setting up the Tripod Cauldrons 171

Epilogue 175

Dates of the Chinese Dynasties 176