Myth of the vast sea

Author: Yan Yanwen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: The second book in the "Taiwan Trilogy," a magnificent epic of Taiwan's miraculous rise as an island paradise, a mythical tale of the Chinese nation's pioneering spirit in the vast seas, and a colorful scroll of the struggles against oppression and progress across the Taiwan Strait. This is a mythological epic of Taiwan's three centuries of frontier settlement, a vibrant scroll of opening up the sea in a world of dreams, and a thrilling, spectacular historical saga. The Myth of the Sea fills the void in the creation of Taiwan's frontier history and holds significant literary value. The novel is divided into five parts: "Prologue," "Primal Chaos," "Death," "Rebirth," and "Modern Times," echoing the pattern of mythology. The extraordinary family history of the Chen clan in Wushui Creek, Taiwan, spanning nine generations, weaves through the long and mysterious history of Taiwan's frontier settlement from ancient times to the Sun Yat-sen Xinhai Revolution. Along the Jiulong River in mainland China, descendants stage a series of thrilling dramas: the perilous journey to Taiwan, the love between Han and aboriginals in Abu She Society, the tragic death of a couple on Shengtian Platform, the mysterious past of Longshan Temple, the conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and the betrayal of brothers. The ancestors of Taiwan's pioneers, Akun and Chen Duannu, the Ye Sheng, and a series of enchanting female legends—Mud Sister, Eji, and A Yue—leave readers spellbound. Yan Shiqi's arrival in Taiwan, Guo Huaiyi's resistance against the Dutch, Zheng Chenggong's recovery of Taiwan, Lin Shuangwen's uprising, and the anti-British resistance at San Yuan Li—all shape the island of Taiwan. Family feuds and national grievances intertwine, passing down through generations without end. The desolate and silent island of Taiwan rises miraculously through hardship and dreams, becoming a mythical tale of the Chinese nation's pioneering spirit in the vast seas. This book is the second novel in the "Taiwan Trilogy" series by female author Yan Yanwen. The epic novel Taiwan in Turmoil won the "Best Book Award" from the Eighth National "Five One Project" of the Central Propaganda Department in 2001. In 2003, it was published in traditional Chinese in Taiwan, attracting attention from over 100 domestic and international media outlets and hailed by overseas media as a "heavy and grand epic masterpiece." The television series A Century of the Sea based on this book was a major production of China Central Television (CCTV) for the year.