Zhang Chengzhi's Prose: Illustrated Treasure Edition

Author: Zhang Chengzhi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The beauty of the prose and the elegance of the illustrations complement each other, making it both a masterpiece for appreciation and a fine choice for collection and gifting. Chinese prose has a long and profound history. Over thousands of years of prose creation, whether expressing emotions, stating intentions, depicting scenes, or reflecting on people, it has inevitably reflected the changes of the times and the thoughts and feelings of the people. In the new literature of the 20th century, these fine traditions of Chinese prose were not only fully inherited but also continuously innovated and developed. To showcase the achievements of Chinese prose creation since the 20th century, we edited and published the "Treasures of Chinese Prose" in the early days of the new century, totaling thirty volumes. Five years have passed, and on this basis, we have meticulously compiled this "Illustrated Treasures of Chinese Prose," consisting of sixteen volumes. After careful selection, this series not only adds over 50,000 new words to each volume but also accompanies them with precious photographs reflecting the authors' life journeys. Truly, the beauty of the prose and the elegance of the illustrations complement each other, making it both a masterpiece for appreciation and a fine choice for collection and gifting.
Zhang Chengzhi's prose is bold and unrestrained, for it serves as a battle cry. He does not pay attention to the color of the words but relies entirely on the spread of his passion to support his writing. Therefore, every word, sentence, and cry in his prose is scorching. Such writing is like driving long iron nails into thick wood, with its penetrating power concentrated in every blow to the soul. Reading Zhang Chengzhi's words brings a soul-stirring shock, an experience that is both thrilling and heart-stirring. His prose, especially the night talks or monologues of the lone traveler, directly touches the essence of life, the bones of the soul, rather than the gentle comfort and pleasure derived from stroking the flesh. Reading Zhang Chengzhi, the heart does not easily calm down, and the mind does not easily become numb—so one must read!
Zhang Chengzhi's words yearn for the fleeting days of the grasslands, one after another. It can be said that each of his prose pieces is a day in the grasslands, and the black horse embodies Zhang Chengzhi's grassland emotions. From the grasslands of Inner Mongolia to the mountains and waters of Xinjiang, and to the ethnic group he deeply loves, he expresses his love for the people and the land. Zhang Chengzhi's writing deeply and calmly expresses his focus on the lives and thoughts of the common people. In essence, Zhang Chengzhi is gradually paying attention to the justice and conscience that cannot be expressed within the human heart. In reality, he focuses on every individual, but he uses the symbols of the common people as his medium. Over decades of effort, he has tried to correctly express that the common people are, in fact, the center of our world. Now, what I feel is that there is no center. If there is, it is the conscience that exists in nature, the universe, and the infinite.
The conflict between ideals and reality is a conflict that exacts a price in pain. True singing cannot be on a stage, and words that truly come from the heart cannot be widely shared. Today, everyone knows the lies, and everyone writes and speaks them, using them as masks, while the truth hides in the Gobi Desert. We pass through it, and it seems to have only sand, rocks, and desolation. But when we step off the track and begin to walk at the foot of snow-capped peaks, in the mountains of the Qilian Range, we will easily discover that there are mountains and rivers there, where greenery flows and a life of harmony between heaven and humanity exists. The rich and beautiful civilization has infused strength into my frail body. From the soles of my feet that sink into the mud to the of my inner vision. I know that this knowledge and its norms are not only the sword of profit but also a reliable shield. After wandering in academia for many years, I have finally tasted my love for knowledge and the urgent desire to learn. But gradually, the classroom has long been replaced by the mountains and frontiers; the ranks of classmates and teachers have also been filled with farmers and herdsmen.