Chinese Official Secret History

Author: None
Publisher: Beijing Yanshan Publishing
Publishing Date: None
Features: Illustrated, luxurious boxed set, consisting of eight volumes, with a total of 6,000 pages. Treasures of anecdotes, glimpses of life, blending erudition with popular culture, endless entertainment.
A China through the eyes of the discerning for millennia,
A selection of exquisite notes from centuries of compilation.
The secret history of China's court officials,
The spiritual sustenance of ancient emperors,
The finest feast for contemporary people.
The term "Ba Guan" originally referred to a class of officials in the imperial palace who were solely responsible for narrating odd tales and gossips, street talk and anecdotes. They were the emperors' favorite companions. Later, some literati imitated the style of Ba Guan, writing humorous and lively texts similar to modern novels, which were also called Ba Guan. Thus, Ba Guan was also known as folk fiction in ancient times.
The style of Ba Guan varied, some were humorous, some solemn, some elegant, some frivolous, but their content remained similar—all centered on secret histories. Some exposed strange human nature and the myriad aspects of life, while others recounted court secrets and royal anecdotes, filling the gaps left by other forms of writing and catering to people's curiosity. Reading Ba Guan's secret histories offers a fresh perspective, brimming with worldly charm. Emperors, ministers, scholars, and even commoners all adored them and found them endlessly fascinating.
An ancient saying goes that life has three joys. One of them is "reading strange books on a snowy night." What kind of books should one read? Ba Guan's secret histories, of course.