Personal Library -- The Chronicles of the Warring States

Author: (Ming) Feng Menglong (Qing) Cai Yuanfang Revised
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features:▼Complete Content▼Sandalwood Aroma▼Compact and Portable▼Original Illustrations▼Easy to Carry
Dream of the Eastern Zhou States is a long historical novel in the form of chapters, consisting of 108 chapters, and is one of the most widely circulated and influential historical romance novels after Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Eastern Zhou was a legendary era. Over five hundred years of chaos were filled with power struggles, conspiracies, political machinations, and conflicts, which bewildered people and deeply influenced the direction of China's politics, society, and culture for thousands of years. The diverse figures of the Eastern Zhou became the source material for various storytelling, opera, and novels, and Dream of the Eastern Zhou States is rooted in this tradition.
The creation of Dream of the Eastern Zhou States involved the adaptations and revisions of several renowned authors. The Chronicles of the States (a vernacular narrative) compiled by Yu Shaoyu in the mid-Ming Dynasty served as its prototype. Later, the great popular literature master Feng Menglong adapted it into New Chronicles of the States. The Dream of the Eastern Zhou States now in circulation was further revised by Cai Yuanfang (a person from the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty) based on the New Chronicles of the States.
Dream of the Eastern Zhou States vividly reflects the intense subversions and wars of conquest between the feudal states during the long and vast historical period from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period, presenting a comprehensive and splendid portrayal of the extremely complex history of that era. Its cultural influence has extended to the present day, reaching every aspect of our social and cultural life.