Binnu - The Legend of Meng Jiangnu Weeping Over the Great Wall

Author: Su Tong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: "Retelling Myths" was initiated by the British Cannongate Publishing Company and is the first global cross-border publishing collaboration involving renowned publishers from over thirty countries and regions, including the UK, US, China, France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. European media have called it "a miracle in the international publishing world." So far, the series has included authors such as Nobel Prize and Booker Prize winners, as well as best-selling writers like Kenzaburō ōe, Margaret Atwood, Chinua Achebe, José Saramago, Toni Morrison, Umberto Eco, and the Chinese writer Su Tong. Chongqing Publishing House is the only participating institution in mainland China for the "Retelling Myths" project. Binnu—The Legend of Meng Jiangnu is the "Retelling Myths—China Series" written by the renowned Chinese author Su Tong. Additionally, the famous Chinese writers Li Rui and Ye Zhaoyan have also joined the writing of "Retelling Myths," each interpreting different ancient Chinese myths.
In ancient Chinese legends, Meng Jiangnu was a remarkable woman who remained steadfastly loyal to her love and walked thousands of miles to deliver warm clothing to her husband. At that time, the emperor had conscripted all young and strong men to build the Great Wall to prevent foreign invasions. Knowing that the northern winters were harsh, Meng Jiangnu resolved to send her husband winter clothes for warmth. Upon learning that her husband had been buried beneath the Great Wall and that she had never seen him again, she wailed so heartbreakingly that the sky darkened and the earth trembled, causing the Great Wall to collapse.
In Binnu, Su Tong takes us back to ancient times, using his rich imagination to recreate dazzling and heart-stirring scenes—practicing nine different ways of crying for survival, holding a funeral for herself before delivering the warm clothing, dressing as a witch to scare away mischievous children, being paraded as an assassin in the streets, and joining a multitude of frogs in their journey to the Great Wall. In the novel, Binnu’s resilience and loyalty repel the worldly conspiracies and the ugliness of human nature. This lowly woman, crushed by power, creates a mythic legend through her devotion and kindness in the turbulent times.