Chinese Traditional -(Illustrated Treasure Edition)

Author: Wu Guozhen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Why does the Chinese nation lack myths and epics? Why do we worship ancestors while distancing ourselves from deities? Was the invention of characters by Cangjie truly historical? Did agriculture play a pivotal role in the transitions between the ancient dynasties of Xia, Shang, and Zhou? How did the shifting tides of political change give rise to the origins of Chinese civilization? What remarkable events occurred during this ancient nation's most distant history? Three hundred precious charts carrying the traces of distant civilizations tell the profound wisdom of a generation of political luminaries. This book is a monumental work in Sinology completed by Wu Guozhen, a prominent political figure of the Republic of China, in his twilight years with immense effort in the United States. Beyond the humor of's A History of the Chinese People and the rigor of's Outlines of Chinese History, Wu's unique historical narrative style makes this book both easy to read and filled with endless fascination. It endeavors to correct the widespread confusion about the origins of Chinese civilization. What remarkable events occurred during this ancient nation's most distant history? In this distinctive book on ancient history, you will find answers that are both comprehensive and shocking! This book is a monumental work in Sinology completed by Wu Guozhen, a prominent political figure of the Republic of China, in his twilight years with immense effort in the United States. Wu's unique perspective as a political scholar in examining history gives the book a distinctive narrative style. Grounded in the profound influence of ancient civilization on traditional China, he presents the social landscape from the Yellow Emperor to the Western Zhou in a vivid, epic narrative with grand scenes, clearly and systematically. With masterful skill, he weaves the independent historical facts of politics, economy, culture, and warfare into a real and organic world of ancient civilization. This book is easy to read and filled with endless fascination, guided by the vast and profound wisdom of a political luminary. As you explore the most distant yet most important period of civilization in the history of the entire nation, you will also gain a deep understanding of the essence of traditional Chinese culture. The Chinese are different in this regard. Although the world acknowledges their nation's longevity, what they have inherited from their ancestors in this regard is too fragmented and scarce, almost bordering on absurdity. Their myths, if they deserve such a name, can only boast of being a few short, scattered stories. In other words, their myths consist of a handful of isolated anecdotes, disjointed and lacking coherence or artistic sense, as if their characters enter from nowhere and exit without explanation. Compared to the famous epics and heroic tales of other nations, these stories resemble unorganized and bizarre tales. "Pangu" and "Chang'e"—posthumously fabricated myths If someone were to ask a Chinese person on the street to tell them about the myths of their own nation, they might recount one or two. They would likely start with the story of Pangu, a figure who lived on Earth and separated heaven and earth. Before Pangu, heaven and earth were fused together, forming a giant, egg-shaped cloud of mist. With his hands, Pangu split this mass into two parts: the lighter part rose to become heaven, while the heavier part sank to become earth. And there you have it, the beginning and the end of the story, whether you believe it or not. There are various accounts of how Pangu separated heaven and earth: some say he used an axe to split them apart, while others propose that he simply relied on his ever-growing body to hold the two parts farther apart. Still, others believe that when Pangu died, his head became mountains, his eyes turned into the sun and moon, his veins and arteries into oceans and rivers, and his skin and hair into plants. However, nothing is said about his origins. Was he created by an unknown force, or did he emerge from the mist itself? It neither explains whether he was married nor who he married, nor how the population multiplied after the Earth was formed. Despite this, some believe that the remains of Pangu are buried on a mountain in southern Guangdong Province in modern China. The second story the Chinese person might tell, though more legendary, is equally disjointed. The great archer Hou Yi received an elixir of immortality from the mysterious goddess Xi Wangmu. Before he could use it, however, his beautiful wife Chang'e swallowed it. In an instant, she flew straight to the moon, leaving her husband in despair and unable to follow. From then on, she lived in the heavens. Chang'e became the eternal virgin in the moon in the eyes of the Chinese, forever retaining her immortal beauty while enduring an unbearable loneliness—a theme perfectly suited for poets to express endless sympathy. These two stories, perhaps, cover the entirety of Chinese mythology. If someone were to assume they originated in ancient times, they would be mistaken. Research has already confirmed that these stories were likely fabricated in much later periods. The story of the girl in the moon