Hedion — This Book Saved Peking University: This Book Saved Peking University

Author: Zhang Nanzhuang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Since the publication of Qing Qian Jia, over two hundred years have seen conflicting opinions and mixed reviews. In the 1930s, when Peking University was on the brink of closure, Liu Banong published this book as a means of salvation. He even wrote in a: "Whether you are the emperor or the father of emperors, a turtle's lice, the author only regards you as nothing worth of a ghostly creature." This sparked a literary battle, with Chen Yuan attacking him as "a university professor who has sunk to this level." Lu Xun furiously wrote: "Even if I am the epitome of the upper class, I cannot oppose him in publishing this book." He also highly praised the book, calling it "discussing ghosts as if discussing the human world, using new allusions just like classical ones." People love to ask the source of unreliable rumors in the world, meaning that even in broad daylight, they speak of ghosts. The reason is that "He Tien," a book by Qing Qian Jia era Shanghai scholar Zhang Nanzhuang, features a series of two-legged walking animals, none of whom belong to humanity. The book speaks of ghosts, does ghostly things, eats ghostly food, watches ghostly plays, carries ghostly fetuses, and serves as ghostly officials. The new edition of "He Tien" is a masterpiece with commentary and illustrations for the new century. Ye Mang guides readers through the ghostly realm, laughing at the mortal world, with every sentence humorous and every word piercing. It can make the Chinese people laugh and weep at the same time.