Chinese culture of the Six Dynasties period (220-589) saw a
blossoming of stories of the fantastic. Zhiguai, "records of the
strange" or "accounts of anomalies," tell of encounters with
otherness, in which inexplicable and uncanny phenomena interrupt
mundane human affairs. They depict deities, ghosts, and monsters;
heaven, the underworld, and the immortal lands; omens,
metamorphoses, and trafficking between humans and supernatural
beings; and legendary figures, strange creatures, and natural
wonders in the human world. Hidden and Visible Realms,
traditionally attributed to Liu Yiqing, is one of the most
significant zhiguai collections, distinguished by its varied
contents, elegant writing style, and fascinating stories. It is
also among the earliest collections heavily influenced by Buddhist
beliefs, values, and concerns. Beyond the traditional zhiguai
narratives, it includes tales of karmic retribution, reincarnation,
and Buddhist ghosts, hell, and magic. In this annotated first
complete English translation, Zhenjun Zhang gives English-speaking
readers a sense of the wealth and wonder of the zhiguai canon.
Hidden and Visible Realms opens a window into the lives, customs,
and religious beliefs and practices of early medieval China and the
cultural history of Chinese Buddhism. In the introduction, Zhang
explains the key themes and textual history of the work.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
