A not-so-civil war 1947, and the final bloody chapters of the Chinese Civil War unleash a tidal wave of Red across the nation. Qi Jing and his Communist 9th Brigade are given a near-impossible mission: ford the mighty Yellow River and cut a swathe south through the Nationalist-held Dabie mountains, regardless of cost. As the disciplinarian Qi leads his soldiers through wretched conditions, he comes to rely on the enigmatic Wang Keyu to shore up flagging morale through education and propaganda. Amid desolate bluffs and ridges, she proves to be a beacon to the peasant warriors, especially Cao Shui’er, the commander’s bodyguard. As the campaign splinters and the fighting devolves into a hand-to-hand struggle against reluctant countrymen. Cao and an injured Wang find themselves stranded at the entrance to an ethereal network of caves. Can they find their way back through this labyrinth? Or will the walls close in on them?

Mastering Advanced Modern Chinese through the Classics is a textbook to teach those who wish to achieve an advanced or native proficiency and cultural competence in modern Chinese, as well as to experience the beauty of Classical Chinese literature. Collecting representative works containing vibrant views of Chinese culture from different dynasties, this book is focused on how the grammatical patterns, vocabulary, and idioms that are found in Classical Chinese are relevant in the modern adaptation of the language, and how the accumulated traditional values and beliefs found there still shape the thinking and lifestyle of modern society. Online resources including audio, answer keys, and instructor aids will be part of the teaching package.

Mastering Advanced Modern Chinese through the Classics is a textbook to teach those who wish to achieve an advanced or native proficiency and cultural competence in modern Chinese, as well as to experience the beauty of Classical Chinese literature. Collecting representative works containing vibrant views of Chinese culture from different dynasties, this book is focused on how the grammatical patterns, vocabulary, and idioms that are found in Classical Chinese are relevant in the modern adaptation of the language, and how the accumulated traditional values and beliefs found there still shape the thinking and lifestyle of modern society. Online resources including audio, answer keys, and instructor aids will be part of the teaching package.

Proverbs are an important and characteristic feature of Chinese language and culture. There is a Chinese proverb for almost any situation, and judicious use of proverbs is regarded as a sign of good education. Proverbs are often derived from classical stories or historical events, and offer a multi-dimensional resource for learning Chinese. Becoming a Dragon: Forty Chinese Proverbs for Lifelong Learning and Classroom Study, is a bilingual (English-Chinese) collection of proverbs, popular phrases, and two-part allegorical sayings. Each proverb is set out with all the materials needed for self-study and classroom teaching: the story behind the proverb and its source in both English and Chinese, a literal translation, the figurative meaning, English equivalents, a vocabulary list, and examples of how the proverb is used in modern written and spoken Chinese. Illustrations and vocabulary lists are also available online for use in classroom presentations.

Focusing specifically on the stories of the Han Chinese (the largest ethnic group in China, numbering over a billion people), this collection presents more than 50 tales, both well known and obscure—from Monkeys Fishing the Moon and The Butterfly Lovers to Painted Skin and Dragon Princess. These are stories that will enchant listeners of all ages, while providing a glimpse into Chinese traditions and ways of thought. To further enhance cultural understanding, the tales are supplemented with historical and cultural background, notes on storytelling, crafts and games, recipes, proverbs, color photos, a map, a glossary, and more. In the past decades, the doors between China and the West have been flung open. Explosive economic growth and massive increases in travel and immigration have engendered curiosity and interest in this burgeoning nation. Yet modernization has a dark side too, threatening traditional Chinese culture, including stories and storytelling. This new gathering of stories from a variety of sources, captures the fading storytelling traditions of a vast and diverse country. Focusing specifically on the stories of the Han Chinese (the largest ethnic group in China, numbering over a billion people), the collection presents more than 50 tales, both well known and obscure—from Monkeys Fishing the Moon and The Butterfly Lovers to Dragon Princess and Painted Skin. These are stories that will enchant listeners of all ages, while providing a glimpse into Chinese traditions and ways of thought. Tales are organized into seven sections: Animal Tales; Tales of Magic, Love and Romance; Myths, Legends and Immortals; Moral Stories; How Things Came to Be; and Proverbial Tales. To further enhance cultural understanding, the stories are supplemented with historical and cultural background, notes on storytelling and other folk traditions, recipes, proverbs, color photos, a map, a glossary, and more. All grade levels.

This collection of folktales provides readers with an extensive overview of the breadth of Tibetan culture, revealing the character of the region and its people as well as their traditional customs and values. Most Westerners are unlikely to travel to the mountainous region of East Asia and experience the Tibetan people and their culture directly. This book provides a way to experience and learn about this remote nation through carefully selected Tibetan folktales that provide readers with a unique glimpse into Tibet's culture, its people, and the land itself through the window of folklore. Providing a unique resource that can serve both as a storytime aid for educators who work with primary school students and a valuable reference for Eastern folklorists, Tibetan Folktales contains more than 30 traditional Tibetan stories that give readers a taste of the land, people, culture, history, religion, and psyche of this remote country. The tales are gathered from contemporary Tibetan storytellers and translated from written sources to represent the rich oral and written literary tradition of Tibet's culture. In addition, the book supplies tutorials for Tibetan crafts and games, a sample of recipes, and photographs and illustrations that create a multidimensional experience of Tibetan culture. Offers more than 30 folktales-some of which have never before been published in English-that introduce readers to Tibetan cultural traditions and represent a full array of different folktale types Includes nine recipes for Tibetan dishes specifying alternative ingredients that can be substituted for hard-to-find original ingredients Supplies craft and game instructions that will enliven a grade school classroom and entertain young audiences as they learn about Tibetan culture and folklore Includes color images that enable readers to better appreciate the richness of Tibetan culture