When Xiang Xiang's father is falsely executed, she is sold to Peach Blossom Pavilion, a prostitution house, where she is taught the skills of a courtesan while longing to be reunited with her mother.
Behind the doors of the pavilion, a world of sensuality and intrigue awaits ... Xiang Xiang's life as an innocent girl is about to change beyond recognition. Falsely accused of murder, Xiang Xiang's father is executed, and her mother forced into a Buddhist nunnery. Xiang Xiang, alone and friendless at thirteen years old, is tricked into entering the Peach Blossom Pavilion, where she is given the name Bao Lan - Precious Orchid. There she is trained in the fine arts of womanhood, studying music, literature, painting, and more importantly, the art of seduction and pleasuring men; and becomes one of China's most successful courtesans. However, Precious Orchid is determined to avenge her parents and sets out on a journey that includes passion, adventure, danger, fame, and finally, her chance to achieve the justice she has sought so long.
Focusing on two late-Ming or early-Qing plays central to the Chinese canon (Peony Pavilion and Peach Blossom Fan), this study explores crucial questions concerning personal identity.
In this richly imaginative novel, Mingmei Yip--author of Peach Blossom Pavilion and Petals From the Sky--follows one woman's daunting journey along China's fabled Silk Road. As a girl growing up in Hong Kong, Lily Lin was captivated by photographs of the desert--its long, lonely vistas and shifting sand dunes. Now living in New York, Lily is struggling to finish her graduate degree when she receives an astonishing offer. An aunt she never knew existed will pay Lily a huge sum to travel across China's desolate Taklamakan Desert--and carry out a series of tasks along the way. Intrigued, Lily accepts. Her assignments range from the dangerous to the bizarre. Lily must seduce a monk. She must scrape a piece of clay from the famous Terracotta Warriors, and climb the Mountains of Heaven to gather a rare herb. At Xian, her first stop, Lily meets Alex, a young American with whom she forms a powerful connection. And soon, she faces revelations that will redefine her past, her destiny, and the shocking truth behind her aunt's motivations. . . Powerful and eloquent, Song of the Silk Road is a captivating story of self-discovery, resonant with the mysteries of its haunting, exotic landscape.
Ming Neng, entering a retreat to test her karma as a Buddhist nun, becomes trapped between her long-held spiritual quest and forbidden passion when she succumbs to temptation with the young American doctor who saved her life. Original.
Chinese Children's Favorite Stories is a delightful selection of thirteen Chinese folktales as retold by author and illustrator Mingmei Yip. Inspired by her beloved father's nightly story-telling when she was a child, Yip hopes that by retelling some of these thousand-year-old Chinese stories she can pass along Chinese folklore and fables to international readers of all ages. These beautifully illustrated tales give children in other countries a glimpse into the traditions and culture of China, while emphasizing universal lessons about being kind and successfully overcoming obstacles. Readers will encounter many delightful characters--from an angry dragon to a wise cow--in stories such as: The Dream of the Butterfly--A sweet tale about accepting who you are and fully appreciating the world around you Carp Jumping Over the Dragon Gate--A popular story about the rewards of hard work Playing the Qin for the Water Buffalo--A musical tale that highlights empathy and understanding And many more! Recommended for children ages five to ten.
The Peach Blossom Fan is a poetic drama about national cataclysm. More than 300 years ago, the last native Chinese imperial house fell before rebel onslaughts, made a short-lived attempt at restoration in the south, then yielded finally to the invading Manchus. Writing in the 1690s, Kng Shang-jen gathered the recollections of survivors. Out of these and a multitude of documentary accounts, he constructed a great historical play in the elegant Southern Chinese style. With compelling vividness he recreates confrontations between loyalists and those who would sell out to the newest master; nostalgic scenes of dalliance in riverside pavilions, with wine and poetry and beautiful girls; desperate stands on battlements of beleaguered cities; and more. Sir Harold Acton, who collaborated with the late S. H. Chen and Cyril Birch in making this translation, has captured in his lively English the spirit and nuances of the original. Prefatory materials and notes provide both historical and dramaturgical background for the reader full enjoyment of this masterpiece.