An ancient mirror and a fate, an old monk and a dream. The red thread is returned after a thousand miles and a night, but the legend is nothing more than a ghost story.
What I would like to recommend to young readers today is the new book "Chinese Picture Book of Legends of the Tang Dynasty" by Chinese Publishing House . Thanks to Teacher Lin Lili from the Chinese Language Publishing House for her trust. I am the first publisher other than the publishing house to see the entire book. I learned about the topic of this book in September 2021. I was still very excited at the time. The reason why I pay close attention to this set of books is because classical Chinese novels of the Tang Dynasty occupy a very important position in the history of Chinese literature.
After the Tang Dynasty, whether it is classical Chinese or vernacular novels, or Yuan Zaqu, Kunqu opera, and modern opera, they are all more or less influenced by the legendary novels of the Tang Dynasty in terms of story themes and narrative styles. It can be said that the classical Chinese novels of the Tang Dynasty had a long-lasting and profound influence on the literary creation of later generations.
Among the five stories selected for the first series, two or three are quite well-known in contemporary times. "Nanke Yimeng" in "Nanke Taishou" and "Peach Blossom in the Human Face" in "Cui Hu Zhuan" are two idioms that are well known to women and children. , the Red Thread Girl in "The Legend of Red Thread" is the Tang version of Wonder Woman. Of course, although fewer people know about " Ancient Mirror " and "Dongcheng Old Father", the morals contained in the stories are quite profound.
Today, the nominal " double minus " does not substantially reduce children's academic pressure. Extracurricular literature reading is also based on the need to improve scores for large compositions. So, why do we still recommend to children such ancient novels that have little to do with exams? I think it can be summed up in a nutshell as "the inheritance of cultural confidence and values."
The creation of novels must be inseparable from the author's era, culture, and value background. The legendary novels of the Tang Dynasty can be said to be both a tribute to a prosperous era and a swan song to a troubled era. The authors have pinned their thoughts on the decline of prosperity, the sentimentality of human relationships, and the collision of schools of thought into hundreds or thousands of words. Through these small but beautiful stories, our young readers can understand to the ideological realm of the ancients at a specific period, so as to learn from the past. Maybe today's Chinese exams and history exams don't need these "idles", but in the long chess game of life, these few idle pieces may be an important focus for you as an adult!
Children may be familiar with ancient Chinese legends such as "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl", " Chang'e Flying to the Moon", "The Foolish Old Man Moves the Mountains", "Jingwei Fills the Sea" and "Kuafu Chasing the Sun". However, little is known about the legends of "A Dream in the South Keys", "Peach Blossoms with Human Faces", "Dongcheng Old Father", "The Legend of the Bearded Guest", the ancient mirror, the story of Nie Yinniang, the story of the Red Line Girl...Datang
Tang Chuan Chuan is the first peak of Chinese classical Chinese novels. Mr. Lu Xun commented on Tang Chuan Chuan: It was originally intended to be a novel. It is more complete than mythical stories, with more twists and turns in plot, more three-dimensional characters, and more profound thoughts. Many stories are inextricably linked to contemporary life. Many novels of later generations draw inspiration directly from it. This set of "Legends of the Tang Dynasty" is the first time that classical Chinese has been adapted into a vernacular picture book suitable for children. It not only retains the essence of the legends of the Tang Dynasty, but also comes with exquisite illustrations with a new national style, allowing children to experience the ancient Chinese novels. The wonderful ideas can also improve the aesthetic ability of and .
The 2022 version of the compulsory education Chinese curriculum standards has raised the proportion of learning "Excellent Chinese Traditional Culture" to an unprecedented height. Tang Chuanqi, a hot spot for future learning, must be grasped in advance!
