Read the legendary Chinese classic that inspired the hit game Black Myth: Wukong! Anthony C. Yu’s translation of The Journey to the West,initially published in 1983, introduced English-speaking audiences to the classic Chinese novel in its entirety for the first time. Written in the sixteenth century, The Journey to the West tells the story of the fourteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Xuanzang, one of China’s most famous religious heroes, and his three supernatural disciples, in search of Buddhist scriptures. Throughout his journey, Xuanzang fights demons who wish to eat him, communes with spirits, and traverses a land riddled with a multitude of obstacles, both real and fantastical. An adventure rich with danger and excitement, this seminal work of the Chinese literary canonis by turns allegory, satire, and fantasy. With over a hundred chapters written in both prose and poetry, The Journey to the West has always been a complicated and difficult text to render in English while preserving the lyricism of its language and the content of its plot. But Yu has successfully taken on the task, and in this new edition he has made his translations even more accurate and accessible. The explanatory notes are updated and augmented, and Yu has added new material to his introduction, based on his original research as well as on the newest literary criticism and scholarship on Chinese religious traditions. He has also modernized the transliterations included in each volume, using the now-standard Hanyu Pinyin romanization system. Perhaps most important, Yu has made changes to the translation itself in order to make it as precise as possible. One of the great works of Chinese literature, The Journey to the West is not only invaluable to scholars of Eastern religion and literature, but, in Yu’s elegant rendering, also a delight for any reader.   Read more

The Art of War is a renowned ancient Chinese military treatise written by Sun Tzu, a military strategist and philosopher. Composed around the fifth century BC, it provides valuable insights into warfare and strategy. The book emphasizes the importance of careful planning, understanding the enemy, exploiting weaknesses, and employing tactics to achieve victory. It covers various aspects of warfare, including tactics, intelligence gathering, leadership, and the importance of adaptability. It continues to be studied and applied in various fields beyond the military, including business and politics.   Insights into strategy and warfare Provides valuable insights into navigating dynamic and unpredictable environments in various domains Delves into the qualities of successful leaders Offers practical advice on how to gain advantages and outmanoeuvre opponents Emphasizes the importance of strategic thinking and planning Read more

''If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.''Consulted by tacticians on and off the battlefield for 2,500 years, this succinct text details all the elements of combat, strategy, and competition.Off the battlefield, people continue to turn to Sun Tzu for instruction on how to thrive in competitive fields like business, law, and sports.Our elegant gift edition features archival-quality paper and printing.Compact volume is designed for both portability and longevity.A classic for the home or office library.Hardcover gift edition with dust jacket.Book measures 4-1/2'' wide x 7-1/2'' high.112 pages. Sun Tzu (544-496 BCE) was a Chinese general, philosopher, and military strategist. He is historically credited with a successful military career that informed the principles he would later illustrate in The Art of War. His strategic proposals have endured, leaving a lasting impact to this day on politics and public life. Read more

Soon to be a Netflix Original Series!“The War of the Worlds for the 21st century… packed with a sense of wonder.” – Wall Street JournalThe New York Times bestselling conclusion to a tour de force near-future adventure trilogy from China's bestselling and beloved science fiction writer.With The Three-Body Problem, English-speaking readers got their first chance to read China's most beloved science fiction author, Cixin Liu. The Three-Body Problem was released to great acclaim including coverage in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and reading list picks by Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg. It was also won the Hugo and Nebula Awards, making it the first translated novel to win a major SF award.Now this epic trilogy concludes with Death's End. Half a century after the Doomsday Battle, the uneasy balance of Dark Forest Deterrence keeps the Trisolaran invaders at bay. Earth enjoys unprecedented prosperity due to the infusion of Trisolaran knowledge. With human science advancing daily and the Trisolarans adopting Earth culture, it seems that the two civilizations will soon be able to co-exist peacefully as equals without the terrible threat of mutually assured annihilation. But the peace has also made humanity complacent.Cheng Xin, an aerospace engineer from the early twenty-first century, awakens from hibernation in this new age. She brings with her knowledge of a long-forgotten program dating from the beginning of the Trisolar Crisis, and her very presence may upset the delicate balance between two worlds. Will humanity reach for the stars or die in its cradle?The Three-Body Problem SeriesThe Three-Body ProblemThe Dark ForestDeath's EndOther BooksBall Lightning Supernova EraTo Hold Up the SkyAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied. Read more

Bestselling historical thriller, Silk Road, paints a captivating story of courage, daring and human frailty onto the grand canvas of the medieval East.The Holy Land, 1260: Josseran Sarrazini is a Templar Knight, trained for war. But as the Christian garrisons in the Holy Land begin to fall to the Saracen, he is sent on a mission of peace. Haunted by the things he has done, he sees it as a way to escape his past.His task is formidable. To forge an alliance with Kublai Khan, ruler of the greatest empire in history and commander of the invincible Mongol horde. To ride the treacherous Silk Road to the edge of the known world. To cheat hunger, thirst and death. And to put his trust in a people who do not believe in his cause or his god.This new world ultimately brings Josseran face to face with a stark choice: keep his Templar oath – or follow the longings of his soul.'Blazing with adventure, epic in scope, and utterly compulsive.' Waterstone’s UK.'A magisterial tale.' Daily Mail UK.'Makes dry history into a real rip-roaring read.' Forum Magazine.'Spectacular historical fiction blazing with romance, intrigue and dramatic action.' Booklist.Experience the Epic Adventure SeriesThrilling journeys through vividly imagined worlds, heart pounding action and unforgettable characters.Multi-bestselling stand-alone tales that can be read in any order.10,000+ five-star reviews.Translated into 25 languages.Part thriller. Part history. All adventure. Read more

The Art of War is a renowned ancient Chinese military treatise written by Sun Tzu, a military strategist and philosopher. Composed around the fifth century BC, it provides valuable insights into warfare and strategy.The book emphasizes the importance of careful planning, understanding the enemy, exploiting weaknesses, and employing tactics to achieve victory. It covers various aspects of warfare, including tactics, intelligence gathering, leadership, and the importance of adaptability. It continues to be studied and applied in various fields beyond the military, including business and politics.Insights into strategy and warfareProvides valuable insights into navigating dynamic and unpredictable environments in various domainsDelves into the qualities of successful leadersOffers practical advice on how to gain advantages and outmanoeuvre opponentsEmphasizes the importance of strategic thinking and planning Read more

The Water Margin is one of the most popular classics of early Chinese literature. It tells the vigorous story of 108 characters who, falling foul of the established state authorities, are forced to become outlaws. They form a bandit community in Liangshan Marsh, becoming such a formidable force in their own right that they threaten the power of government itself.The author, Shi Nain, writing in the 14th century, the time of the Ming Dynasty, presents the tale with all the force and directness of a live story-teller. He describes in some detail the numerous one-to-one combats with a wide variety of weapons, as well as hand to hand fights. Despite written over half a millennium ago, it all seems very familiar to the contemporary listener, for the style lives on in the Chinese martial arts movies of today.He pulls no punches with the events themselves. There is deception, murder, torture, adultery, beheadings and massacre on a grand scale, reflecting the disorderly nature of the time—it is set 200 years earlier in a lawless period during the Northern Song dynasty.But the power of the story lies in the portrayal of the individuals who cover the wide spectrum of human kind. There are the honorable figures, wrongly branded on the face as criminals and forced to wear the heavy cangue—the massive wooden collar, punishing and restricting movement. There are the mighty warriors who, despite good deeds (killing tigers that are terrorizing the neighborhood) are forced to flee established society by powerful but envious officials. There are monks displaying varying degrees of ethical behavior. And there are some who simply love to fight, anywhere, anytime, with any weapons, and find themselves most comfortable in the outlaw milieu.The Water Margin has come down to us in various forms—its huge size attracted abridgements—and the version recorded here is the 70-chapter chronicle by Jin Shengtan, dating from the 17th century. The translation by J. H. Jackson appeared in the 1930s. But it has been recently revised by Edwin Lowe, who wanted to bring back the earthy flavor of the original, reintroducing the strong language, the brutality and the unexpurgated nature of Shi Nain's language.In short, it is a rip-roaring tale, unrelenting in its energy, more akin to the modern thriller than the elegant, reflective character one would expect from a Chinese classic! Nevertheless, it often exhibits the features of the morality tale with wise aphorisms.Jonathan Booth gives a virtuoso presentation with vivid characterization of the principals, and the hundreds of minor individuals who pop up in this detailed account of medieval life in the raw. Read more

"Investiture of the Gods" stands as a monumental piece of Chinese literature, a timeless epic that weaves together history, mythology, and human drama into a tapestry of grand proportions. Authored by Xu Zhonglin during the Ming Dynasty, this sprawling saga transcends its origins, captivating readers across generations and continents with its vivid characters, intricate plotlines, and profound themes.Set against the backdrop of ancient China, "Investiture of the Gods" unfolds in a world where mortals and immortals intertwine, where gods walk among men and destiny weaves its intricate threads through the lives of all. At its heart lies a tale of power, ambition, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. Through its pages, we witness the rise and fall of dynasties, the clash of celestial forces, and the enduring quest for immortality.Xu Zhonglin's masterful storytelling transports us to a realm where myth and history converge, where heroes and villains alike are propelled by the currents of fate. From the cunning strategist Jiang Ziya to the valiant warrior Nezha, each character embodies timeless virtues and flaws, their journeys serving as mirrors to our own human experience.But "Investiture of the Gods" is more than just a gripping narrative; it is a reflection of the cultural heritage and spiritual beliefs that have shaped Chinese civilization for millennia. Through its pages, we glimpse the intricate cosmology of Taoism, the moral teachings of Confucianism, and the rich tapestry of folk legends that have endured through the ages.As we embark on this literary journey, let us immerse ourselves in the rich tapestry of "Investiture of the Gods," where the boundaries between myth and reality blur, and where the echoes of ancient wisdom resonate with timeless truth. In Xu Zhonglin's magnum opus, we find not only a captivating story but also a window into the soul of a civilization—one that continues to inspire and enchant readers around the world. Read more

None

Beijing with You (北京有你) – A Chinese-English Graded Reader for Beginners (New HSK 1)Learn Mandarin through an easy-to-read love story set in Beijing!Lisa thought she had it all planned: study Chinese in Beijing, enjoy the adventure, and stay focused. Romance? Not in the picture. Until a helpful (and handsome) local meets her at the airport and changes everything. From awkward run-ins at language exchanges to misunderstandings that will make you laugh and blush, this sweet, romantic story will keep you turning the pages and learning until the very end.Whether you’re curled up with tea or reviewing vocab on your commute, Beijing with You brings language learning to life through relatable characters, natural dialogue, and emotional moments designed to make Chinese stick.Why You’ll Love This Graded Reader:Designed for New HSK 1 learners (300-character vocabulary level)Simplified Chinese + English translation: Check your understanding in Part 2—read in Chinese first, then confirm your comprehension with the English.Pop-up footnotes with pinyin and definitions for unfamiliar words (in print: footnotes are at the bottom of each page)Downloadable audio to boost listening and pronunciation skillsKey word lists at the end of every chapter for easy reviewProduct Details:Level: HSK 1 (300 characters)Languages: Simplified Chinese & EnglishGenre: Light romance, slice-of-life fictionFormat: Available in paperback and eBookExtras: Downloadable native audio available on our websiteMade by Real Humans, Not AI-Generated: This reader was lovingly crafted by real people. We write, edit, record, and illustrate all of our graded readers. Read more

Read the legendary Chinese classic that inspired the hit game Black Myth: Wukong! Anthony C. Yu’s translation of The Journey to the West,initially published in 1983, introduced English-speaking audiences to the classic Chinese novel in its entirety for the first time. Written in the sixteenth century, The Journey to the West tells the story of the fourteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Xuanzang, one of China’s most famous religious heroes, and his three supernatural disciples, in search of Buddhist scriptures. Throughout his journey, Xuanzang fights demons who wish to eat him, communes with spirits, and traverses a land riddled with a multitude of obstacles, both real and fantastical. An adventure rich with danger and excitement, this seminal work of the Chinese literary canonis by turns allegory, satire, and fantasy. With over a hundred chapters written in both prose and poetry, The Journey to the West has always been a complicated and difficult text to render in English while preserving the lyricism of its language and the content of its plot. But Yu has successfully taken on the task, and in this new edition he has made his translations even more accurate and accessible. The explanatory notes are updated and augmented, and Yu has added new material to his introduction, based on his original research as well as on the newest literary criticism and scholarship on Chinese religious traditions. He has also modernized the transliterations included in each volume, using the now-standard Hanyu Pinyin romanization system. Perhaps most important, Yu has made changes to the translation itself in order to make it as precise as possible. One of the great works of Chinese literature, The Journey to the West is not only invaluable to scholars of Eastern religion and literature, but, in Yu’s elegant rendering, also a delight for any reader.   Read more

None

Fact: If you learn the first 100 Chinese characters in this book, you'll be able to recognize more than 50% of all commonly printed Chinese text! But if you learn all 1,000 characters, you'll be able to recognize over 95% of all printed Chinese text.Features: Chinese characters are printed in black & white on one page and then again in tone colors on the next facing page, along with the Pinyin and a very brief English definition for each character.Test yourself by flipping from the black & white page to the color page, memorizing each character’s tone color and it’s Pinyin name. Eventually, by recalling the character’s color, you’ll be able to automatically know it’s correct tone.It’s very easy to remember which color represents each tone:1.RED -> High Alert (High tone)2.ORANGE -> Rising Sun (Rising tone)3.GREEN -> Green Valley (Down/Up)4.BLUE -> Deep Blue Sea (Down)5.BLACK -> Neutral (Neutral Tone)1000 Chinese characters are presented in the order of the most frequently used to the least frequently used. First, try just memorizing the characters before worrying about their English definition(s). Later, after learning to recognize the character, it’s tone color and it’s Pinyin name, you can then start to add the various English definitions.Again… by memorizing the tone colors, you’ll find that when you read regular Chinese (black text), you’ll easily be able to recall (visualize) the tone color of each character, hence know it’s correct tone.The book is interleaved with blank pages so that the printed pages are all facing the same way up, allowing you to conveniently flip “in-situ” between plain black characters and color/pinyin. (The blank pages can be used for your study notes.)The English definitions are very short and of course there are many other definitions for the same word that cannot be shown. This book is definitely not a dictionary! It’s simply a wonderful visual aid for efficiently memorizing the most common Chinese characters and their correct tones. Read more

The Hsu-Tang Library presents authoritative and eminently readable translations of classical Chinese literature, in bilingual editions, ranging across three millennia and the entire Sinitic world.Master Incapable (Wunengzi) is an important but relatively little-known Daoist work written in 887, as the Tang dynasty (618-907) was breathing its last. The unknown author, a former government official now living as a recluse, witnesses internecine warfare, widespread poverty, and rampant social injustice, and attempts to explain why humanity seems to be plunging into a state of utter chaos. The nucleus of Master Incapable's analysis is his view of the separation of humanity from the natural world, caused by an abnormal growth of the intellect. His critique is as radical as that in the so-called "primitivist" chapters of the Daoist classic Zhuangzi, in which civilization is considered a disease spread by an intellectual and societal elite, "those who are called sages." The way out of mankind's predicament, he argues, consists in deconstructing conventional wisdom, and in ridding oneself of desire and intentionality, thereby finding one's way back to naturalness and effortless action.Fiercely egalitarian in tone, Master Incapable also criticizes superstition, offers a coherent philosophy of reclusion, and holds highly original views on life and death, and language and intellect in the animal world. As a work of literature, it combines forcefully argued discussions and alternative interpretations on well-known historical episodes with glimpses into the private life of the philosopher, his family members and entourage. This fully annotated translation, the first in English, also includes an introduction to help explain the unique position the work occupies in the history of Daoism. Read more

None

None

In ancient China, history, vengeance, and murder collide for a female sleuth.At thirteen, investigative prodigy Huang Zixia had already proved herself by aiding her father in solving confounding crimes. At seventeen, she’s on the run, accused of murdering her family to escape an arranged marriage. Driven by a single-minded pursuit, she must use her skills to unmask the real killer…and clear her name.But when Huang Zixia seeks the help of Li Shubai, the Prince of Kui, her life and freedom are bargained: agree to go undercover as his eunuch to stop a serial killer and to undo a curse that threatens to destroy the Prince’s life.Huang Zixia’s skills are soon tested when Li Shubai’s betrothed vanishes. With a distinctively exquisite golden hairpin as her only clue, Huang Zixia investigates—and discovers that she isn’t the only one in the guarded kingdom with a dangerous secret. Read more

So, you’ve decided to learn Chinese. Now what?One of the toughest languages to learn, it’s never been easy to find reading material in Chinese… However, we’ve created a book that will change all of that.Language learning isn’t just about lessons or practice – it’s about consistency. You may have found the best teacher in town or the most incredible learning app around, but if you don’t put all of that knowledge to practice, you’ll soon forget everything you’ve obtained. This is why being engaged with interesting reading material can be so essential for somebody wishing to learn a new language.Therefore, in this book we have compiled 20 easy-to-read, compelling and fun stories that will allow you to expand your vocabulary and give you the tools to improve your grasp of the wonderful Chinese (Mandarin) tongue.How Chinese Short Stories For Beginners works:Each chapter possesses a funny, interesting and/or thought-provoking story based on real-life situations, allowing you to learn a bit more about the Chinese culture.Having trouble understanding Chinese characters? No problem – apart from the English translation below each paragraph, we’ve also provided you with the Pinyin romanization of the Chinese language, so that you never have trouble reading Chinese again!The summaries follow a synopsis in Chinese and in English of what you just read, both to review the lesson and for you to see if you understood what the tale was about. Use them if you’re having trouble.At the end of those summaries, you’ll be provided with a list of the most relevant vocabulary involved in the lesson, as well as slang and sayings that you may not have understood at first glance! Again, Pinyin romanization is included to make things super easy for you!Finally, you’ll be provided with a set of tricky questions in Chinese, allowing you the chance to prove that you learned something in the story. Whether it’s true or false, or if you’re doing the single answer questions, don’t worry if you don’t know the answer to any — we will provide them immediately after, but no cheating!We want you to feel comfortable while learning the tongue; after all, no language should be a barrier for you to travel around the world and expand your social circles!So look no further! Pick up your copy of Chinese Short Stories for Beginners and level up your Chinese, right now! Read more

This book contains the full text of the first three stories in our best-selling Journey to the West series for people learning to read Chinese. The three stories told here – The Rise of the Monkey King, Trouble in Heaven, and The Immortal Peaches – are unchanged from our original versions except for minor editing and reformatting.These three stories all focus on the adventures of Sun Wukong, the Handsome Monkey King, one of the most famous characters in Chinese literature and culture. His legendary bravery, his foolish mistakes, his sharp-tongued commentary and his yearning for immortality and spiritual knowledge have inspired hundreds of books, television shows, graphic novels, video games and films.The full story of Sun Wukong’s adventures is told in the original Journey to the West, an epic 2,000 page novel written in the 16th Century by Wu Cheng’en. Journey to the West is probably the most famous and best-loved novel in China and is considered one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature.These stories are written, as much as possible, using the 600-word vocabulary of HSK3. They are presented in Simplified Chinese characters and pinyin, and include an English version and complete glossary. Free audiobooks are available on YouTube’s Imagin8 Press channel, and on our website, www.imagin8press.com.=======================================A GUIDE TO DIFFERENT FORMATS=======================================This easy-to-read retelling of The Journey to the West is available in several different formats, depending on what you’re looking for. They are listed below. To find these on Amazon, use the Amazon search bar to search for the ISBN or ASIN listed after each one. You can also visit www.imagin8press.com to find the Amazon.com links for all the books listed here.In English onlyPaperback ISBN: 978-1959043379 (original edition)Paperback ISBN: 978-1959043546 (same as above, but with a more colorful cover)Kindle ASIN: B0C7PMZT28 and B0DGV55C6XIn Simplified Chinese onlyPaperback ISBN: 978-1959043102Audiobook ASIN: B0BRTC13WQIn Simplified Chinese, pinyin and EnglishOversized hardcover ISBN: 978-1959043638Kindle ASIN: B0BMTPLD4PA series of 31 individual books in Simplified Chinese, pinyin and EnglishPaperback and kindle: www.amazon.com/dp/B08JCQ44YGA series of 31 individual books in Traditional Chinese, pinyin and EnglishPaperback and kindle: www.amazon.com/dp/B08MVC57VZA series of 11 compilations in Simplified Chinese, pinyin and Englisheach compilation contains 2 or 3 individual booksPaperback: www.amazon.com/dp/B08JCQ44YG, scroll to the bottom and click "show all" Read more