Illustrated Myths & Legends of China is a profusely illustrated collection of 32 carefully chosen tales of Chinese myth and legend.With more than 100 illustrations drawn over two thousand years of all aspects of Chinese art--including painting, pottery and porcelain, jade, bronzes and tomb decoration--Illustrated Myths & Legends of China is a vividly written collection of tales of the universe's emergence from chaos, the creation of the world in which the first Chinese people appeared and a depiction of how the many strands of myth and legend have influenced Chinese culture. An impressive array of heroic figures and rich storytelling are at the center of these tales including: Pangu opening heaven to save the earth from chaos.Nuwa creating man and repairing the vault of heaven.Fuxi fixing the calendar by observing the heavens.Shennong creating agriculture.Cangjie inventing writing thus creating the basis for Chinese culture.Fragments of these myths and legends are found in Chinese paintings, wood artifacts, relief carvings, and lacquer art which are illustrated in this book along with informative text. Anyone interested in Chinese culture, mythology, history or art will find this collection a must-have volume for their bookshelf.


Zhang Dinghao, born in 1976, is a deputy editor of Shanghai Culture. His publications include the collection Now I’ve Seen my Love Again: Poetry and People in the Past.Huang Dehai is a deputy editor of the Sinan Literary Journal and is author of the collection Reading Now is Too Late and other works. He was born in 1977. Xiang Jing was born in 1981 and is also a deputy editor of the Sinan Literary Journal. Her works include the collection Expression in Our Time.