He goes to Hell, where Lord Yama, king of the underworld, has Ximen Nao tortured endlessly, trying to make him admit his guilt, to no avail. Finally, in disgust, Lord Yama allows Ximen Nao to return to earth, to his own farm, where he is reborn not as a human but first as a donkey, then an ox, pig, dog, monkey, and finally the big-headed boy Lan Qiansui. Through the earthy and hugely entertaining perspectives of these animals, Ximen Nao narrates fifty years of modern Chinese history, ending on the eve of the new millennium. Here is an absolutely spellbinding tale that reveals the author's love of the land, beset by so many ills, traditional and modern.

    The hundred poems featured in this book- carefully selected by translator and literature scholar, Qiu Xiaolong-represent the most famous and poignant of these poems. The Tang Dynasty poets were known for their distinctive personal styles and their rich and textured poems, while the Song Dynasty poets were known for their lyricism and depictions of town life.

    

    The legendary figure comes back! He continues to solve baffling cases in 7th century China, but at a faster pace.Tales of Judge Dee is Zhu Xiao Di's debut in fiction. His other books include: Thirty Years in a Red House, a Memoir of Childhood and Youth in Communist China (University of Massachusetts Press, 1998, paperback from the same press, 1999, new edition by Penguin Books India, 2000) and Father: Famous Writers Celebrate the Bond between Father and Child(Pocket Books, 2000, contributing along with John Updike, Annie Proulx, Dean Koontz, Calvin Trillin, and others.)Boston Globe calls his memoir 'a splendid lesson in 20th-century Chinese history," and Library Journal says it is 'engrossing and engaging.

    

    The ending of the screenplay was deliberately taken out and given to the writer to create the book. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books, Inc.