| Tun-Huang Popular Narratives Contributor(s): Mair, Victor H. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0521039835 ISBN-13: 9780521039833 Publisher: Cambridge University Press OUR PRICE: $60.79 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: July 2007 Annotation: Tun-huang Popular Narratives presents authoritative translations of four vernacular Chinese stories, taken from fragmentary texts usually referred to as pien-wen or 'transformation texts'. Dating from the late T'ang (618???907) and Five Dynasties (907???959) periods, the texts were discovered early last century in a cave at Tun-huang, in Chinese Central Asia. However, written down in an early colloquial language by semi-literate individuals and posing formidable philological problems, the texts have not been studied critically before. Nevertheless they represent the only surviving primary evidence of a widespread and flourishing world of popular entertainment during these centuries. The tales deal with both religious (mostly Buddhist) and secular themes, and make exciting and vivid reading. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | Asian - General - Social Science | Folklore & Mythology - Literary Criticism | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
| Dewey: 398.209 |
| Series: Cambridge Studies in Chinese History, Literature and Institu |
| Physical Information: 0.71" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (1.05 lbs) 340 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Asian - Cultural Region - Russia |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Tun-huang Popular Narratives presents authoritative translations of four vernacular Chinese stories, taken from fragmentary texts usually referred to as pien-wen or 'transformation texts'. Dating from the late T'ang (618-907) and Five Dynasties (907-959) periods, the texts were discovered early last century in a cave at Tun-huang, in Chinese Central Asia. However, written down in an early colloquial language by semi-literate individuals and posing formidable philological problems, the texts have not been studied critically before. Nevertheless they represent the only surviving primary evidence of a widespread and flourishing world of popular entertainment during these centuries. The tales deal with both religious (mostly Buddhist) and secular themes, and make exciting and vivid reading. |