A Different World Volume 1: Understanding China Through 40 Ancient Chinese Stories

In China more than 400 years ago, stories which had been told by minstrels in tea houses for hundreds of years were set down in prose for the first time by some of the most talented writers in Chinese history. Feng Menglong was one these great Chinese writers. Starting in 1620, Menglong published a set of three books, each one containing forty stories which he either collected or invented himself.

This book retells all 40 stories from Feng Menglong’s first collection and explains many aspects of Chinese culture and history which Menglong assumed his readers already understood. Each story has newly done illustration which captures some important element of the story.

Understanding Chinese culture has never been more important than it is today. This book is both entertaining, and informative.