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Handbook of Chinese Mythology (Handbooks of World Mythology)

by Lihui Yang (Author), Deming An (Author), Jessica Anderson Turner

48

Part of: Handbooks of World Mythology (8 books)

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Every year, at the Wa Huang Gong temple in Hebei Province, China, people gather to worship the great mother, Nuwa, the oldest deity in Chinese myth, praising her for bringing them a happy life. It is a vivid demonstration of both the ancient reach and the continuing relevance of mythology in the lives of the Chinese people.
Compiled from ancient and scattered texts and based on groundbreaking new research, Handbook of Chinese Mythology is the most comprehensive English-language work on the subject ever written from an exclusively Chinese perspective. This work focuses on the Han Chinese people but ranges across the full spectrum of ancient and modern China, showing how key myths endured and evolved over time. A quick reference section covers all major deities, spirits, and demigods, as well as important places (Kunlun Mountain), mythical animals and plants (the crow with three feet; Fusang tree), and related items (Xirang-a kind of mythical soil; Bu Si Yao-mythical medicine for long life). No other work captures so well what Chinese mythology means to the people who lived and continue to live their lives by it.
With more than 40 illustrations and photographs, fresh translations of primary sources, and insight based on the authors' own field research, Handbook of Chinese Mythology offers an illuminating account of a fascinating corner of the world of myth.

ISBN-10

0195332636
ISBN-13

978-0195332636
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

March 13, 2008
Part of series

Handbooks of World Mythology
Language

English
Dimensions

1.4 x 9.2 x 6.1 inches
Print length

312 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Book Description

An informative introduction to historical and contemporary Chinese myths, detailing myths as they live and change in China today

About the Author

Lihui Yang is Professor of Folklore and Mythology at the College of Chinese Language and Literature at Beijing Normal University. Deming An is Professor and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing. Jessica Anderson Turner is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press (March 13, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195332636
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195332636
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.04 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.4 x 9.2 x 6.1 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,173,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,244 in Religious Studies (Books)
- #2,854 in Folklore & Mythology Studies
- #12,460 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

48 global ratings

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Wesley Aaron welch

Thank you

Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2020

Thank you

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

Arrived very quickly and as promised!

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2012

Verified Purchase

good why would I want to keep writing writing and writing while all I wanted to say is good. strange.

2 people found this helpful

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chaosweb

Lots of good information

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is a more academic type text, rather than a story book. Lots of interesting information, comparisons and contrasts of local variations and traditions of the themes.

2 people found this helpful

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Walter W. Ko

Modern guide to Chinese mythology

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2010

This book is a mine of wealth in Chinese mythology with inputs from ancient texts and Chinese different ethnic groups over the long Chinese history.

It highlights the creation, major deities, spirits and demigods. It showed human in relation to heaven and earth with the universe in the belief in cultural context.

Reading this book will help understand Chinese characters, vision and belief. As they are independently developed, will Christian West look at mysterious East to defeat and convert?

3 people found this helpful

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Patrick O.

it's a great book.

Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2015

Verified Purchase

I thought this was going to be a collection of myths - it is not. It is essentially a dictionary or encyclopedia for chinese myth characters, concepts, places, etc. In terms of that, it's a great book.

5 people found this helpful

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Ash Sin

I thought this would be more a collection of folktales ...

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2017

Verified Purchase

I thought this would be more a collection of folktales, turned out very college textbook type so I returned it

2 people found this helpful

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J. Baley

Are the other reviewers friends with the author?

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2013

I can't think anyone writing "Reading this book will help understand Chinese characters, vision and belief." has actually read the book: there are no Chinese characters in it (actually, in the entire book, there are 2 characters!). This would probably be my first point of criticism: the book boasts being written from a Chinese perspective, and perhaps that means assuming that the uneducated Western reader will have no interest in having a few Chinese characters displayed here and there to accompany the name of mythological figures? Given that some of them are homonyms once written in pinyin, this would have been a good idea, and surely the cost of the extra ink needed wouldn't have been too great, would it?

But that's a minor point. My biggest criticism concerning this book: the paucity of its content: 300 pages, here you go. There is a relatively interesting introduction (though with quite a few paragraphs repeated.. for a narrative it seems a bit strange) for about a quarter of the book, but then comes the "index": the main matter of the book is merely a lexicon/index of mythological entities (deities, half legendary figures, sacred places etc.) with anything from half a page (most of them) to a few pages (for really key items) for each entity. The problem is of course that when two entities A and B are part of the same story, you'll find almost the exact same paragraph in the respective entries for A and B, and that happens all the time. By the time you'll have read half the book, you'll be bored to death, reading the same story about X over and over and over.

This is of course due to the layout of the book, a "handbook". This is a poor choice, for a simple reason: anyone needing a handbook (i.e. a scholarly reference?) on Chinese mythology would need a much bigger work (in fact, would already be able to work on some modern Chinese reference), while the layman would benefit from a more narrative-like presentation (i.e. not as a reference work). It is a bit of a shame, since the author is obviously an expert in the field and there is an obvious need for such a book. Sad it's not been fulfilled.

17 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Lucca Canizela De Camargo

Superb

Reviewed in Brazil on May 22, 2022

Verified Purchase

Very informative book!

Oliver

By the book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2014

Verified Purchase

I really had appreciated the Chinese renderings of the deities etc...otherwise it is as one can expect well researched.
Unfortunately though it is somewhat behind considering the hermetic and its potential when it comes to a critical understanding of practical aspects of myths for the ruling classes, historic development, calibration of mass consciousness, gender, shamanism, gongfu, astrology, metaphysics, ethymology, etc.
A bit boring to put it plainly.
If this is the essence of how chinese scholars look at their own culture? Goodbye original chinese thought.

One person found this helpful

Sven Christensen

OK for initiating on the subject

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

Honestly I'm a bit disappointed. But I think that it's excellent for newcomers on the subject. The best part is chapter four: Print and nonprint resources.

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