stories
嫦娥Chang’e: the woman in the moon
Chang’e’s journey to the moon is a story of transformation and separation, retold in strikingly different ways.
Old stories. New questions.
Meet Mulan before the modern screen, begin Journey to the West, and explore White Snake, Chang’e, and the heavenly lovers. Follow each story into its sources, changing tellings, and questions worth asking.
Not sure what to read next?
Follow a question about the moon, transformation, journeys, or festivals through an editor-curated sequence. Each step explains why it belongs.
stories
十二生肖The zodiac race: how Rat came first
A race across a river turns the order of the twelve zodiac animals into a memorable tale of resourcefulness and surprise.
stories
牛郎织女The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl: across the heavenly river
Two lovers separated by the Milky Way meet once a year. Follow their story into poetry, painting, and the varied traditions of Qixi.
stories
白蛇传The White Snake: a story that keeps changing
A snake spirit becomes a woman and falls in love. Different tellings change how we judge her, the monk who opposes her, and the meaning of the ending.
stories
木兰Mulan before the modern screen
Meet the warrior in the Ballad of Mulan, then see how later writers changed her story. A reading guide to family duty, gender, and adaptation.
stories
西游记Journey to the West: where to begin
A monk, a rebellious monkey, and unlikely companions travel for Buddhist scriptures. Meet the cast and choose between a full translation and an abridgment.
stories
孙悟空Sun Wukong: more than the Monkey King
Meet the unruly pilgrim of Journey to the West, then distinguish his literary story from temple devotion, Chinese opera, and modern adaptations.
stories
后羿Hou Yi and the ten suns: which story are we telling?
Follow the archer who brings an overheated world back into balance, then separate the sun-shooting story from different accounts of Chang’e and the elixir.
stories
女娲Nüwa: mending a broken sky
Read the sky-repair episode in the Huainanzi, distinguish it from the creation of people, and learn what an ancient image can—and cannot—tell us.
stories
梁山伯与祝英台The Butterfly Lovers: friendship, learning, and an impossible marriage
Meet Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, then explore how education, disguised identity, opera, and modern adaptations shape their story.