恭喜发财 (Gōngxǐ fācái) or Happy Lunar New Year!
To honour this particular new year of the horse, the Online Library is sharing the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature from within our collections:
Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin
Also, known as "the Story of the Stone" is still a highly demanded "must read" for anyone, wanting to understand the culture and history that still binds the communal unconscious of all descendants of Qin people. This 18th century masterpiece manages to tell the history of China's aristocracy following one family with sweet vignettes of romance, Taoist philosophy, threading Buddhist religion throughout a very personal (very delicate and occasionally heart wrenching autobiographical tale by the author).
Romance of the Three Kingdoms attributed to Luo Guangzhong
If you've ever been pulled into those Chinese Historical Dramas on television, this book is for you. Steeped in legendary heroes, villains, plot twists and epic battle scenes, Guangzhong's novel leads a blazing trail spanning the Han dynasty with fury and fire.
Water Margin by Shi Naian
No one knows when or by whom this classic was originally written. However, it is a revolutionary work in that it initiated writing in the vernacular (or local dialect and language) and is credited with being the backbone of many Asian literary establishments, and is a significant antecedent to much of Japanese literature. "Water Margin" consists of 108 characters many of whom are still cultural icons spanning the Sino-diaspora including the flowery monk, Lu Szichen and the legendary folk hero, Wu Song.
Journey to the West by Wu Chengen
Many readers might already know this work as "Monkey" or "Tale of the Monkey King", as it has been retold in a tv series, a cartoon and even a graphic novel. The original book, one of these four columns of Chinese Culture is available inside of the Online Library and continues to inspire globally with it's wisdom and adventures.
恭喜发财
Is there an important heritage text you feel would add value to our Asian and South East Asian collections, please feel free to suggest it by contacting us below.
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