Chinese Folktales for Language Learners: Famous Folk Stories in Chinese and English

A collection of 15 classic Chinese folk stories—passed down from generation to generation—presented in both Chinese and English.

Welcome to the fascinating world of Chinese folklore. The fifteen stories in this book address universal concerns such as the origins of humankind, the impact of wars and natural disasters, the great deeds of cultural heroes, the struggle for dignity and justice for the common man, and the yearnings of the human heart.

For readers from around the world, this book is a window to some of the historical and cultural facets of China that remain relevant today. These stories can be enjoyed in English by readers with no knowledge of Chinese, while the bilingual format and vocabulary lists are an added bonus for language students.

Each story is given in parallel Chinese and English versions, and is accompanied by a short essay about its historical context, a vocabulary list, discussion questions, and native speaker audio recordings.

Enjoy fifteen classic Chinese folk tales, including:

“Taming the New Year’s Beast” — How the Lunar New Year festival came about, celebrated after the ferocious monster Nian was frightened off by sparks, explosive noises and the color red when it came hunting for children and animals.

“Two Virtuous Mothers of Ancient China” — The true story of two widowed mothers who raised their sons to become great men. One used gentle persuasion; the other used strict discipline. It is left to the reader to decide which method is the more effective.

“The Chinese Romeo and Juliet” — A classic tale of tragic love, Zhu Yingtai, the beloved daughter of a local official, is disguised as a young male scholar to study in Hangzhou — some distance away from her home. While she was in the academy she met a soulmate, Liang Shanbo, and as they studied together for three years, she developed feelings for him…

“Judge Bao Takes On the Emperor’s Son-in-Law” — The famous Judge Bao decided to right a wrong when the emperor’s son-in-law, Chen Shimei, committed bigamy by pretending to be single in order to become the imperial son-in-law. He even attempted to hide this crime by obliterating his wife and two children, but was thwarted by Judge Bao, who risked his own life and career to carry out justice.