China is rich in literature and the arts.Through the dynasties it is said the Tang dynasty was renown for its poetry, the Song dynasty for its ci (verse) and the Yuan dynasty for its song and drama.
The Ming and Qing dynasties were well-known for long novels.
San Guo Yan Yi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms) by Luo Guanzhong was the first long novel written. This classic novel describes the military and political upheavals of the kingdoms of Wei, Shu and WU during the closing years of the Han Dynasty. It is the best novel and is widely-read including two versions translated to English. The story of the exploits of Liu Bei, Kuan Yu, Zhang Fei ,Zhu K Liang and Tsao Tsao is produced for TV and captured in CDs and DVDs by CCTV. It is shown on many Asian TV channels.
The next popular novel is Shui Hu Quan Zhuan (Water Margin) by a Ming author Shi Naian. It tells of the exploits of 108 men who became good bandits against a corrupt government. It is set during the closing years of the Song dynasty. The story is also produced for TV by CCTV. About four versions of this novel in English are available.
Hong Lou Meng (Dream of the Red Chamber) is a romantic novel by Cao Xuejin. It is about he happenings of a rich and influential family and the romance of a young master who is at odds with not able to marry the one he loves. The ending is tragic.
Jin Ping Mei (Golden Lotus) another classic novel is about a wicked,rich man who is a womanizer and has many concubines and maids. It is written by Xiao Xiaosheng. The original version is pornographic.
Perhaps the most entertaining is Xi You Ji (Journey to the West) by Wu Chengen, a Qing scholar. It is about a Tang Buddhist monk on his journey to the West(India) to bring about the Scriptures. The story is full of action by his three disciples. And this adventurous story is serialized for TV by CCTV as well. Many versions of it in cartoons for TV and video are also available.
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