University of Washington Press Meng Jiangnu Brings Down the Great Wall

Meng Jiangn Brings Down the Great Wall brings together ten versions of a popular Chinese legend that has intrigued readers and listeners for hundreds of years. Elements of the story date back to the early centuries B.C.E. and are an intrinsic part of Chinese literary history, major themes and subtle nuances of which are illuminated here by Wilt L. Idema's new translations and pairings. The tale concerns a young woman whose husband is killed while working as a laborer on the construction of the Great Wall, and whose tears of grief cause the wall's collapse. Wilt L. Idema is professor of East Asian languages and civilizations at Harvard University.