The perception of Hong Kong as materially successful and culturally marginal is a common one. The city, sheltered from the Chinese political tsunamis, has in fact developed a distinctive character that is reflected in her literary scene. It has been a safe haven for writers on the run, a cradle for genres unwelcome to the Beijing government, a battleground between 'Left' and 'Right', and a confluence of East and West, popular and high-brow. Works collected in this anthology, spanning three quarters of a century, show how local literature engaged with the dominant discourses of Chinese culture while exploring the pains and possibilities of a fast-developing metropolis. Taken in total, they reveal the emergence of the 'Hong Kong identity'.

The song lyric (ci), which began as a form of minor divertissement in the urban pleasure quarters of eighth and ninth century China, evolved into a major, and then dominant, poetic form over the four centuries that followed. Though most of the original tunes are now lost, the lyric remains unrivalled among Chinese literary genres for musicality and sheer evocative power. It was also, until modern times, the preferred vehicle for the expression of romantic love.

This anthology of seventy-four representative essays from the 3^rd century to the late 20^th century is the first of its kind in a Western language. The translations are prefaced by an informative historical survey as well as commentaries on each author. It offers readers a unique opportunity to sample the best from a genre central to the Chinese literary tradition.

The second half of the 19th century saw the emergence of a new consciousness in Chinese society. Questions concerning China's position in the world and her relationship with Western powers were the subject of nationwide debate. Here the author Li Boyuan (1861-1906), a journalist and editor, combines the traditional form of the Chinese novel with the new thinking which characterized China's transformation. The issues which are at the heart of Modern Times are still of great relevance to China's current debates on globalization.

Sima Qian (145?-90? BC) is the first major Chinese historian. His Records of the Grand Historian chronicles the history of China and much of the adjacent world from the remote past to his own time. These three volumes contain a new translation of the history of the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC) and a revised version of the Han dynasty (from 206 up to c. 90 BC) portion of the Records. Western readers will value this book not only for its historical importance, but perhaps even more for Sima Qian's warm interest in people.

From the Tang dynasty to the present day, for over 1,200 years, classical poetry in the form of regulated verse has been arguably the most popular literary art form in China. Its long tradition has been kept alive by the innumerable prolific masters of the genre, and appreciated by the widest possible audience from the highly educated to the man in the street. Lines and phrases from well-known poems have found their way into the langue of the common people. This volume contains the works of leading poets through the ages, complemented by scholarly explications of the art of Chinese poetry.

The early 1980s saw a new lease of life in the literary circle in mainland China as well as a corresponding increase in literary creativity in Taiwan and Hong Kong. This book is a landmark publication which captures the spirit of innovation in the work of young writers from all three places.

The twenty-five T'ang-dynasty poets included in this index were active from the 7^th to the 9^th century which marked the zenith of China's classical poetic tradition. They were the most influential poets of their time, and also the most widely translated into English.

Major works of popular Chinese fiction from the mid-Ch'ing to the early Republican eras (late 19th century to early 20th century), as well as critical studies of such works. Among the translators for this anthology are leading Sinologists and the novelist Eileen Chang.

China boasts of the world's oldest continuous historical records, and the study of history has always been one of the most respected fields in her scholarly tradition. One of the best ways to understand Chinese culture is therefore through a study of Chinese views on and approaches to history. The twelve articles collected in this anthology are the work of leading Chinese and Western specialists. They write to illuminate the various aspects of Chinese history and historiography, and in that process, throw light on China's multi-faceted cultural heritage.

A collection of sixty lyrical poems written by a leading Song-dynasty poet Fan Ch'eng-ta (1126-1193) and translated by the English poet and novelist Gerald Bullett. The verse translations are complemented by an introduction to the translation approach. This is a bilingual edition, with the original Chinese texts written in elegant calligraphy, and amply illustrated with Chinese landscape paintings. This book won the AAUP Design Award in 1982.

'Tz'u' [Ci] means 'song words' in Chinese. The genre originated as lyrics written to music, sung and enjoyed by the common people. Its popular appeal continued after its adoption by the literati. Tz'u poetry reached its peak in the Song dynasty (AD 10th to 12th century) and still stands as one of the major achievements of China's poetic tradition.

The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) wrecked the lives of millions of Chinese people; writers and intellectuals were particularly vulnerable. The two writers whose works are represented here both had their lives changed irrevocably in the course of this violent period.

The Tang-Song period (AD 8th to 12th century) is regarded as the golden age of Chinese prose. The eight classical prose masters represented in this anthology were the motivating force of a literary movement which aimed at moral regeneration as well as stylistic restoration. Their success in extending the range of the prose genre and reinvigorating its style made them household names in China's literary tradition.