Haiwang Yuan, The Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales from the Han Chinese

SLIS alumnus Haiwang Yuan (MLS '95) has authored "The Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales from the Han Chinese," published by Libraries Unlimited in May 2006 as a part of their World Folklore Series. He is currently working on a sequel to be published in 2007. The working title is "Princess Peacock and Tales from Other Chinese Peoples." Yuan works at Western Kentucky University Libraries in Bowling Green.

Book Description [Source: Libraries Unlimited Website]
"In the past decades, the doors between China and the West have been flung open. Explosive economic growth and massive increases in travel and immigration have engendered curiosity and interest in this burgeoning nation. Yet modernization has a dark side too, threatening traditional Chinese culture, including stories and storytelling. This new gathering of stories from a variety of sources, captures the fading storytelling traditions of a vast and diverse country. Focusing specifically on the stories of the Han Chinese (the largest ethnic group in China, numbering over a billion people), the collection presents more than 50 tales, both well known and obscure--from "Monkeys Fishing the Moon" and "The Butterfly Lovers" to "Dragon Princess" and "Painted Skin." These are stories that will enchant listeners of all ages, while providing a glimpse into Chinese traditions and ways of thought. Tales are organized into seven sections: Animal Tales; Tales of Magic, Love and Romance; Myths, Legends and Immortals; Moral Stories; How Things Came to Be; and Proverbial Tales. To further enhance cultural understanding, the stories are supplemented with historical and cultural background, notes on storytelling and other folk traditions, recipes, proverbs, color photos, a map, a glossary, and more. All grade levels."

Biographical Sketch [Source: Libraries Unlimited Website]
"Haiwang Yuan is Associate Professor, Department of Library Public Services, and Web Site & Virtual Library Coordinator, Western Kentucky University. He is also Adjunct Instructor of Chinese, Department of Modern Languages and Multicultural Studies. A native of China, Mr. Yuan maintains a Web site, a large portion of which is devoted to Chinese traditions and folktales. He has published widely in professional journals, and is a contributor to The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture (2004). He is the recipient of the 1999 Kentucky Libraries Award. "

Posted November 09, 2006