Beijing Legends

These folktales are translated from Beijing Legends, compiled by Jin Shoushen, a Manchu gentleman whose family lived for many generations in Beijing. The folktales - with their genuine Chinese flavour - carry the reader back to the building of Beijing as the Ming-dynasty capital in 1421. Dealing with the city's layout, some of its chief monuments, place names and different legends, the tales give the reader a fascinating glimpse of the life of rulers as well as of ordinary people.