Legend of Mongolia (蒙古往事) is a fictionalized biography of Genghis Khan, the leader who united the fiercely independent tribes known today as the Mongols, thanks to his iron resolve, military savvy, shrewd alliances, and willingness to shed blood. Written mainly in Chinese prose, the book is peppered with original poems by the author, Mongolian words, … Continue reading Synopsis: Ran Ping’s “Legend of Mongolia”
Category: Book Reviews (书评)
Book Review: A New Turkish-Chinese Dictionary
Three things strike you as you hold this weighty tome in your hands: It’s 2,075 pages, there are no Turkic-sounding names listed among the compilers, and it's new. I recall my 2001 bus trip across Turkey from Istanbul at the doorstep of Europe to Diyarbakir in the southeast in search of Kurdistan, a place that … Continue reading Book Review: A New Turkish-Chinese Dictionary
Kim Jong Il, a Chinese Orphan and North Korea’s Nuke Test
What’s the link between Kim Jong Il, a Nanjing orphan, and Korea’s recent nuclear test? The answer to that conundrum lies buried deep within Kim Jong Il’s Godson Yang Bin: From Orphan to Sinuiju SAR Chief, a Chinese book just published in English by Fortune Gate (HK) Ltd. If you’ve never heard of the “Yang … Continue reading Kim Jong Il, a Chinese Orphan and North Korea’s Nuke Test
Altaic Storytelling 