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A Moment in Peking (Traditional Chinese: 京華煙雲, Simplified Chinese: 京华烟云, Hanyu Pinyin: jīng huá yān yún) is a historical novel originally written in English by the Chinese American author Lin Yutang. The novel covers the turbulent events in China from 1900 to 1938, including the Boxer Rebellion, the Republican Revolution of 1911, the Warlord Era, the rise of nationalism and communism, and the origins of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945. Lin Yutang, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1939 Lin Yutang (林語堂, October 10, 1895 – March 26, 1976) was a Chinese writer whose original works and translations of classic Chinese texts became very popular in the West. ...
The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...
A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the author. ...
There have been several well-known people called John Day: John Day (Old Testament scholar), D.D., Professor of Old Testament Studies in the University of Oxford, Fellow, Tutor in Theology, and Dean of Degrees, Lady Margaret Hall John Day (fl. ...
A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) book is bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth or heavy paper) and a stitched spine. ...
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Traditional Chinese characters are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ...
Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiǎntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiǎnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ...
Pinyin (拼音, Pīnyīn) literally means join (together) sounds (a less literal translation being phoneticize, spell or transcription) in Chinese and usually refers to Hànyǔ Pīnyīn (汉语拼音, literal meaning: Han language pinyin), which is a system of...
A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the author. ...
The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...
A Chinese American is an American who is of ethnic Chinese descent. ...
Lin Yutang, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1939 Lin Yutang (林語堂, October 10, 1895 – March 26, 1976) was a Chinese writer whose original works and translations of classic Chinese texts became very popular in the West. ...
Combatants Eight-Nation Alliance (ordered by contribution): Japan Russia United Kingdom France United States Germany Italy Austria-Hungary Righteous Harmony Society Qing China Commanders Edward Seymour Alfred Gaselee Ci Xi Strength 20,000 initially 49,000 total Over 100,000 Casualties 230 foreigners, thousands of civilians Unknown This article is...
Combatants Qing Dynasty Chinese Revolutionary Party Commanders Wang Shizhen, Feng Guozhang, Yuan Shikai and local Qing governors. ...
The Warlord era represents the period in the history of the Republic of China from 1916 to the mid-1930s when the country was divided by various military cliques, and this division continued until the fall of the nationalist government in mainland China in many regions, such as in Sichuan...
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a major invasion of eastern China by Japan preceding and during World War II. It ended with the surrender of Japan in 1945. ...
The author tries not to be overly judgmental of the characters because he recognizes that too many issues were involved in the chaotic years of the early twentieth century China. There are no absolutely right or wrong characters. Each character held a piece of truth and reality and a piece of irrationality. In the preface, Lin writes that "[This novel] is merely a story of... how certain habits of living and ways of thinking are formed and how, above all, [men and women] adjust themselves to the circumstances in this earthly life where men strive but gods rule."
While the author does not display hatred toward the Japanese, he does let events and situations affecting the novel characters to let the reader clearly see the reason the Chinese are still bitter about Japan's military past. The novel ends with a cliffhanger, letting the readers hope that the major characters who fled from the coastal regions to the inland of China would survive the horrible war.
Lin wrote the book English for a U.S. audience. He originally wanted the poet Yu Dafu to do the Chinese translation, but he had only completed the first section when he was killed by the Japanese in World War II. Lin didn't particularly like the first Chinese translation done in 1941. Yu Ta-fu, pinyin Yu Dafu was a 1920s Chinese short story writer. ...
In 1977 Zhang Zhenyu, a translator from Taiwan, create what is the most popular translation today. It was not available in mainland China until a publisher in Jilin issued a sanitized version in 1987. The current political climate permits Shaanxi Normal University Press to publish the full translation. Lin's son Yu Fei finished his own translation in 1991, but his version is not widely read. (Chinese: ; Pinyin: JÃlÃn; Wade-Giles: Chi-lin; Postal System Pinyin: Kirin; Manchu: Girin ula), is a province of the Peoples Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. ...
Lin Yutang was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature for this book in 1975. Nobel Prize in Literature medal. ...
Main Characters Many characters in Moment in Peking are from three wealthy families: Yao, Tseng (Zeng), and New (Niu). However, there are additional characters not from these families that play an integral part in the story, such as Lifu. Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. The protagonist of this story, Mulan was from the wealthy Yao family. However, during the Boxer Rebellion, she was kidnapped by bandits and rescued by the Tseng family, who thereafter became close friends of the Yaos. Mulan was lively, intelligent, and generous, as well as extremely responsible. Her father always encouraged her interests. Further, Mulan was extremely interested in "bone characters," or studying ancient Chinese characters written on bones, and singing Chinese opera. Her intelligence, along with her kindhearted nature, caught the interest of a young man named Kung Lifu. Though Mulan had the same sensation with Lifu, she married Sunya, and their marriage were mainly harmonious, and had three children together(The first daughter, Aman died in the student revolution). 19th century Chinese opera Chinese opera costumes Chinese opera is a popular form of drama in China. ...
Mulan's husband, Tseng Sunya, who was called "fatty" by Mulan. As the youngest son of his family, Sunya was arguably the least responsible one, but had the "round character". He began to like Mulan when they were children. When Sunya noticed Mulan's sensation with Lifu, he began to be cold with her. When they moved to Hangzhou in their middle age, Sunya fell in love with a young college art student Cao Lihua, but Mulan won him back by her intelligence. - Kung, Lifu (Kong Lifu) (孔立夫)
A scholar and Yao Mochou's husband. He originally fell in love with Mulan, but he married Mochou. Yao Mulan's sister, also very clever, but to be different from Mulan, she was very calm and quiet. - Yao Sze-an (Yao Si'an) (姚思安),
He was a playboy when he was young. But he became a great Taoist later. He influenced Lifu very much. A traditional Chinese woman. She loved her oldest son, Tijian, best. She opposed Tijian and Silverscreen's love, and caused their death. She was sad and very unhealthy in her later life. She was the concubine or maid at the Tseng household. She had two daughters Ailian and Lilian, who became modern ladies and married doctors. He was a typical old Manchuria officer, incorrigible and fossil. He hated everything about foreign countries. The leader of the Tseng family. She held the family together, and she liked Mulan and Mania, but hated Suyun. Her parents thought Jinya was a man who had the right characters to be a successful officer. So Suyun married Jinya. During their marriage, she bossed him and ordered him around like a busboy. Suyun later became a friend of Inging who was her second brother's concubine, a singsong girl. She divorced from Jinya, and became a officer's concubine and a drug dealer. She was controlled by Japanese, and be called "White floor queen". When she was old, finally she recognized her mistake. She was killed by Japanese. Married to the Tsengs' eldest son, Pingya. She became a widow the day after her wedding, and be killed by Japanese during the war. The second son of the New family. He left his wife and four children, and married a singsong girl Inging. He became a betrayer of his country, and nearly be killed by his oldest son. The second son of the Tseng family. He loved Mania very much. But, he died the day after his wedding. She was kidnapped when she was a kid, and met Mulan. When Mulan was saved by Mr. Tseng, Dimfragrance was sold to other family. She became a nurserymaid of Mulan's child some years later. She finally found her family, and became Jinya's second wife, and their life was happy. A young art student. She met Sunya in Hangzhou, and fell in love with him. Sunya lied to her that his wife was an old and stupid country woman. When she met Mulan, she was surprised, and became a friend of Mulan. She finally married another man. Mulan's older brother. He was a typical foppish man. His father sent him to England to study, but he spent all of the money in Hongkong. He fell in love with his servant girl Silverscreen, and had a son with her. Their love was against by his mother. After Silverscreen's suicide, he died in an accident. Mulan's younger brother. He was taught well by his father A manchuria princess. Her family once owned the garden which became Yao's later. Her family believed that there were much treasure berried in the garden, and sent her to Yao family to work as a servant girl to find the treasure. She married Afei after Redjade's death. Aisin Gioro (Chinese: 愛新覺羅; pinyin: ixīn j o1) was the family name of the Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty. ...
Mulan, Mochou, and Afei's cousin. She madly loved Afei, and admired Lin Daiyu from the classic Red Chamber Dreams (Hong Lou Meng). Love was her life. She would rather commit suicide than lead a life without love of Afei. Once, she misunderstood that Afei didn't love her, she drown herself.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations The novel has been adapted twice into a television drama, including the most recent version in 2005, starring Zhao Wei. | English name = Vicki Zhao | Chinese name = Zhao Wei | birth_date = 12 March 1976 | birth_place = Wuhu; Anhui, PRC | Height = 166 cm | Weight = 48 kg | Blood Type = O | Starsign = Pisces | occupation = Actress, C-pop singer | Family = Parents, older brother }} Zhao Wei (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhà o Wēi; born 12 March...
References 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ...
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