Chinese Short Stories 4: Butterfly Lovers, Tragic Love of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, Learn Mandarin Fast & Improv, (Paperback)

The Butterfly Lovers is a very famous Chinese folktale of the tragic love between Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. The Liang Zhu legend and love story include certain real events that have happened in history as they are supported by historical data and cultural relics. Since the Eastern Jin Dynasty (东晋, 317年－420年), the folktale has already been circulated for more than 1,700 years. In Chinese culture, the story is often described as an eternal song of love. In fact, the folk story is one of the four major love stories of ancient Chinese folk (the remaining three are: The White Snake, The Legend of Meng Jiangnv, and The Cowherd and the Weaver). The current book volume, Chinese Short Stories 4, is a Level 1 Chinese reading practice book. It would introduce you to the famous Chinese folk story of the Butterfly Lovers 《梁山伯与祝英台》.

The book has 4 chapters in the following order:

Chapter 1: Yingtai Wanted to Go Out to Study (第一章 英台欲外出求学)

Chapter 2: Cao Tingyi and Jinlan (第二章 草亭义结金兰)

Chapter 3: Three Years of College Life (第三章 三年书院生活)

Chapter 4: Becoming a Butterfly for Love (第四章 为爱幻化成蝶)

The 4th volume in the Selected Chinese Short Story Series (中国短篇小说精选) includes both the Chinese text (simplified characters) and pinyin Romanization. With about over 500 unique Chinese characters, the volume would be suitable for the beginners, lower intermediate and advanced level Chinese language learners (HSK 1-6). Overall, the reading series offers you a variety of elementary level books (Level 1/2/3/4/5/6) to understand China as well as practice Chinese reading fast.