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A chi è rivolto
You will enjoy this book if you love legends tied to real places, poems woven into stories, clever officials, lively courtesans, laughing monks and ghost tales, or plan to walk around West Lake.
Che cos’è questo libro
Picture a poor young man who cuts firewood in the hills and spends the coins on paper and brushes so he can copy borrowed books. Years later he spits out a mouthful of rice, and it becomes a swarm of bees that stings a joking guest. Who is he, and why does a ridge beside West Lake carry his surname?
Tales of the West Lake, credited to Mo Langzi, gathers sixteen legends, each tied to a spot on the shore of Hangzhou's lake. You meet governors, poets, generals, hermits, courtesans, monks, lovers and spirits, and the lake becomes a map of memory. Let us begin with Ge Hong, the scholar who leaves bandits and office behind.
In questo riassunto
- 1Poverty and learning shape a scholar into an alchemistFree
- 2On the ridge, an old teacher unlocks the true seed
- 3A governor's public works become the lake's beauty
- 4Su Dongpo mixes wit, mercy and engineering at the lake
- 5A hermit finds wealth in plum trees and cranes
- 6Su Xiaoxiao chooses a free life as a courtesan
- 7Two loyal officials stand against enemies and flatterers
- 8A drunken monk hides wisdom behind madness
- 9Love stories blur the line between the living and the dead
- 10The storyteller ties friendship, ambition and sorrow to the shore
Punto chiave 1 di 10
Poverty and learning shape a scholar into an alchemist
Ge Hong descends from the immortal Ge Xuan, but his parents die early and his household is poor. He cuts firewood in the mountains, sells it, and buys paper and brushes to copy borrowed books. After more than ten years he is a true scholar.
When a visitor urges him to take office, he answers that he reads to understand principle, not to win fame. Then mountain bandits rise across the southeast, and the commander Gu Mi asks his advice. Ge Hong says the rebels are only hungry people crushed by taxes. He proposes a bluff. Proclamations announce an enormous army that does not exist, and an edict of pardon follows. The bandits lay down their weapons.
The court offers him a marquisate, and he accepts only an honorary rank. He asks to govern a small remote county, because the best cinnabar for his elixir comes from there. He lowers taxes and quiets lawsuits, and after three years he comes home with clean sleeves and one basket of cinnabar. Learning that serves others can still keep faith with a private aim.
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About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 124,600 words
- Reading timeAbout 8 h 45 min
Questions about Racconti del Lago dell’Ovest
What is Tales of the West Lake about?
It gathers sixteen legends set around West Lake in Hangzhou. The stories follow immortals, governors, poets, hermits, generals, courtesans, monks and lovers, and each explains how a place on the shore got its name or its fame.
Who is Ge Hong in Tales of the West Lake?
Ge Hong is the first hero, a poor scholar and alchemist of the Jin dynasty. He calms bandits with a clever bluff, finds a ridge near the lake, and practices wonders there. Ge Ridge is named after him.
Are the stories in Tales of the West Lake true?
They blend history and legend. Figures such as Bai Juyi, Su Dongpo, Yue Fei and Yu Qian are real officials who shaped the lake or served the state. Others, such as spirits and reborn monks, belong to folk tradition.
What are the six bridges and the causeways mentioned in the book?
Bai Causeway is the road Bai Juyi builds from Broken Bridge toward Gushan. Su Dongpo's causeway crosses the lake with six bridges named Reflected Waves, Locked Tide, Looking at the Mountains, Embankment Press, East Inlet and Rainbow Span.
Is Tales of the West Lake easy to read?
Each volume stands alone, with a clear plot, lively dialogue and short poems at the turning points. You can read the sixteen tales in any order and enjoy each one as its own story.
Cite this edition
Mo Langzi. Tales of the West Lake. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/tales-of-the-west-lake.
Mo Langzi. (2026). Tales of the West Lake. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/tales-of-the-west-lake (Original work published 1673)
Mo Langzi. Tales of the West Lake. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/tales-of-the-west-lake.
@book{molangzi2026tales,
author = {Mo Langzi},
title = {Tales of the West Lake},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/tales-of-the-west-lake},
note = {First published 1673}
}
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