15 h 28 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 15 h 28 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if heaven runs like an imperial court, while restless spirits linger close to home?
In Myths and Legends of China, E. T. C. Werner opens a world of gods, heroes, ghosts and household spirits. His collection moves from Pan Ku and the beginnings of the universe to the Jade Emperor’s heavenly court. These tales explore how Chinese tradition imagines creation, power and the place of human life.
Werner draws on Chinese histories, religious books and popular belief to bring these stories together. Early heroes mend and tame the earth; Taoist immortals are said to escape death through discipline and insight. Alongside them stand protective gods and haunting spirits, figures whom ordinary people pray to, fear and even joke about.
What you’ll discover
- A world taking shape Meet Pan Ku in a creation tale that begins with a shapeless universe.
- The court of heaven Explore the heavenly ranks beneath the Jade Emperor, who watches over gods and humans.
- Heroes between history and legend Encounter early rulers whom Chinese tradition treats as founders of civilisation.
- The hope of immortality Discover tales of Taoist immortals and the hopes they hold for ordinary worshippers.
- Spirits close to home Enter stories of household spirits, haunting ghosts and beliefs about judgment after death.
Who will love it
This book suits readers who love mythology, folklore and the stories behind gods, dragons and heroes. It also rewards anyone curious about Chinese religion, ancestors and the world beyond death.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Myths live in people's minds
- Family duties shape the sacred world
- Shared belief gives myths their strength
- Creation moves between myth and philosophy
- Heaven follows the pattern of government
- The sky holds stories of separation
- Mercy has a place in heaven
- Marvels test the limits of ordinary life
- Divine duties reveal the human world
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Myths and Legends of China
by E. T. C. Werner · 1922
A stone monkey storms Heaven and Hell, and a princess gives her eyes and hands to cure her father.
Medium level5–10 hours to readEnglish
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In short
What would you do if you were a stone monkey who tore his own name from the Register of the Living and the Dead? In Chinese tradition, Sun Wu-k'ung does exactly that.
Myths and Legends of China at a glance
- Reading time
- About 8 h 35 min6 h 50 min fast, 10 h 10 min slow
- Length
- 122,300 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1922by E. T. C. Werner
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Werner builds his myths from Chinese sources
Werner draws his stories from large Chinese works, among them the Shên hsien lieh chuan, the Fêng shên yen i and the Sou shên chi. He translates or paraphrases them. Western writers had done so little that he chose to go straight to the originals.
He wants the myths that live in people's minds and appear most often in their literature. Before any god appears, he asks who the Chinese are. He weighs theories that place their origin in Akkadia, in Khotan, or in the Indo-Chinese peninsula. He finds a western origin most likely, with settlers reaching the bend of the Yellow River around 2500 or 3000 B.C.
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- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1922
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Werner, E. T. C. Myths and Legends of China. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-and-legends-of-china.
Werner, E. T. C. (2026). Myths and legends of China. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-and-legends-of-china (Original work published 1922)
Werner, E. T. C. Myths and Legends of China. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-and-legends-of-china.
@book{werner2026myths,
author = {Werner, E. T. C.},
title = {Myths and Legends of China},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-and-legends-of-china},
note = {First published 1922}
}
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What is Myths and Legends of China about?
It retells the myths, gods, heroes and folk tales of China, from the creator P'an Ku to the Monkey King, and explains the society and beliefs that produced them.
Who are the Eight Immortals in Chinese mythology?
These eight Taoist figures count among their number Li with his iron crutch, Lan and Ho Hsien Ku. Their images stand for happiness, and the book gives each a short legend.
Who is Kuan Yin in this book?
Kuan Yin is the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, whose name means one who hears the cry of the world. The book tells her legend through the king's daughter Miao Shan.
The author
E. T. C. Werner
1864–1954 · British diplomat and sinologist
Edward Theodore Chalmers Werner (1864–1954) was a British diplomat and sinologist born in New Zealand. He served in the British consular service in China and lived in Beijing after retiring in 1914. He wrote Myths and Legends of China, published in 1922, and A Dictionary of Chinese Mythology, published in 1932.
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