Download or read book The Immortal Peaches A Story in Simplified Chinese and Pinyin 600 Word Vocabulary Level written by Jeff Pepper and published by Journey to the West. This book was released on 2020-04 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Immortal Peaches" is the third book in the "Journey to the West" series of stories by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. Other titles include "Rise of the Monkey King", "Trouble in Heaven" and "The Young Monk". In this, the third book in the "Journey to the West" series, we wrap up the story of Sun Wukong's early years, before he joins the monk Xuanzang's little band of travelers and journeys to the West. Once again the Monkey King's unlimited ambitions and uncontrolled appetites land him in deep trouble. He is given a job in heaven taking care of the Emperor's Garden of Immortal Peaches, but he can't stop himself from eating all the peaches. He impersonates a great Immortal and crashes a party in Heaven, stealing the guests' food and drink and barely escaping to his loyal troop of monkeys back on Earth. And in the end, he battles an entire army of Immortals and men, and discovers that even calling himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven does not make him equal to everyone in Heaven. Sun Wukong, the Handsome Monkey King, is one of most famous characters in Chinese literature and culture. His legendary bravery, his foolish mistakes, his sharp-tongued commentary and his yearning for immortality and spiritual knowledge have inspired hundreds of books, television shows, graphic novels, video games and films. The story is written, as much as possible, using the 600 word vocabulary of HSK 3. It is presented in simplified Chinese characters and pinyin, and includes an English version and complete glossary. A free Chinese language audiobook is also available on YouTube, on the Imagin8 Press channel.

Download or read book The Immortal Peaches written by Jeff Pepper and published by . This book was released on 2020-05-23 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this, the 3rd book in our Journey to the West series, we wrap up the story of Sun Wukong's early years, before he joins the monk Xuanzang's little band of travelers and journeys to the West. Once again the Monkey King's unlimited ambitions and uncontrolled appetites land him in deep trouble. He is given a job in heaven taking care of the Emperor's Garden of Immortal Peaches, but he can't stop himself from eating all the peaches. He impersonates a great Immortal and crashes a party in Heaven, stealing the guests' food and drink and barely escaping to his loyal troop of monkeys back on Earth. And in the end, he battles an entire army of Immortals and men, and discovers that even calling himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven does not make him equal to everyone in Heaven. This book is based on Journey to The West (西游记, xī yóu jì), an epic novel written in the 16th Century by Wu Chen'en. The novel is loosely based on an actual journey by the Buddhist monk Tangseng (called Xuanzang and Sanzang in earlier books), who traveled from the Chinese city of Chang'an westward to India in 629 A.D. and returned 17 years later with priceless knowledge and texts of Buddhism. Over the course of the book the band of travelers face the 81 tribulations that Tangseng had to endure to attain Buddhahood. All of the stories in this series are all written in simple language suitable for intermediate Chinese learners. Our core vocabulary is the 600 words of HSK-3, plus all the words that were introduced in the previous books of the series. All these words are in the glossary at the back of the book. Whenever we introduce a new word or phrase, it's defined in a footnote on the page where it first appears, and it also appears in the glossary. In the main body of the book, each page of Chinese characters is matched with a facing page of pinyin. This is unusual for Chinese novels but we feel it's important. By including the pinyin, as well as a full English version and glossary at the end, we hope that every reader, no matter what level of mastery they have of the Chinese language, will be able to understand and enjoy the story we tell here. Free audio versions of all books in this series are available on YouTube. Go to www.youtube.com and search for the Imagin8 Press channel to find all of our free audiobooks.

Download or read book The Young Monk written by Jeff Pepper and published by Journey to the West. This book was released on 2020-04 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Young Monk" is the fourth book in the "Journey to the West" series of stories by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. Other titles include "Rise of the Monkey King", "Trouble in Heaven" and "The Immortal Peaches". In this, the fourth book in the series, we leave the imprisoned Sun Wukong behind, and tell the story of Xuanzang, the monk chosen by the Buddha to undertake the dangerous journey westward to India and bring sacred wisdom back to China. Unlike the previous books which told of Sun Wukong's great adventures (and misadventures) across heaven and earth, this story deals with smaller, human-scale events and the traditional themes of love, loyalty, treachery and revenge. Our story begins with the Buddha's decision to bring his wisdom to China. Then we meet the young couple - Guangrui and Wenjiao - who become Xuanzang's parents. We witness their terrible ordeals around the time of Xuanzang's birth, and we then jump ahead to when he turns eighteen, learns of his true parentage, and avenges his parents. This book is based on chapters 8 and 9 of Journey To The West, an epic novel written in the 16th Century by Wu Chen'en. Journey To The West is loosely based on an actual journey by the Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who traveled from the Chinese city of Chang'an westward to India in 629 A.D. and returned 17 years later with priceless knowledge and texts of Buddhism. Over the course of the book the band of travelers face the 81 tribulations that Xuanzang had to endure to attain Buddhahood. Each book in our Journey to the West series covers a short section of the original 2,000-page novel. The first three books in the series all focus on Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. We tell the story of his birth, his early years, and his adventures in Heaven and Earth that lead, ultimately, to his capture and his centuries-long imprisonment under Five Finger Mountain.The story is written, as much as possible, using the 600 word vocabulary of HSK 3. It is presented in simplified Chinese characters and pinyin, and includes an English version and complete glossary. A free Chinese language audiobook is also available on YouTube, on the Imagin8 Press channel.

Download or read book The Young Monk written by Jeff Pepper and published by Journey to the West. This book was released on 2020-04 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Young Monk" is the fourth book in the "Journey to the West" series of stories by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. Other titles include "Rise of the Monkey King", "Trouble in Heaven" and "The Immortal Peaches". In this, the fourth book in the series, we leave the imprisoned Sun Wukong behind, and tell the story of Xuanzang, the monk chosen by the Buddha to undertake the dangerous journey westward to India and bring sacred wisdom back to China. Unlike the previous books which told of Sun Wukong's great adventures (and misadventures) across heaven and earth, this story deals with smaller, human-scale events and the traditional themes of love, loyalty, treachery and revenge. Our story begins with the Buddha's decision to bring his wisdom to China. Then we meet the young couple - Guangrui and Wenjiao - who become Xuanzang's parents. We witness their terrible ordeals around the time of Xuanzang's birth, and we then jump ahead to when he turns eighteen, learns of his true parentage, and avenges his parents. This book is based on chapters 8 and 9 of Journey To The West, an epic novel written in the 16th Century by Wu Chen'en. Journey To The West is loosely based on an actual journey by the Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who traveled from the Chinese city of Chang'an westward to India in 629 A.D. and returned 17 years later with priceless knowledge and texts of Buddhism. Over the course of the book the band of travelers face the 81 tribulations that Xuanzang had to endure to attain Buddhahood. Each book in our Journey to the West series covers a short section of the original 2,000-page novel. The first three books in the series all focus on Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. We tell the story of his birth, his early years, and his adventures in Heaven and Earth that lead, ultimately, to his capture and his centuries-long imprisonment under Five Finger Mountain.The story is written, as much as possible, using the 600 word vocabulary of HSK 3. It is presented in simplified Chinese characters and pinyin, and includes an English version and complete glossary. A free Chinese language audiobook is also available on YouTube, on the Imagin8 Press channel.

Download or read book The Journey to the West Books 1 2 And 3 written by Jeff Pepper and published by Imagin8 LLC. This book was released on 2021-01-15 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contains the full text, in Traditional Chinese, of the first three books in our Journey to the West series for people learning to read Chinese. The three stories told here - The Rise of the Monkey King, Trouble in Heaven, and The Immortal Peaches - are unchanged from our original versions except for minor editing and reformatting. These three stories all focus on the adventures of Sun Wukong, The Handsome Monkey King, one of the most famous characters in Chinese literature and culture. His legendary bravery, foolish mistakes, sharp-tongued commentary and yearning for immortality and spiritual knowledge have inspired hundreds of books, television shows, graphic novels, video games and films. These books are based on the original epic 2,000 page novel written in the 16th century by Wu Cheng'en. It is probably the most famous and best-loved novel in China and is considered one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. These stories are written, as much as possible, using the 600 word vocabulary of HSK3. They are presented in Traditional Chinese characters and pinyin, and include an English version and complete glossary. Free audio versions of all books in this series are available on YouTube's Imagin8 Press channel, and on our website, www.imagin8press.com.

Download or read book The Emperor in Hell written by Jeff Pepper and published by Journey to the West. This book was released on 2020-04 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Emperor In Hell" is the fifth book in the "Journey to the West" series of stories by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. Other titles include "Rise of the Monkey King", "Trouble in Heaven", "The Immortal Peaches" and "The Young Monk". The story starts innocently enough, with two good friends chatting as they walk home after eating and drinking at a local inn. One of the men, a fisherman, tells his friend about a fortuneteller who advises him on where to find fish. This seemingly harmless conversation between two minor characters triggers a series of events that eventually cost the life of a supposedly immortal being, and cause the great Tang Emperor himself to be dragged down to the underworld. He is released by the Ten Kings of the Underworld, but is trapped and must escape with the help of a deceased courtier named Cui Jue.This book is based on chapters 9, 10 and 11 of Journey To The West, an epic novel written in the 16th Century by Wu Chen'en. Each book in our Journey to the West series covers a short section of the original 2,000-page novel.Journey To The West is loosely based on an actual journey by the Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who traveled from the Chinese city of Chang'an westward to India in 629 A.D. and returned 17 years later with priceless knowledge and texts of Buddhism. Over the course of the book the band of travelers face the 81 tribulations that Xuanzang had to endure to attain Buddhahood. This book, the fifth in the series, tells the final series of stories that lead us to the actual journey to the west, which starts in Book 6. It is by far the darkest and most frightening of all the stories we've told so far, with a series of horrifying visions of after-death punishment of evildoers that are reminiscent of those in Dante's Inferno. The story is written, as much as possible, using the 600 word vocabulary of HSK 3. It is presented in simplified Chinese characters and pinyin, and includes an English version and complete glossary. A free Chinese language audiobook is also available on YouTube, on the Imagin8 Press channel.

Download or read book The Hungry Pig written by Jeff Pepper and published by Journey to the West. This book was released on 2019-11-27 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Hungry Pig" is the 8th book in the "Journey to the West" series of stories by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. Other titles include "Rise of the Monkey King", "The Immortal Peaches" and "The Young Monk".This book is part of the Journey to the West series of stories for students learning to read Chinese. It is based on the epic 16th century novel of the same name by Wu Chen'en. The novel is loosely based on an actual journey by the Buddhist monk Tangsheng (formerly called Xuanzang), who traveled from the Chinese city of Chang'an westward to India in 629 A.D. and returned 17 years later with priceless knowledge and spiritual texts. Over the course of the book Tangsheng and his companions face the 81 tribulations that Tangsheng had to endure to attain Buddhahood.. In this, the 8th book in our series, we meet the pig-man known as Zhu Bajie, who becomes Tangseng's second disciple. Zhu is the junior disciple, having joined the Tang monk's service after Sun Wukong.In his previous life, Zhu was the Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds , responsible for the Jade Emperor's entire navy and 80,000 sailors. But unable to control his appetites, he got drunk at a festival and attempted to seduce the Goddess of the Moon. She reported this to the Jade Emperor, who furiously banished him to earth. As he plunged from heaven to earth he ended up in the womb of a sow (or, in some versions of the story, in the bottom of a pig well), and was reborn as a man-eating pig monster. This book tells the story of how Zhu was married to a farmer's daughter, fought with Sun Wukong, and ended up joining Tangsheng and Sun Wukong in their journey to the Western Heaven.

Download or read book The Monster of Black Wind Mountain written by Jeff Pepper and published by Journey to the West. This book was released on 2019-11 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Monster of Black Wind Mountain" is the 7th book in the "Journey to the West" series of stories by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. Other titles include "Rise of the Monkey King", "The Immortal Peaches" and "The Young Monk". This book is part of the Journey to the West series of stories for students learning to read Chinese. It is based on the epic 16th century novel of the same name by Wu Chen'en. The novel is loosely based on an actual journey by the Buddhist monk Tangsheng (formerly called Xuanzang), who traveled from the Chinese city of Chang'an westward to India in 629 A.D. and returned 17 years later with priceless knowledge and spiritual texts. Over the course of the book Tangsheng and his companions face the 81 tribulations that Tangsheng had to endure to attain Buddhahood. This, the seventh book in the series, tells the story of the first few months of the journey itself. Tangsheng is accompanied by his disciple, the short-tempered Monkey King Sun Wukong. They first encounter a mysterious river-dwelling dragon, then run into serious trouble while staying in the temple of a 270 year old abbot. Their troubles deepen when they meet the abbot's friend, a terrifying black bear monster. The story is written using a limited 1200 word vocabulary, roughly equivalent to HSK 4. It is presented in simplified Chinese characters and pinyin, and includes an English version and complete glossary. A free audio version of this book and all other books in this series is available on YouTube and also on our website, www.imagin8press.com.

Download or read book Shaikhdoms of Eastern Arabia written by P. Lienhardt and published by Springer. This book was released on 2001-03-20 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This pioneering study captures the traditional social, economic and political systems of the Arab sheikhdoms of the Gulf. It represents a unique and in-depth insight into the complex and varied cultural patterns of the Arabs, Persians and the people of the East African Coast in the 1950s, before the advent of oil wealth radically altered the style of life and expectations of the people living in these sheikdoms. In a compelling narrative Lienhardt discusses the tribal structure, relations between men and women, the economics of pearl fishing, the growth of towns and the complex relationship between the ruling sheikhs and their subjects. His findings offer a key to the understanding of the political system and the transition from the tribal to the class system. Specialists on the Gulf and Middle East, social historians and anthropologists will find a wealth of new evidence and analysis in this invaluable and accessible combination of history and anthropology.

Download or read book A Mountain of Gems Fairy Tales of the Peoples of the Soviet Land Illustrated by V Minayev written by Irina Zheleznova and published by Read Books Ltd. This book was released on 2013-04-16 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Open the book, and you will find yourselves in a world of magic. None of your old friends will be there -neither Jack the Giant Killer, nor Little Red Riding Hood, nor Cinderella or any of the others. Instead, together with Ivan the Peasant’s Son you will cross swords with Chudo-Yudo, the fire-breathing monster; follow Pokati-Goroshek the Rolling Pea into the underground kingdom and return from there on the back of an eagle; marvel at the cleverness of Zarniyar who outwitted the sly and cruel Shah; be filled with admiration at Boroldoi-Mergen, the brave hunter of the Altai Mountains who risked the life of his own son in order to save his people; delight in the resourcefulness of a simple weaver who surpassed in wisdom the wisest councillors of the tsar. A Mountain of Gems – Fairy-Tales of the Peoples of the Soviet Land – Illustrated by Vladimir Minayev is a collection of many fairy tales rendered into English from Russia, The Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Chukchi. The Soviet Union was a huge country, the largest in the world. Its neighbors were Alaska in the East and Scandinavia in the West. In the south it stretched as far as the Caucasus and Pamir mountain ranges, and in the North reached out into the Arctic Ocean. And each of the peoples of the former Soviet Union has its own fairytales. Pook Press celebrates the great 'Golden Age of Illustration' in children's classics and fairy tales - a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration. We publish rare and vintage Golden Age illustrated books, in high-quality colour editions, so that the masterful artwork and story-telling can continue to delight both young and old.

Download or read book The Monster of Black Wind Mountain written by Jeff Pepper and published by Journey to the West. This book was released on 2019-11 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Monster of Black Wind Mountain" is the 7th book in the "Journey to the West" series of stories by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. Other titles include "Rise of the Monkey King", "The Immortal Peaches" and "The Young Monk". This book is part of the Journey to the West series of stories for students learning to read Chinese. It is based on the epic 16th century novel of the same name by Wu Chen'en. The novel is loosely based on an actual journey by the Buddhist monk Tangsheng (formerly called Xuanzang), who traveled from the Chinese city of Chang'an westward to India in 629 A.D. and returned 17 years later with priceless knowledge and spiritual texts. Over the course of the book Tangsheng and his companions face the 81 tribulations that Tangsheng had to endure to attain Buddhahood. This, the seventh book in the series, tells the story of the first few months of the journey itself. Tangsheng is accompanied by his disciple, the short-tempered Monkey King Sun Wukong. They first encounter a mysterious river-dwelling dragon, then run into serious trouble while staying in the temple of a 270 year old abbot. Their troubles deepen when they meet the abbot's friend, a terrifying black bear monster. The story is written using a limited 1200 word vocabulary, roughly equivalent to HSK 4. It is presented in simplified Chinese characters and pinyin, and includes an English version and complete glossary. A free audio version of this book and all other books in this series is available on YouTube and also on our website, www.imagin8press.com.

Download or read book Trouble in Heaven written by Jeff Pepper and published by Journey to the West. This book was released on 2020-04 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Trouble In Heaven" is the second book in the "Journey to the West" series of stories by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. Other titles include "Rise of the Monkey King", "The Immortal Peaches" and "The Young Monk". In this book, things begin to unravel for Sun Wukong, as he starts to see the consequences of his outrageous actions. While trying to defend his troop of monkeys, he manages to offend the underwater Dragon King, the Dragon King's mother, all ten Kings of the Underworld, and the great Jade Emperor himself. Finally, goaded by a couple of troublemaking demons, he goes too far, calling himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and setting events in motion that will cause him some serious trouble. Sun Wukong, the Handsome Monkey King, is one of most famous characters in Chinese literature and culture. His legendary bravery, his foolish mistakes, his sharp-tongued commentary and his yearning for immortality and spiritual knowledge have inspired hundreds of books, television shows, graphic novels, video games and films. The story is written, as much as possible, using the 600 word vocabulary of HSK 3. It is presented in simplified Chinese characters and pinyin, and includes an English version and complete glossary. A free Chinese language audiobook is also available on YouTube, on the Imagin8 Press channel.

Download or read book Riding with the Wind written by Fay Hoh Yin and published by . This book was released on 2017-04-28 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Riding with the Wind, Fay Hoh Yin paints an indelible portrait of three generations of her family in China as the imperial era ends and war with Japan begins. Her parents are among the first young people to escape the archaic traditions of foot binding and arranged marriage, then use their newfound freedom to study in the West. They return home in the early 1920s to become pioneering educators and proponents of physical fitness and sports. In lyrical prose, the author recalls scenes from her improbably happy childhood amid bombs and atrocities. Yin later comes to the U.S. herself, marries a fellow foreign student, and starts a family. Tragically, she loses her husband at age thirty-seven, but forges a unique partnership with her widowed mother-in-law that far outlasts either of their marriages. Yin's stories of daring, hardship, and perseverance are deeply personal, yet illuminate the changing roles of women as modern China emerges in the 20th century.

Download or read book The Creation of Wing Chun written by Benjamin N. Judkins and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2015-07-16 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the social history of southern Chinese martial arts and their contemporary importance to local identity and narratives of resistance. Hong Kong's Bruce Lee ushered the Chinese martial arts onto an international stage in the 1970s. Lee's teacher, Ip Man, master of Wing Chun Kung Fu, has recently emerged as a highly visible symbol of southern Chinese identity and pride. Benjamin N. Judkins and Jon Nielson examine the emergence of Wing Chun to reveal how this body of social practices developed and why individuals continue to turn to the martial arts as they navigate the challenges of a rapidly evolving environment. After surveying the development of hand combat traditions in Guangdong Province from roughly the start of the nineteenth century until 1949, the authors turn to Wing Chun, noting its development, the changing social attitudes towards this practice over time, and its ultimate emergence as a global art form.

Download or read book The Racial Mundane written by Ju Yon Kim and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2015-05 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner, Lois P. Rudnick Book Prize presented by the New England American Studies Association Across the twentieth century, national controversies involving Asian Americans have drawn attention to such seemingly unremarkable activities as eating rice, greeting customers, and studying for exams. While public debates about Asian Americans have invoked quotidian practices to support inconsistent claims about racial difference, diverse aesthetic projects have tested these claims by experimenting with the relationships among habit, body, and identity. In The Racial Mundane, Ju Yon Kim argues that the ambiguous relationship between behavioral tendencies and the body has sustained paradoxical characterizations of Asian Americans as ideal and impossible Americans. The body’s uncertain attachment to its routine motions promises alternately to materialize racial distinctions and to dissolve them. Kim’s study focuses on works of theater, fiction, and film that explore the interface between racialized bodies and everyday enactments to reveal new and latent affiliations. The various modes of performance developed in these works not only encourage audiences to see habitual behaviors differently, but also reveal the stakes of noticing such behaviors at all. Integrating studies of race, performance, and the everyday, The Racial Mundane invites readers to reflect on how and to what effect perfunctory behaviors become objects of public scrutiny.

Download or read book The Three Beautiful Daughters written by Jeff Pepper and published by Journey to the West. This book was released on 2020-02-08 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is part of the Journey to the West series of stories for students learning to read Chinese. It is based on the epic 16th century novel of the same name by Wu Chen'en. The novel is loosely based on an actual journey by the Buddhist monk Tangsheng (formerly called Xuanzang), who traveled from the Chinese city of Chang'an westward to India in 629 A.D. and returned 17 years later with priceless knowledge and spiritual texts. Over the course of the book Tangsheng and his companions face the 81 tribulations that Tangsheng had to endure to attain Buddhahood.In this, the 9th book in our series, we meet another new disciple: the river-dwelling monster Sha Wujing (literally, "Sand Aware of Purity" or "Sand Seeking Purity") who was once the Curtain Raising Captain but was banished from heaven by the Yellow Emperor for breaking an extremely valuable cup during a drunken visit to the Peach Festival. Later, the band of pilgrims arrive at a beautiful home seeking a simple vegetarian meal and a place to stay for the night. What they encounter instead is a beautiful and wealthy widow and her three even more lovely daughters. This meeting is, of course, much more than it appears to be, and it turns into a test of commitment and virtue for all of the pilgrims. Of course we expect that the Tang monk will pass the test, and we're not sure about the impulsive and unpredictable monkey king. But any test of moral strength will be extremely challenging for Zhu Bajie, the lazy and lustful pig-man. Zhu's life is a constant battle against his appetites and desires, and in this book he faces his biggest battle yet.The story is written using a limited 1200 word vocabulary, roughly equivalent to HSK 4. It is presented in simplified Chinese characters and pinyin, and includes an English version andcomplete glossary. A free audio version of this book and all other books in this series is available on YouTube and also on our website, www.imagin8press.com.

Download or read book The Young Monk written by Jeff Pepper and published by Imagin8 Press. This book was released on 2020-10-24 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this, the Traditional Chinese version of the 4th book in our Journey to the West series, we leave the imprisoned Sun Wukong behind, and tell the story of Xuanzang, the monk chosen by the Buddha to undertake the dangerous journey westward to India and bring sacred wisdom back to China. Unlike the previous books which told of Sun Wukong's great adventures (and misadventures) across heaven and earth, this story deals with smaller, human-scale events and the traditional themes of love, loyalty, treachery and revenge. Our story begins with the Buddha's decision to bring his wisdom to China. Then we meet the young couple - Guangrui and Wenjiao - who become Xuanzang's parents. We witness their terrible ordeals around the time of Xuanzang's birth, and we then jump ahead to when he turns eighteen, learns of his true parentage, and avenges his parents.This book is based on Journey to The West (西游记, xī yóu jì), an epic novel written in the 16th Century by Wu Chen'en. The novel is loosely based on an actual journey by the Buddhist monk Tangseng (called Xuanzang and Sanzang in earlier books), who traveled from the Chinese city of Chang'an westward to India in 629 A.D. and returned 17 years later with priceless knowledge and texts of Buddhism. Over the course of the book the band of travelers face the 81 tribulations that Tangseng had to endure to attain Buddhahood.All of the stories in this series are all written in simple language suitable for intermediate Chinese learners. Our core vocabulary is the 600 words of HSK-3, plus all the words that were introduced in the previous books of the series. All these words are in the glossary at the back of the book. Whenever we introduce a new word or phrase, it's defined in a footnote on the page where it first appears, and it also appears in the glossary.In the main body of the book, each page of Chinese characters is matched with a facing page of pinyin. This is unusual for Chinese novels but we feel it's important. By including the pinyin, as well as a full English version and glossary at the end, we hope that every reader, no matter what level of mastery they have of the Chinese language, will be able to understand and enjoy the story we tell here.Free audio versions of all books in this series are available on YouTube. Go to www.youtube.com and search for the Imagin8 Press channel to find all of our free audiobooks.