Three works by the late Taiwan writer Gao Yang (1922-1992), famed for his historical novels, are being introduced to the Chinese mainland by Beijing Jiban Book company.
Xiao Fengxian tells the tale of Xiao Fengxian, a well-known prostitute in the early 20th century. Despite her fame there are no authorized records and even the exact dates of her birth and death are unknown. But she is remembered for rescuing Cai E, a famous general with whom she had a touching relationship.
Gao vividly paints the subtle emotional struggles of the characters while maintaining a taut narrative.
Grass-root Heroes is based on the battles against Japanese pirates in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) who landed on China's coastal areas, supposedly to "pay tribute" but who actually bullied Chinese and colluded with local bandits.
The upright official Zhu Wan was assigned by the Ming government to clear these pirates from coastal Zhejiang province. The novel tells stories of how Zhu and his forces resisted the invaders.
Making the History focuses on two decades of the life of Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), who led the 1911 revolution that ended imperial rule. The book describes how Sun united Chinese people both at home and abroad and how he fought tirelessly until the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was overthrown.