Chinese Language Textbooks Compiled by the Ministry of Education Support the Reading Series of Famous Books: the Story of Hulan River

In "The Biography of Hulan River", the author focuses on describing the character of Hulan River City, intending to express her complex emotional attitude of both love and "hate" towards this small town. Among them are criticisms of the inert power that fills the history of Hulan River City, people's ignorance, numbness, selfishness, superstition, and lack of enterprising spirit and sense of change. There are also nostalgia for the hometown scenery such as the back garden, grandfather, and Huoshaoyun, as well as affirmation and praise of the perseverance and tenacious vitality of figures like Feng Waizuizi. Several other masterpieces by Xiao Hong included in the "Appendix" - "Compared Longing and Pursuit", "Hand", "Ox Cart", "Back Garden" and "March in a Small Town", may be intertextually read with "The Story of Hulan River", or they may themselves be Xiao Hong's short stories or even the best of 20th century Chinese short stories. Interested friends can do further reading.