Library

"Qing Ping Shan Tang Hua Ben" is a collection of Hua Ben that records the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, and is the earliest extant collection of Hua Ben. It was originally called "Sixty Family Novels". In the 1920s and 1930s, Mr. Ma Lian and Mr. A Ying successively discovered the annihilated version of this book, and obtained 29 chapters, which were named "Qingping Shantang Huaben". "Qingpingshan Hall" is the name of the hall of Hong Zhen, a native of Qiantang during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. "Qing Ping Shan Tang Hua Ben" truly preserves the original appearance of the Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasty Hua Ben. The works included are all folk creations, with relatively simple and superficial ideas, not very high taste, and short and vulgar writing. However, it is the most real. It looks at these colorful mortal things from the eyes of ordinary people, presenting an artistic realm of folk culture that is completely different from the refined culture such as poetry and prose.

When it comes to ancient Chinese short story collections, people will think of "three words and two beats", and maybe there are a few more (such as "Qingping Shantang Huaben", "Jingben Popular Novels", "Two Words and Two Shots", etc.). Indeed, in addition to the most famous "Three Words and Two Patterns", there are dozens of ancient Chinese popular short story collections that have the value of introduction and inheritance. They are also representations of the spirit and wisdom of the ancients, and they are also a precious literary heritage for us. However, they have been covered up under the light of "Three Words and Two Patterns" and have not been fully introduced to the general readership. The creative achievements of ancient popular short stories have indelible significance in the history of ancient Chinese novels.