In the sweeping annals of history, among the many nomadic tribes of the northern Central Plains, one rose like a hurricane: the mighty Khitan, the Lion Clan. The Liao Dynasty they founded was the first to unite the scattered powers of the north. Straddling both sides of the Great Wall, with the Liao River basin at its heart, it forged more than two hundred years of splendor and wonders in the Central Plains. Then, after leaving one astonishing mystery after another in the history books, it suddenly vanished without a trace.
The work The Northern Lion: Fragments of the Liao Dynasty is divided into four parts: Upper, Middle, Lower, and Supplementary. The Upper Part focuses on the struggle for the throne within the Khitan royal family. The Middle Part centers on the war between the Khitan and the Tang Dynasty in the south. The Lower Part recounts the Khitan's eventual downfall after its brief period of glory. The Supplementary Part provides detailed accounts and additional background on certain events from the first three parts.
