Brilliant illustrations and four stunning gatefold page spreads bring this beloved Chinese tale of a man’s encounter with a water nymph to vibrant life

The Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River is an ancient Chinese poem created by Cao Zhi, a writer living in the state of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period (c. 220-280 CE). In his tale, Cao Zhi is returning from the capital to his own land when he stops at the Luo River for a rest, where he sees a vision of the goddess so powerful that he instantly falls in love with her. Cao sees a nymph of peerless beauty “as elegant as a startled swan and supple as a swimming dragon”. Though he’s swept away by her ethereal beauty, it’s a love that isn’t meant to be. In this tale, alas, there can be no marriage between the earthly and heavenly realms. In a masterpiece of illustration, the young artist Ye Luying renders this tale’s lavish world by combining traditional Chinese painting styles with a contemporary graphic-novel sensibility. With its high production values and amazingly-detailed-multi-page foldout spreads, this is a special book that will entice art lovers of all ages. Yu Zhiying’s adaptation and the accompanying explanatory notes will provide readers with a fresh view of ancient Chinese culture.

Ye Luying, a graduate of The China Academy of Fine Arts, combines traditional Chinese painting styles with a contemporary graphic-novel sensibility to display the depth of traditional Chinese tales. Her rendition of this classic tale received much acclaim after its publication in China, winning the 13th Golden Dragon Award in 2016 for best illustration, as well as numerous other awards. Yu Zhiying is a professor, writer, and translator of children’s literature. Her modern adaptation of this classic poem preserves the original’s florid writing style and romantic motifs, which have been renowned for more than a thousand years.