The Northern and Southern Dynasties

Name: The Northern and Southern Dynasties
ISBN: 9787550233584

Cai Dongfan / 张小稳Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. · ChinaJun 2022

3.9

Word count: 425K words
Chapters: 102
ISBN: 9787550233584

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Summary

The 'Cai Dongfan Chinese History' series presents Cai Dongfan's historical narratives in vernacular Chinese. Spanning over a thousand chapters, the work covers 2,166 years of history from the First Emperor of Qin to 1920, across 11 volumes and 1,040 chapters, totaling some 6.07 million characters. No other historical narrative rivals its sweep of time, multitude of characters, and monumental scale; it has been hailed as 'the work of a great historian with an immortal pen.' In choosing his sources, Cai drew mainly on official histories, supplemented by unofficial accounts and anecdotes. As he described it, 'official histories serve as the warp, in pursuit of accuracy; anecdotes serve as the weft, shunning falsehood.' He used such materials with the utmost caution, often verifying them repeatedly. The narratives emphasize conveying truth through events, and Cai wrote the main text, annotations, and commentary himself. History takes precedence over literary polish here; though the prose lacks elegance, the series offers a vast yet accessible general history of China, making an indelible contribution to popularizing Chinese historical knowledge.

Editor's review

Cai Dongfan's The Northern and Southern Dynasties is a key volume in his monumental Popular Romance of Chinese Dynasties, written in the romance form yet with the historian's pen. This book is not a simple compilation of historical tales; rather, in the early Republican era—a special period of historical-source organization and the rise of vernacular writing—the author completed with remarkable perseverance a construction of popular historical perspective. Deeply rooted in traditional historiography yet boldly adopting the vernacular chapter-novel narrative, he respects the framework of the official histories while weaving in unofficial histories and notes, tracing the complex threads of north-south confrontation, dynastic change, and ethnic integration over nearly two centuries into a clear, followable storyline. Its value lies not only in vividly portraying such turbulent-era heroes as Liu Yu, Xiao Yan, Yuwen Tai, and Gao Huan, but also in revealing through their fates the social upheaval, cultural collision, and institutional change of a divided age, offering an indispensable perspective for understanding the foundation of the Sui-Tang unification. Compared with purely academic works, its literary appeal is stronger; compared with online historical fiction, its factual grounding is more solid. It is an ideal bridge for general readers entering the hall of Northern and Southern Dynasties history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

beginning readers interested in the history of division and integration during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties but deterred by the difficulty of the official histories
readers who enjoy chapter-novel narration and wish to feel the pulse of history through character stories
thinkers who wish to understand how ethnic integration and institutional change laid the foundation for the Sui-Tang golden age
literature lovers who appreciate a style blending classical and vernacular Chinese, with both historical insight and literary flair

Not a good fit for

professional historians seeking the latest archaeological discoveries and cutting-edge academic viewpoints
entertainment-oriented readers expecting pure novelistic alternate-history or time-travel plots

Reading tips

You may first read the preface or introduction to understand the era background and historiographical ideas behind Cai Dongfan's writing, which helps grasp the book's overall tone.
While reading, consult a simple historical chronology or map to help clarify the timelines and spatial relationships of the northern and southern regimes.
Read this book alongside Lü Simian's History of the Two Jins and Northern and Southern Dynasties or relevant discussions by Chen Yinke to appreciate the different charms of popular romance and academic research.

About the publisher

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 1993

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.

版权信息
序
龙护神畏的奇人
刘裕的发家史
南燕败亡
计平谯纵
后秦的消亡
刘宋初建
北魏崛起
迎立新主
檀道济平逆
赫连氏族灭国亡
刘湛冤杀檀道济
魏主灭凉
范晔伏法
宋魏交战
张畅智答李孝伯
弑主
刘骏枭恶锄奸
乱伦引发的乱事
头颅山
昏淫的刘子业
湘东王刘彧即位
四州沦陷
幼主即位
萧道成计除暴君
沈攸之栎林自缢
萧氏建国
王僧虔辞封
萧嶷病逝
北魏迁都
萧鸾废帝
残戮诸王
拓跋宏南征
自相残杀的萧氏
魏主退兵
萧宝卷大杀权臣
潘贵妃专宠后宫
萧衍起兵
萧宝卷之死
齐亡梁兴
北魏入侵
萧梁的反攻
贤王冤死
胡太后临朝听政
清河王遇害
魏主探母
滴血认亲
萧宝夤称尊
尔朱荣立新帝
天子除奸臣
征讨尔朱氏
“高王来了”
梁太子病殁
东魏和西魏
两魏交战
受宠的柔然国
皇帝出家
侯景叛乱
欺负皇帝的高澄
聪明的跛子
建康被围
外贼内祸并起
北齐代东魏
齐初的兴盛
萧梁暂定
突厥崛起
陈霸先得权
梁军大捷
南北易主
鱼吃人
动荡的北齐
一母生四帝
两国争亲家
北周背信兴师
淫后杀贤王
小人的花招
给北齐一个教训
边打仗边梳妆
北齐灭亡
虎父犬子
一帝五后
杨坚建隋
亡国的蓬岛仙女
一女事三夫
梁陈并亡
南北统一
现世的阎罗王
独孤皇后专宠
废黜杨勇
杀父烝母
大兴土木
小郎君和老不死
北巡西征
上天示警
征战高丽
内乱渐起
燕门关之围
最后的南巡
巨鼠的名字叫阿麽
李渊兴兵
南北朝收场

FAQ

Is this book strictly official history? How does it differ from the History of the Southern Dynasties and History of the Northern Dynasties?

The genre of this book is "historical romance," based on the framework of official histories but incorporating literary dramatization and folk legend to be accessible and vivid. It is not a translation or simplification of the History of the Southern Dynasties and History of the Northern Dynasties, but Cai Dongfan's re-creation through his personal historical perspective, and can be regarded as auxiliary reading for understanding that period.

Are the book's evaluations of historical figures objective?

Cai Dongfan's evaluative system is deeply influenced by traditional Confucian historiography, emphasizing loyalty and treachery, good and evil. His views bear a distinct stamp of their era; readers may treat them as one sample historical perspective while engaging in independent thinking in light of modern pluralistic historiography.

What are the features of this edition?

This edition, published by Beijing United Publishing Company, generally modernizes punctuation and collation of the original text to suit contemporary reading habits. Some editions may include an introduction, character list, or brief notes, making them friendlier to new readers.

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About the author

Cai Dongfan Author · China · 1877–1945

Cai Dongfan (1877–1945) was a native of Xiaoshan, Zhejiang, and a modern Chinese writer of historical romances. Beginning in 1916, he spent ten years completing the 11-volume, 1,040-chapter Popular Romances of Successive Dynasties, which recounts the rise and fall of dynasties in an accessible style; he also wrote Romances of Empress Dowager Cixi. Drawing on historical sources and adapting them into simple classical Chinese and the chapter-based vernacular form, his works balance historical fact with narrative interest, allowing ordinary readers to follow the broad course of a dynasty through its chapter headings. The collection holds 381 of his works, including dynastic romances on the Jin, Ming, Tang, Later Han and Republican periods, as well as series such as the Six Histories and the Popular Romances of Successive Dynasties, commonly classified as history reading and classical literature. Regarded as a representative figure in Chinese historical romance writing, Cai Dongfan's series have had a lasting influence in popularizing historical knowledge and continuing the romance tradition, and remain accessible introductions to Chinese history for readers today.

张小稳 Author

Zhang Xiaowen is an author about whom limited public information is available. At present, only one work by this author is included in the database, titled Northern and Southern Dynasties, commonly categorized as otherworld-continent fiction. Based on the existing information, the work places its story in an invented world named after the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and it carries the world-building and adventure elements typical of the otherworld-continent genre. However, the author's specific creative direction, narrative techniques, and character-building features cannot yet be assessed due to a lack of sufficient public material. Since basic details such as the English name, nationality, and dates of birth and death remain unconfirmed, and no information about the author's personal experience or writing background can be verified, judgments about literary style and influence should remain cautious. Readers seeking to understand this author should rely mainly on the actual reading experience of Northern and Southern Dynasties and watch for further works or information.