The Earth Goddess
Tags
Summary
The Houtu Shrine in Wanrong, Yuncheng, Shanxi, is the shrine of the Empress of Earth. Every year on the eighteenth day of the third lunar month, the birthday of the Holy Mother Houtu, local ritual households hold a grand temple fair at the Houtu Shrine in sacrifice; famous opera troupes of the three provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan—Puzhou opera, Qinqiang, and Henan Bangzi—gather at the Houtu Shrine's triangular-stage theater to perform in thanks to the gods. In past eras, the Houtu Shrine's triangular-stage theater was regarded as China's highest theatrical stage. For an actor, once on this stage, it could mean rising to fame across the land with a single song, or falling into hell with a single song. For the protagonist Guo'er, more precious and important than the red sash of honor is a person's life and dignity.
The story takes place between 1931 and 1937. The young girl Guo'er makes her own life choices, endures the hardships of a life on stage, transforms from a huadan (young female role) actress into a sheng (male role) performer known as Master Guo, and sacrifices herself as an offering, striking directly at human nature, to save herself and her fellow troupe members.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in Shanxi local opera, Puzhou opera, and temple fair culture
- Literary fiction readers who enjoy Republican-era settings and stories centered on performers' fates
- Readers concerned with women's growth and dignity who appreciate character transformation arcs
- Culture enthusiasts who want to learn about the Houtu Shrine and the folk custom of joint performances by opera troupes from three provinces through fiction
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting systematic opera history knowledge or academic textual research rather than fictional narrative
- Readers who prefer light and cheerful subjects and are sensitive to hardship in turbulent times and human conflict
- Readers who only read contemporary urban fiction and lack interest in local folk customs
Reading tips
- Before reading, learn the basic background of the Houtu Shrine's temple fair on the eighteenth day of the third lunar month and the triangular-stage theater to enter the setting more easily.
- Pay attention to Guo'er's transformation from huadan to the sheng performer Master Guo, and use it as the main thread for understanding the book's themes.
- Readers unfamiliar with Puzhou opera, Qinqiang, and Henan Bangzi can look up basic information on these opera genres as they read.
- The book involves turbulent times and human conflict; it is suggested to read at a chapter-by-chapter pace rather than trying to finish in one sitting.
About the publisher
Writers Publishing House is a Chinese publisher focused mainly on literary publishing. Its output covers classical literature, foreign literature, folk literature and Eastern philosophy, with some extension into popular reading such as social fiction and parenting books. Its catalogue contains more than 900 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber and its edited editions, Shakespeare's Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and foreign literary classics such as The Brothers Karamazov and Lost Illusions. In terms of authors, it includes classical writers such as Cao Xueqin and Gao E, foreign masters such as William Shakespeare, Dostoevsky and Balzac, and translations by translators such as Zhu Shenghao, Geng Jizhi and Fu Lei. Overall, its publishing profile balances Chinese and foreign literary classics, emphasizes quality translations, and serves both academic and general readers; publicly available information on its specific publishing plans is limited.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 后土·自序
- 第一章 缘起
- 01 这回，赌一把
- 02 在人堆里看见你
- 03 披红
- 04 接着看戏
- 05 金主有请
- 06 你老乡找你
- 07 你方唱罢他登场
- 08 梦回当下
- 09 现场感就是现场感
- 10 生死之间
- 11 就是这个意思嘛
- 第二章 分道
- 12 不是原来的你
- 13 寡妇班
- 14 扛枪吃饭
- 15 台上台下
- 16 多大的事
- 17 果爷好些日子没来嘞
- 第三章 面对
- 18 意外的意外
- 19 你有完没完
- 20 不是泼你冷水
- 21 我心我在
- 22 寡妇遇上新问题
- 23 不演也罢
- 第四章 中盘
- 24 谁说了算
- 25 脖子上的刀疤
- 26 这碗饭不好吃
- 27 交易什么玩意儿
- 28 续命
- 29 掌控
- 30 背后的背后（1）
- 31 背后的背后（2）
- 第五章 残局
- 32 一年又一年
- 33 你算啥
- 后记 影像与记忆
FAQ
What is the historical background of the story?
What does the title "Houtu" refer to?
Can I read this book without knowing Puzhou opera?
Comments
Find this book
This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
Feng Sanyang: publicly available information is currently limited, and basic details such as his life, place of origin, and dates of birth and death remain unclear. Judging from the existing work information, Feng Sanyang is the author of the novel Houtu, which is classified as a social novel and is the only work by him known in the database. Social novels usually take realistic society as their background and focus on ordinary people's living conditions and interpersonal relationships, so it may be inferred that Houtu likewise attends to social reality and uses characters and plot to present life in a particular environment. The title Houtu carries connotations of land and the countryside, possibly suggesting a connection with rural society or grassroots life, though the specific content cannot be further confirmed due to insufficient material. Because public information about Feng Sanyang is very limited, a complete assessment of his overall body of work, the development of his writing style, and his influence in literary circles is difficult to make. At present, on the basis of the single work Houtu, he can only be regarded as an author of fiction on social themes, with more information still awaiting further sources.
