Journey to the Heavenly Realm (Part I)
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Summary
The protagonist resolves in childhood to become a master builder. At fifteen he begins apprenticing under a master in his hometown. After ten years of study, his dying master instructs him: "Go find Master Daoyuan and learn the highest craft." He gives his firm promise. From then on, while practicing his craft, he searches for this Master Daoyuan—but never finds him. During his arduous search he moves many good masters, who teach him exceptional skills. He builds manors and temples renowned near and far, and leads craftsmen in constructing landmark buildings in the county seat such as the Grand Auditorium and the People's Hospital. Yet his original aspiration remains unchanged: he seeks only to find that Daoyuan…
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who enjoy long realist novels and are willing to settle into a slow-paced narrative
- Readers interested in craftsmanship and the transmission of traditional skills
- Readers reflecting on professional conviction and life goals who seek spiritual reference
- Readers interested in themes such as master-disciple relationships and the ethics of craft
Not a good fit for
- Readers who prefer fast-paced plots and strong conflict or reversals
- Readers impatient with extensive craft details and master-disciple dialogue
- Readers seeking concrete knowledge of building techniques
Reading tips
- First read the protagonist's apprenticeship section in one continuous sitting during a quiet period, to establish identification with his conviction, then enter the long main thread of seeking.
- When reading passages about building manors, temples, and the Grand Auditorium, notice changes in the protagonist's inner state behind the craft descriptions rather than focusing only on events.
- After finishing the book, revisit the old master's dying instruction and the protagonist's several key decisions to appreciate the purpose of the "Daoyuan never found" design.
- Read alongside biographies of craftsmen or documentaries on traditional skills to better understand the novel's symbolic level of pursuit.
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
- 一 清纯之晨
- 二 特别相遇
- 三 傍晚霞光
- 四 人在何处
- 五 悲急时刻
- 六 深夜秘传
- 七 冤家路窄
- 八 山路黄昏
- 九 进入异境
- 十 特别塑像
- 十一 最后时刻
- 十二 临终遗嘱
- 十三 初心不改
- 十四 那份激动
- 十五 茫茫追寻
- 十六 近乡情切
- 十七 情窦如初
- 十八 暴雨之夜
- 十九 情义乡土
- 二十 严峻考验
- 二十一 非凡炉火
- 二十二 盛情酒宴
- 二十三 山中比艺
- 二十四 月影之夜
- 二十五 特别功夫
- 二十六 飞来横祸
- 二十七 鬼在哪里
- 二十八 斗笠姑娘
- 二十九 遇到难题
- 三十 千里路途
- 三十一 桥廊楼亭
- 三十二 圣境在前
- 三十三 如树而立
- 三十四 发现之奇
- 三十五 大胆一刻
- 三十六 紧急救助
- 三十七 非亲是亲
- 三十八 有缘相遇
- 三十九 奇绝之险
- 四十 安在信念
- 四十一 心灵初衷
- 四十二 悲壮成河
- 四十三 那双眼睛
- 四十四 惊险时分
- 四十五 迎难而上
- 四十六 心怀善愿
- 四十七 惊险悬崖
- 四十八 汹涌之河
- 四十九 黑夜行动
- 五十 喜事惊变
- 五十一 急急追杀
- 五十二 军用工程
- 五十三 杀机暗动
- 五十四 心有念想
- 五十五 艰难起立
FAQ
How should "Tianjing" and "Master Daoyuan" in the title be understood?
Will a 700,000-character novel be hard to get through?
The novel is mainly about craft—will there be too many technical details to follow?
Comments
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About the author
Chen Busong is an author about whom limited public information is available: neither his nationality, dates of birth and death, nor English name has been clearly recorded. What can be confirmed is that four of his works are held in the collection, namely Zhui Ni Dao Tianya (Chasing You to the Ends of the Earth) and the first, second, and third volumes of Tianjing Xing (Journey to the Heavenly Realm). Judging by their common classifications, these works combine features of wuxia fiction and social fiction, presenting both a martial-arts world and the human relations and social conditions of real life. Chen Busong tends to develop his writing through long series, continuing a single storyline across the Tianjing Xing trilogy, which suggests a preference for long-form narrative and the unfolding of characters' fates. Zhui Ni Dao Tianya, as its title implies, carries a sense of pursuit and distant travel. Because biographical materials are scarce, a full picture of his writing and his literary influence awaits further documentation and scholarly attention.
