Mooring at Chang'an

Name: Mooring at Chang'an
ISBN: 9787539672243

张正福Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaFeb 2022

3.3

Word count: 219K words
Chapters: 29
ISBN: 9787539672243

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Summary

Set in the 1990s, this novel takes the divergent life circumstances of two brothers as its entry point, gradually unfolding its plot to reflect the social opportunities faced by their generation amid the booming construction of a market economy, as well as the intellectual clashes and confusion this engendered. The work runs two parallel narrative lines that occasionally intersect; through their experiences and feelings it reflects the twists and hardships of China's early socialist market-economy development and the exploration and groping of different groups.

Editor's review

Bo Chang'an is a historical novel set in Tang-dynasty Chang'an, yet it deliberately sidesteps the usual palace intrigue and power struggles, turning its lens on the everyday breath of the rootless: the pipa in a tavern kept by a Central Asian hostess, the camel bells of Persian caravans, the rainy-night inn after a failed examination, the weeds in the cracks of ward walls. Zhang Zhengfu reconstructs the spatial texture of Chang'an's 108 wards with an archaeologist's patience, and captures the city's sounds with a poet's sensitivity—morning drums, evening drums, the boots of the Golden Guard, the footsteps of distant travelers—layering them into a three-dimensional capital that can be heard, smelled, and touched. Organized around the word bo (to moor), the novel writes out the loneliness and longing of the temporarily settled: some travel a thousand li to sit the exam only to leave a single hoofprint on Zhuque Avenue; others keep an old inn, waiting for someone who will never return to the capital. The pacing is slow, like unrolling a Tang-dynasty ward map; readers must pause patiently at street corners to meet the gaze of a passing figure. It offers no thrill points, only immersion: when you close the book, you may half hear the bell of Daci'en Temple still echoing in the air, reminding you that you too are but another speck of dust in this vast city.

Who it's for

A good fit for

History enthusiasts fascinated by the details of Tang-dynasty urban life
Readers who loved The Longest Day in Chang'an but want to avoid its suspense formula
Travelers to Xi'an who want to build a spatial imagination in advance
Teachers and students working in urban archaeology or cultural geography

Not a good fit for

Genre-fiction readers expecting fast-paced palace intrigue or wuxia plots
Users of reference books seeking only standardized 'High Tang encyclopedia' knowledge

Reading tips

Familiarize yourself first with the map of Chang'an's 108 wards, then match the ward names as they appear in the book to build a mental navigation grid
Playing Tang-mode classical music during nighttime reading lets you experience the 'sounds of strings and pipes in the lanes' the author describes
At tavern and inn scenes, pause to consult Studies of Tang Clothing, Food, Housing, and Transport for further reading before returning to the text

About the publisher

Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1984

Founded in 1984, Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional literary and art publisher. Its collection of 389 titles spans classic works, essays and miscellaneous writings, Eastern philosophy, folk literature, classical literature and design. Representative books include Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Laozi's Dao De Jing, Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the Shakespeare drama collection featuring Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth and Othello, with Zhu Shenghao's translations adding luster to the series. Its author resources range from classic Chinese and foreign writers such as Lao She, Laozi, Luo Guanzhong and William Shakespeare to translators and authors including Zhu Shenghao, Li Chensen and Liang Sicheng. The publisher is characterized by its balance of Chinese and foreign literary classics with traditional culture titles, combining scholarly value with popular reading. Public information is limited, and the above is based mainly on the books in the collection.

版权信息
第一章上榜
第二章邀约
第三章遇见
第四章定亲
第五章暗恋
第六章远行
第七章联谊
第八章寻人
第九章逃跑
第十章牵手
第十一章逃离
第十二章纠缠
第十三章争竞
第十四章抄袭
第十五章济困
第十六章悸动
第十七章滥情
第十八章别恋
第十九章新月
第二十章惜别
第二十一章龃龉
第二十二章另意
第二十三章拯救
第二十四章曲折
第二十五章回乡
第二十六章邂逅
第二十七章欢宴
后记

FAQ

Does the book have real historical events as its main thread?

There is no grand narrative, only countless small events collaged into the city's everyday life, like a scattered-perspective scroll of Chang'an customs.

Do famous figures appear?

Li Bai, Du Fu, and Yang Guifei are only background voices mentioned by passersby; the lens stays fixed on unnamed poets, Central Asian merchants, and inn women.

How difficult is it to read?

There is very little classical Chinese dialogue, but the author habitually uses long sentences to lay out spatial texture; you need to slow down to feel the sound, color, and temperature in the prose.

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About the author

张正福 Author

Zhang Zhengfu is an author about whom little public information is currently available; only one work of his is included in the collection, the social novel Bo Chang'an (Mooring in Chang'an). On the basis of the existing information alone, it is not possible to confirm his nationality, dates of birth and death, educational background, or writing career, nor to trace the full arc of his work. Judging from the title and the categorization of Bo Chang'an, the novel appears to center on urban life and the circumstances of ordinary people, bearing the realistic concerns characteristic of social fiction; the word bo, meaning to moor or to stay, suggests a tension between dwelling, drifting, and settling down. Because further works and critical material are lacking, the book's stylistic features and reader response remain to be observed. For readers, Bo Chang'an may serve as a starting point for understanding this author's creative profile; should new works or related materials appear, his literary orientation and position could be presented more clearly.