The Golden Qilin

Name: The Golden Qilin
ISBN: 9787521227956

刘明琪Writers Publishing House · ChinaMar 2026

3.4

Word count: 194K words
Chapters: 9
ISBN: 9787521227956

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Summary

Lei Laoliu, a young man from Xiazhuang, risks his life and conquers his terror to enter the great tomb and obtain the precious Golden Qilin, all to wipe out his shame and rise above his station. The garrison artillery company, the Nanshan bandits, the Shangzhuang gentry, and the town market guild all scheme and plot with every trick at their disposal, yet none can lay hands on the treasure. A Japanese “newcomer” in Xiazhuang promotes buguzhi to deceive the villagers young and old, steals the Golden Qilin, and escapes across the Shanxi-Shaanxi border at Fenglingdu. Lei Laoliu leads the able-bodied young men of Xiazhuang in a blood oath and a silent forced march, chasing the newcomer to the banks of the Yellow River—yet none of them ever returns to Xiazhuang. The novel is orderly in structure, rich in vivid detail, deep in historical and cultural resonance, and through the portrayal and characterization of its cast it lifts and strengthens its central theme.

Editor's review

The Golden Qilin is a novel driven by the contest for a treasure. The story revolves around Lei Laoliu, who risks his life to obtain the Golden Qilin from a great tomb. The garrison artillery company, the bandits of Nanshan, the gentry of Shangzhuang, and the town marketplace chamber of commerce each harbor their own designs and appear in turn, until the treasure is finally stolen by Japanese disguised as “strangers.” Lei Laoliu leads the young men of Xiazhuang in pursuit to the banks of the Yellow River, never to return. The novel’s readability comes from the struggle of multiple forces over the same objective, with the plot advancing layer by layer and the structure ordered and well laid out; at the same time, the author embeds rich historical and cultural meaning in vivid details, so that a local contest transcends mere legend and points toward deeper national and local memory. Characterization and the portrayal of personality are where the book concentrates its effort: Lei Laoliu’s hot-bloodedness, the gentry’s calculation, and the outsiders’ hypocrisy all come into view through action, and the theme is thereby strengthened and elevated. It suits sustained, continuous reading over a longer stretch: readers can enjoy the tense rhythm of treasure-seeking and treasure-taking, and in the tragic grandeur of the ending feel the choices and costs a local society faces when confronted with external threat.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy legendary tales of treasure-seeking and contest
Readers of fiction interested in local society and the historical and cultural meaning of folk life
Those who want to read a full-length novel with a complete structure and a vivid ensemble of characters
Readers interested in narratives of spontaneous folk resistance against the backdrop of the War of Resistance

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer light, everyday stories without conflict
Readers expecting pure historical documentation rather than fictional invention
Readers impatient with the layering of multiple forces and a slow-burning opening

Reading tips

First read through in chapter order, noting the differing attitudes of each force toward the Golden Qilin and clarifying the lines of contest.
After reading of the treasure’s theft, look back at earlier foreshadowing in the words and actions of the “strangers” to appreciate the narrative’s echoes.
Pay attention to the portrayals of the gentry, the chamber of commerce, and the bandits beyond Lei Laoliu, and consider how the author uses the ensemble to support the theme.
After finishing the ending, leave some time to let it settle, then return to the opening and Xiazhuang and Lei Laoliu’s situation to feel the closed circle of fate.

About the publisher

Writers Publishing House China · Founded in 1953

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.

版权信息
引子
第一章
第二章
第三章
第四章
第五章
第六章
第七章

FAQ

What is the core conflict of this book?

The core conflict revolves around the Golden Qilin: after Lei Laoliu risks his life to obtain the treasure, the garrison artillery company, the bandits of Nanshan, the gentry of Shangzhuang, and the town marketplace chamber of commerce each use their own means to contend for it, while the Japanese “strangers,” under the cover of promoting “Buguzhi,” steal the treasure. The conflict ultimately shifts from a local internal struggle to external pursuit and resistance, advancing layer by layer.

How should Lei Laoliu’s final fate be understood?

The materials show that Lei Laoliu leads the young men of Xiazhuang in a blood oath and a swift, silent pursuit, chasing the strangers to the banks of the Yellow River, yet he never returns to Xiazhuang. This ending closes with deliberate omission; readers can combine it with earlier depictions of Lei Laoliu’s motive to wipe away shame and make a name for himself, and of Xiazhuang’s collective oath, to feel the tragic grandeur of individual fate intertwined with local dignity.

What do the “strangers” in the novel refer to?

In the book, “strangers” refers to the Japanese visitors who enter Xiazhuang under the pretext of promoting “Buguzhi”; outwardly friendly, they in fact steal the Golden Qilin and escape past Fengling Ferry on the Shanxi-Shaanxi border. The term itself carries the strangeness and wariness of a local perspective, and readers may note the details of their words and actions and the foreshadowing before and after.

Is it suitable to read in one sitting or in stages?

The book is ordered in structure and layered in plot. It can be read continuously to maintain a coherent grasp of the lines of contest, or in stages according to the appearance of each force, looking back after each section at each party’s motives; this makes it easier to appreciate the characterization and the elevation of the theme.

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About the author

刘明琪 Author

Liu Mingqi is a writer about whom little public information is currently available; the only known work is a social novel titled The Golden Qilin. As no clear records exist regarding birth and death dates, place of origin, education, or writing career, it is difficult to sketch a complete picture of the author's life. What can be gathered from the existing information is that the writing centers on the genre of social fiction, with attention to the circumstances of people and their relationships in real society. The Golden Qilin, as the representative work, has plot details and publication particulars that still await further verification, so it would be inappropriate to make excessive inferences about its ideological orientation or artistic achievement. On the basis of the available material, Liu Mingqi's creative profile remains rather unclear, and readers may gain a preliminary understanding of the author's choice of subject matter and narrative approach through The Golden Qilin.