Many cultures of the ancient world have passed into memory leaving only the skeletal remains of the people and the fading words written on crumbling walls in a language lost to the sands of time. Uniquely, China has weathered the ravages of time and political upheaval without losing its identity or its language. China is a land of many contrasts and climates, but the people of this land are a hardy band who treasure their heritage and the forebears who have handed it down through the centuries of conflict and change. Passed down through the centuries are stories of great families, great battles, and great heroes; tales of good and evil; stories of love; stories of the grace and the strength of the human spirit. The fables gathered here entwine the myths and legends of the people of the ancient land and the beauty of the flowers that bloom with the changing seasons. If there is a common thread that runs through these tales, it is that the battle between good and evil is neither new, nor has it yet been won. The contest continues, and perhaps, for each reader, a new well of resolve and determination will be discovered somewhere among the blossoms that color the landscape of the soul.
