Yang (folklore and mythology, Beijing Normal U.) and An (folklore, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing) offer what they believe is the first book on Chinese mythology written by Chinese mythologists in English. Compared to accounts written or translated by Westerners, they say, it provides a native perspective, a more comprehensive picture, an emphasis of the relationship between Chinese myths and their social and cultural contexts, and more selected entries and sources. They look at written and oral sources, various ethnic groups, myth in history, and the chronology of the mythological world. Then they present and analyze myths relating to deities, themes, and concepts. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
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Lihui Yang is Professor of Folklore and Mythology at the College of Chinese Language and Literature at Beijing Normal University. Deming An is Professor and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing. Jessica Anderson Turner is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.