Chinese folklore - Topics

Why does the Legend of the White Snake keep getting retold? What is the story of Meng Jiangnu and why is it told at the Great Wall? How does the Pangu story explain the origin of the world? How did the Butterfly Lovers become China's Romeo and Juliet? Why do Chinese almanacs still print a daily luck rating for every activity? Are Chinese ghost stories meant to frighten people or to teach them something? How do local legends attach themselves to real mountains and rivers? Why do so many Chinese legends pair a scholar with a supernatural woman? Why is there no cat in the Chinese zodiac? What motifs do Chinese regional legends have in common? Which Chinese folk tales are still told to children today? What stories does Chinese shadow play usually tell? How did the tale of Mulan change each time it was retold? What kind of creatures fill the Chinese mythological bestiaries? What did Nüwa do after she patched the sky? Why are there so many competing versions of the same Chinese folk tale? What role do professional storytellers play in keeping Chinese folk tales alive? Where do Chinese ghost stories get their rules about the dead? What is the story behind the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl? Why are fox spirits such a recurring figure in Chinese tales? Which motifs count as lucky in Shaanxi paper cutting? Was the Three Kingdoms period as dramatic as the novel makes it seem?