From the heart of classical China

Old stories.
New worlds.

Learn Chinese through timeless tales. Read in English, hover for modern and classical Chinese, and listen as each story comes to life.

Find your next story
Short readsRead · Compare · Listen
A scholar approaches a mountain temple beneath the moon
A journey into the extraordinaryMount Laoshan · Collection No. 02

Some stories travel through centuries. Others take you there.

Stories worth a quiet moment.

A small collection of wonder, wit, and the wonderfully strange.

3 TALES · ONE COLLECTION
The Pear Tree — story illustration01
Wonder4 min read

The Pear Tree

種梨

A miserly pear seller refuses a wandering priest one piece of fruit. When a stranger steps in, the marketplace witnesses a small miracle—and a lesson no one will soon forget.

Read story
The Taoist of Laoshan — story illustration02
Fantasy5 min read

The Taoist of Laoshan

勞山道士

Wang dreams of learning the secrets of the immortals. At a secluded mountain temple, he discovers moonlit wonders—but mastering magic may demand more patience than he is prepared to give.

Read story
The River Friend — story illustration03
Kindred spirits8 min read

The River Friend

王六郎

A fisherman shares his wine with a mysterious stranger by the river. What begins as a quiet nightly friendship leads to an extraordinary choice between personal freedom and compassion for another.

Read story

An old world.
A new invitation.

Our story

For centuries, Chinese storytellers found the extraordinary in everyday life. We’re opening a small window into that world, starting with Pu Songling’s Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. Ancient originals, new translations, and a little room for wonder.