蒲松龄 · 1640-1715
Pu Songling
Pu Songling spent his life collecting ghost stories. His masterpiece, "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" (聊斋志异), is one of the most famous works in Chinese literature. Over 500 tales of fox spirits, ghosts, scholars, and the supernatural.
These aren't horror stories. They're witty, strange, and often funny. A fox spirit falls in love with a scholar. A man peels off his own skin. A monk dies and comes back with a very different personality. Pu Songling used the supernatural to comment on corruption, love, and the absurdity of the imperial exam system.
The originals are in classical Chinese, which makes them challenging even for native speakers. But graded versions bring these stories within reach at HSK 6, keeping the atmosphere and plot while using vocabulary you actually know.
Stories by Pu Songling
4 stories · 3 free
画皮
The Painted Skin
A scholar encounters a beautiful woman who turns out to be a demon in disguise.
1260 chars
种梨
Growing Pears
A greedy seller is tricked by a Taoist priest.
464 chars
狐妾
The Fox Concubine
A government official takes a fox spirit as his concubine.
1361 chars
死僧
The Dead Monk
A Taoist witnesses strange events at a temple, leading to a mysterious discovery.
216 chars