Jiwen

Changganli Jiwen

This story received Chinese National Best Network Novel Award for 2019.

In the fictional Chinese city of Nandu, the ancient walls have enclosed the neighborhood of Changganli for 600 years. In the 1950s, as the citizens wanted to develop as fast as possible, "relics" like the city wall were deemed an obstacle to modernization and the order went out to dismantle it. But there are those who are willing to die to preserve the city's cultural heritage and the wall survives to become a vital element in the lives of five young friends who grow up in its shadow. Coming of age in the 1980s and moving on to college and their careers, these five friends then find themselves at odds about preserving their heritage and taking their fast-developing city into the next century, during the year 2018.

As the heroes and heroines of Changganli grapple with the conflict over what is worth saving in a world that's changing so quickly, readers will find themselves just as conflicted over what's right and what's wrong. With nuanced and appealing characters and relationships; a white-hot conflict spanning generations; incidents of drama and horror; and deeply moving, star-crossed romances, Changganli introduces readers to the inestimable value and beauty of Chinese culture and tradition.