Mirage

The young son of the Chinese traders’ association head, who dealt with foreign merchants in the port of Guangzhou, is suddenly burdened with the responsibility of his powerful family. A latter-day Baoyu, but with far stronger sexual impulses, this son must learn to tame his libido while conducting himself prudently in Guangzhou society. This little-known novel, titledShenlou zhi, is translated here for the first time. Published in 1804, it is the earliest novel to deal with the opium trade and is closely connected to events that occurred in Guangzhou andHuizhou just before its publication: the arrival of a new superintendent of customs in Guangzhou and the outbreak of rebellion in Huizhou. This strikingly original work advances the culture of adolescence first depicted inHonglou meng and showcases, in its account of the rebellion, the romantic conventions ofShuihu zhuan.