Why a Booktrail?
1300s: This novel takes a journey across fated meetings, grand battles and riveting drama.
The Ten Thousand Things
What you need to know before your trail
In the turbulent final years of the Yuan Dynasty, Wang Meng is a low-level bureaucrat, employed by the government of Mongol conquerors established by the Kublai Khan. Though he wonders about his own complicity with this regime, he prefers not to dwell on his official duties, choosing instead to live the life of the mind. Wang is an extraordinarily gifted artist. His paintings are at once delicate and confident; in them, one can see the wind blowing through the trees, the water rushing through rocky valleys, the infinite expanse of China’s natural beauty. But this is not a time for sitting still and, as The Ten Thousand Things unfolds, we follow Wang as he travels through an empire in turmoil.
Travel Guide
China and the Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty was the empire or ruling dynasty of Mongolia established by Kublai Khan, leader of the Mongolian Borjigin clan. Bejing was the capital.
His realm was controlled most of present-day China and its surrounding areas, including modern Mongolia. It was the first foreign dynasty to rule all of China and lasted until 1368.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Ten Thousand Things
Destination: China Author/Guide: John Spurling Departure Time: 1300s
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