Under the Great Wushan

Lung Ying-tai's debut novel offers a multi-faceted narrative, exploring the philosophical journey of youth growth and serving as an encyclopedic "museum novel." It presents the history of humans, the vast universe, geology, animals, and plants on a singular axis, portraying the state of human existence in a magical and encompassing manner. The story unfolds on Lantau Island in Hong Kong and then shifts its focus to Dawu Mountain in Pingtung, Taiwan. It follows an unnamed writer, who, after leaving the countryside at fourteen, embarks on a life of wandering. Upon returning to the village she left fifty years ago, she encounters a mysterious fourteen-year-old girl. As they traverse the ancient road of a hundred years, the narrative delves into the profound themes of love, regret, pain, reluctance, death, and time, unfolding like a tightly folded fragrant handkerchief.