Must-Recite Classical Chinese Poems for Junior High (English-Chinese Edition): 40 Poems Translated by Xu Yuanchong

What is this book?

It’s a bilingual anthology of 40 classical Chinese poems—the ones every middle school student in China is required to memorize. From the Book of Songs (“Guan! Guan! Cry the fish hawks”) to Li Bai’s “Hard Is the Road to Shu,” from Tao Yuanming’s quiet drinking poems to Qiu Jin’s fierce defiance, these are the verses that shaped how Chinese people feel and think about life, ambition, loneliness, and love-46.

Why does it matter?

Because these poems aren’t just about ancient people in a faraway dynasty. They’re about leaving home. About wanting something badly. About being alone and finding it okay. The English translations are by Xu Yuanchong, the first Asian translator to receive the “Aurora Borealis” Prize for outstanding literary translation—the highest international honor in the field-41-43. His translations don‘t just convert words; they carry the music of the original into English verse.

Who is this for?

• English-speaking readers curious about Chinese poetry but not sure where to start.

• Chinese learners who want to read poetry in both languages side by side.

• Anyone who wants to share a Chinese poem with a friend but doesn’t know how to translate it.

• Parents whose children are memorizing these poems—now with a world-class English version alongside.

Why trust this edition?

Edited by Ren Xiaoyong (a Beijing English master teacher) and Ning Libo (an international education specialist), translated by Xu Yuanchong-41. Published by China Wenshi Press, June 2025, 245 pages, portable 32-format-41. Not a scraped-together online PDF—a real published book.