Must-Recite Classical Poems for Primary School (English-Chinese Edition): 70+ Poems Translated by Xu Yuanchong

If you want your child to memorize Chinese poems, learn English, and actually understand what each poem means — this book is for you.

What is this book?
Primary School Must-Recite Ancient Chinese Poems with English Translations collects over 70 classic Chinese poems that are required learning in Chinese primary schools — from Ode to the Goose and Thoughts in the Silent Night to Spring Night, Happy Rain and Mooring by Maple Bridge at Night. Each poem comes with the original Chinese text, an appreciation note in Chinese, and an English translation.-29

Why trust it?
The English translations are by Xu Yuanchong, winner of the "Aurora Borealis" Prize for Outstanding Translation of Fiction Literature — the highest international honor in literary translation — and the first Asian translator to receive it. His translations of 300 Tang Poems and 300 Song Lyrics are considered benchmarks for English rendering of classical Chinese poetry. These are not machine translations or literal renderings — they are literary translations that carry the spirit and rhythm of the original.

Who is it for?

• Overseas Chinese families: Kids learn Chinese poems and English in one go, with bilingual understanding at every step.

• Chinese language learners: Use the most classic poems as an entry point to Chinese, with English alongside to unlock the cultural meaning.

• Foreign readers interested in Chinese culture: 70+ of the most iconic Chinese poems — a single book that opens the door to the essence of Chinese literature.

What does it give you?
The appreciation notes explain each poem's background, what the poet was feeling, and why it matters. Readers don't just memorize — they understand. The English versions offer a second lens through which to see these poems. The beauty of Chinese and the beauty of English appear side by side — exactly the ideal Xu Yuanchong pursued throughout his life.