The Forbidden Scripture: Hua Hu, Book I - Paperback

by Hanson Chan (Author)

This is a novel based on a religious feud between the Taoists and the Buddhists in the Mongol period of China. The story of Hua Hu, Book 1 & 2, in English editions are the complete translations of the Chinese versions of Hua Hu, Book 1 & 2, which were previously published in 2006. In real history, "Hua Hu" or "Lao Tzu's Hua Hu Jing" was the name for a once very popular Taoist scripture, which circulated in ancient China. And, originally, it was written by a Taoist named Wang Fou in 305 A.D., its main contents were a narration of Lao Tzu's West Journey after he had finished Tao Te Ching and exited on an ox through the gate that later became part of the Great Wall. However, the book quickly became valuable as well as controversial due to an alleged conviction inside the text that Lao Tzu's westward journey eventually went to India and enlisted Sakyamuni (the founder of Buddhism) as his disciple. This sparked off a long debate over the issue between Taoists and Buddhists on whether it was fact or fiction. For the next nine hundred years, the center issue kept intensifying yet remained unsettled. Meanwhile the Taoist scripture Lao Tzu's Hua Hu Jing circulated and popular from the fourth to the thirteenth centuries in China. And, its contents also kept enlarging. Then, during the early part of the Mongol period, it suddenly suffered a series of banning and burning officially by the decree of the emperor in three occasions...... Why was it banned and burned and how was that happened becomes the main story of Hanson Chan's two novels of martial arts on this particular subject.

Author Biography

Hanson Chan, writer of Chinese novels and screenplays, was born in Taishan, Guangdong Province, China. He grew up in Hong Kong, received his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Maryland and his Master's in Asian Studies from Seton Hall University in USA. He was a reporter, editor, and feature columnist for Chinese newspapers in Hong Kong and New York City. He is also credited and known for his martial arts screenplays: "Swordsman II", "Once Upon a Time in China II, III, IV". His best-known work Chinese History Made Easy was originally published in Chinese in 2008, its second edition in 2011by Xinhua Publishing in Beijing, China. Currently, its fully translated English edition is also available at Amazon.com. He lives with his wife, Lan, in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, USA.