Traditional Chinese legend, retold in simple Mandarin
Liu Yi and the Dragon Princess
柳毅传书
Liu Yi and the Dragon Princess (柳毅传书, Liǔ Yì chuán shū) is a Chinese legend, retold in simple Mandarin as a 4-chapter story with audio for learners at about HSK 2 (Elementary).
A scholar who failed his exam carries a dragon princess's letter to her father under a lake. Retold from Li Chaowei's Tang tale of a kind deed and a surprise wedding.
Meet the voices
- Narrator · 旁白 — A warm storyteller who sets the scene.
- Liu Yi · 柳毅 — A kind, honest scholar who failed his exam but helps a stranger.
- The Dragon Princess · 龙女 — The Dongting Dragon King's gentle daughter, unhappily married and far from home.
- Shrimp Soldier · 虾兵 — A proud, chatty guard of the Dragon King who hates being called a shrimp.
- Dragon King of Dongting · 洞庭龙王 — The gentle old ruler of the lake and the princess's loving father.
- Lord Qiantang · 钱塘君 — The princess's fiery uncle, loud and quick to anger but honest and loyal.
- The Matchmaker · 媒人 — A cheerful, fast-talking woman who arranges a surprising wedding.
4 chapters, one journey
Chapter 1: The Girl and the Strange Sheep
奇怪的羊
A scholar who failed his exam finds a weeping girl herding sheep that never eat grass. Her secret sends him to a lake, where something splashes out of the water.
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Chapter 2: The Crystal Palace
水晶房子
Under the lake, a Dragon King weeps over a letter, and his fiery brother hears everything. A roar shakes the palace, and then he is gone.
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Chapter 3: The Feast and the Answer
一顿好饭
The princess is home, and Liu Yi is the guest of honor. But a loud uncle has a demand, and Liu Yi has to give an answer nobody expects.
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Chapter 4: The New Bride
新娘
Years later, a matchmaker knocks with news of a girl who has heard Liu Yi's name. On the wedding night, he lifts the red cloth.
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Key words in Liu Yi and the Dragon Princess
Behind the story
This story comes from The Tale of Liu Yi (柳毅传), written by Li Chaowei (李朝威) in the Tang dynasty. It is one of the famous Tang chuanqi (唐传奇), short tales about wonders and magic, and this one takes place partly under Dongting Lake (洞庭湖).
Later writers turned the tale into plays and operas under the title 柳毅传书, “Liu Yi Delivers a Letter.” In Chinese culture dragons are water spirits who bring rain and rule rivers and lakes, so a dragon princess who herds rain clouds like sheep feels very natural to Chinese readers.
Did you know?
- Dongting Lake is in Hunan province and is one of the largest freshwater lakes in China.
- The fiery uncle is named after the Qiantang River (钱塘江) in Zhejiang, famous for its huge tidal wave.
- Chinese dragons are usually kind water spirits, not fire-breathing monsters.