The Powder-Adorned Tower
The First Complete English Translation of a Classic Chinese Novel
Step into the waning days of the Tang Dynasty - a time of upheaval, intrigue, and fragile splendor.
The Powder-Adorned Tower is one of China’s great historical romances, long attributed to the legendary Luo Guanzhong, author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Blending history and imagination, this sweeping narrative captures the turbulence of the late Tang and Five Dynasties period, when warlords clashed, families were torn apart, and loyalty and ambition were tested at every turn.
At the heart of the tale lies the “Powder-Adorned Tower” itself - a symbol of beauty, fate, and shifting fortune. Through vivid scenes of palace life, battlefield valor, and human struggle, the novel explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, romance, and destiny against the backdrop of a collapsing empire.
For centuries, 粉妝樓全傳 has been celebrated in China as a companion work to Tales of the Tang Dynasty (說唐) and Romance of the Remaining Tang and Five Dynasties (殘唐五代史演義). Now, for the first time, it appears in a complete English edition, making this remarkable classic accessible to a new generation of readers.
Rich in drama, poetry, and timeless human conflict, The Powder-Adorned Tower opens a window into the fading brilliance of the Tang and the uncertain dawn of the Five Dynasties.
Translated to English by Valentin Saric.
At a glance
About the series
Rediscover the great epics, mysteries and chronicles of dynastic China: gods and generals, swindlers and scholars, courtesans, ghosts and emperors, in complete English translations.
