Maker of myth

Ancient legends get a modern twist thanks to a popular novelist from Chongqing. Xing Yi reports.

Hong Ying left her hometown, Chongqing, at a young age, but the novelist and poet returns to the southwestern city of China again and again in her books - from her well-known autobiography Daughter of the River to her latest work, The Legend of Liya.

Published earlier this month, the story is the second installment of a fairy-tale series based on the myth of Ba, an ancient state that covered the area of what is now the Chongqing municipality, some 2,000 years ago. The Ba culture was passed down through generations mainly in the form of folklore, and this left a deep impression on Hong.