Brief Introduction to the Novel Empty Valley and Orchid

1 Lonely Valley is a seclusion trip of China written by American sinologist Bill Porter. He personally visited the modern hermits in China who lived in Zhong Nanshan and other places in 1980s and 1990s, which led to the history of the emergence and development of China's recluse culture and its tradition, and compared it with the current situation he was interviewing, expressing his high admiration and yearning for the traditional culture in China and writing his hope for the future development of China. Although it is a secret journey, the style of this book is not dignified. Even when Bill describes the destroyed old tree, he should let readers see the buds on the old stump. The language of the book is as beautiful as a sketch, full of vitality and appeal, and American humor is revealed between the lines, which often makes readers smile. So to be precise, this is a "journey of hope" about the revival of China's traditional culture. The scenery in dozens of illustrated photos in the book is extremely beautiful and breathtaking, some of which were taken by Stephen R. Johnson, a famous American photographer, at the risk of his life.

2. Creation background: Bill Porter, a writer, translator and sinologist, has lived in Taiwan Province and Hongkong for a long time since 1970s. In the late 1980s, he began to travel to Chinese mainland frequently. On the one hand, he translated China's ancient Buddhist classics into English, and at the same time, he wrote a large number of articles and travel notes introducing China's native land and cultural relics for European and American readers. On the other hand, he followed the trail of hermits and personally visited contemporary hermits in China who lived in Zhong Nanshan and other places. On this basis, Bill Porter wrote a monograph "Empty Valley and Orchids".