Tang Yan: Postscript to the Novel "Baisha Men"

Tang Yan

Presented before you is the third installment of my epic trilogy, "Chuang Hai."

It's time to summarize these three novels: The first novel, "Original Sin: Paradise Island," depicts the original sin of pioneering entrepreneurs – plundering resources and destroying the environment. The second novel, "Island City Past," is about pioneering people searching for a spiritual haven – bidding farewell to the hustle and bustle and returning to nature. The third novel, "Baisha Gate," portrays the turbulent lives and destinies of pioneering people – living towards the sun and seeking soul salvation.

"White Sand Gate" tells a story: On a cold winter evening, a mysterious woman visits Tan Tian, a down-on-his-luck wealthy businessman and former sea adventurer on the island city, via WeChat. This encounter unearths a poignant love story sealed for twenty-four years, a scene of corrupt collusion between officials and businessmen for private gain, a journey of upholding promises and searching for heroes, and a reverberating melody of sudden awakening and embracing the sun. The silent White Sand Gate witnesses it all, echoing with the crashing waves. The old soldier, transcending time and space, understands it all, responding with a long cry to the heavens. On a day when flowers are in bloom, before the hero's grave, a clap of thunder breaks, signifying the awakening of all things, the repentance of life, and the redemption of the soul.

The creation of "Baishamen" was entirely accidental. A friend made a video using an old photograph of Baishamen Beach. As I watched the video, my mind wandered, and I was suddenly transported through time, hopelessly back to that era, back to that place – Baishamen, a place many who ventured out to sea loved and missed. So, strictly speaking, it is a novel paying tribute to Baishamen.

If the writing of the first two novels carried a certain avant-garde and exploratory quality, then the writing of "Baishamen" returned to the tradition of solid storytelling; it was written with both ease and hardship, with both fluency and struggle.

A place name appears in all three novels: Island City. Yes, on a beautiful southern island, there is indeed a city. She is a sorceress. I dedicated the most important years of my life to her, and she repaid me with boundless happiness and endless pain. I love her, I am attached to her, but as I grow older, I also want to escape her—I often dream of walking into the fields, being a farmer, carrying farming tools, walking barefoot on the ridges; in the day, I'll be with chickens and ducks, and at night, I'll read by the stars and moon, experiencing a long-lost sentiment… On a quiet afternoon, I will sit under the green trees by the pond, remembering Island City, remembering my friends—they are fabulously wealthy, they hold high positions, they feast on delicacies… I won't compare myself to them; I'll only compare myself to the flocks of chickens and ducks, the pleasant breeze, the green garden watered by sweat…

As I finished writing this novel, it was just after the cold wave from the north had swept through the island. I invited my elder brother, whom I've admired my entire life, for a cup of coffee. He is my mentor in life, my elder brother in daily living, and my guide in literature. We sat in a seaside coffee shop, the sun hanging lazily at its zenith, the faint sound of the waves from Baishamen drifting in from not too far away. My brother quietly lit a cigarette, and a patch of gentle sunlight fell perfectly on his shoulder – it was an exceptionally beautiful silhouette. I silently thanked my brother in my heart for guiding me with the light of literature over the years, allowing my dark and adventurous path to grow towards the sun, even when things were difficult. It is literature that has allowed me to cultivate a soft heart in a hard world, a heart often filled with kindness, emotion, and reverence... That day, the sunshine was warm, my brother's smile was warm, literature was warm, and my heart was warm. I am very fortunate.

Thank you, life, and thank you to all those I respect and love.

Thanks to New Star Press for patiently listening to my nagging and complaints.

February 2024 Tang Yan in Haikou

(The novel "White Sand Gate" will soon be published by New Star Press. Please stay tuned.)

Tang Yan Resume:

Tang Yan, a member of the China Writers Association, a member of the China Forestry Ecology Writers Association, a director of the Hainan Provincial Writers Association, a member of the Haikou Municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the vice chairman of the Haikou Writers Association and director of its Novel Creation Committee.

Authored the short story collection "Talking Stories," and the three-part novel series "Original Sin Paradise Island," "Island City Past," and "Baisha Gate." Received the Hainan Literature Biennial Award for 2010-2011 and 2020-2021, and the second Xiaojian Youth Literature Award. Served as Vice Chairman of the Hainan Provincial Youth Writers Association and Deputy Chairman of the Sixth Branch directly under the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese People.

Hometown in Yueyang, Hunan. Member of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese People. Currently resides in Haikou.