Introduction Fictional or semi-fictional stories and practical concepts are likeyinand yang, the two fundamental principles of ancient Chinese philosophy. Although apparently contradictory, the two coexisting aspects are often complementary, interconnected and interdependent in Chinese culture. In this book, we present just such yinand yang, namely, “Chinese Mythology” and the “Thirty-Six Stratagems.” The mythology here describes ancient beliefs in origins, ancestors, history and deities. It explains how the universe was created and how human beings came into existence. Many elements of mythology were later adapted or assimilated into the three major belief systems in China: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. On the other hand, the “Thirty-Six Stratagems,” a term first used in China more …