Chinese Folktale: The Peacock Princess

The Peacock Princess is like the story of Swan Lake of the East. It's very popular among Chinese people and was made into a movie in 1982 with the same title. The tale originated within the people of Dai ethnic group who worshiped peacocks.

The tale of The Peacock Princess was in the beautiful Xishuangbanna, China’s tropical rain forest. The king of the Peacock Kingdom had seven beautiful daughters, but his favorite was the seventh, Nan Muluna.

All the peacock princesses could fly, including Nan Muluna. One day Nan Muluna and her sisters flew to the Golden Lake to take a bath. At the lake, she met the Prince of Mengbanzha.

It was love at the first sight. Soon the Princess and the Prince got married. But the Prince’s father, the King, was under the sway of an evil vulture who had transformed himself into a magician. This magician hated the young prince and did everything in his power to cause him grief.

The magician slandered the Princess as an evil spirit, and forced her to fly back to the Peacock Kingdom. It wasn’t until the Prince did battle with this force of evil that he was finally reunited with his beloved wife Nan Muluna.

The charming illustrations and graphic design help engage young children and compliment these well-known Chinese folktales. The pictures are big enough for a small story time and kids will find plenty to look at in one-to-one sharing.

The book comes with Chinese characters and the Pinyin (phonetic transcriptions), making it an excellent means of learning elementary Chinese. The book ends with some games, which helps parents engage their children in a discussion about the story.