Raise the Red Lantern (novella)

Raise the Red Lantern
Cover of the edition published by Chunfeng Literature & Art Publishing House (春风文艺出版社) in Mainland China
AuthorSu Tong
Original title妻妾成群 (Wives and Concubines)
TranslatorMichael S. Duke
LanguageMandarin Chinese
PublisherBook: Yuan-Liou Publishing Co. (遠流出版公司)
Publication date
1989
Publication placeChina
Published in English
1993
Media typePrint
Wives and Concubines
Chinese妻妾成群
Literal meaningA drove of wives and concubines Crowd of Wives and Concubines, or A Profusion of Wives and Concubines
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinQīqiè Chéngqún
Wade–GilesCh'i1-ch'ieh4 Ch'eng2-chün2
Raise the Red Lantern
Traditional Chinese大紅燈籠高高掛
Simplified Chinese大红灯笼高高挂
Literal meaningRaise high the red lanterns
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinDà Hóng Dēnglóng Gāogāo Guà
Wade–GilesTa4 Hung2 Teng1-long2 Kao1-kao1 Kua4

Raise the Red Lantern (traditional Chinese: 大紅燈籠高高掛; simplified Chinese: 大红灯笼高高挂), originally known as Wives and Concubines (Chinese: 妻妾成群; pinyin: Qīqiè Chéngqún), is a 1990 novella by Su Tong, published by Yuan-Liou Publishing Co. (遠流出版公司), that describes a female former university student whose mind is broken by the concubine system in 1930s China. It was adapted into the 1991 film, Raise the Red Lantern, by Zhang Yimou.