★ This book is the first punctuated and edited standalone edition of Living Among Flowers, featuring simplified punctuation, annotations of obscure terms, and a modern vernacular translation—making this Ming dynasty classic accessible to contemporary readers for the very first time.

★ Organized along 10 historical periods, it brings together literary anecdotes, historical tales, and legendary stories related to flowers across Chinese dynasties. The content is both engaging and readable, enriching readers’ knowledge of floral history and Stories.

★ The editor holds a Ph.D. in Literature and serves as a university lecturer, specializing in Tang-Song literature and plant culture studies. With authored works in related fields, his expertise ensures accurate annotations and reliable translations.

The Chinese Historical Horticulture Classics Collection comprises 8 volumes:
"Living Among Flowers"
"A Record of Appreciating Flowers"
"Manual of Celebrated Flowers"
"Notes on Cultivation from Jianpu"
"Cultivation Secrets & Aesthetic Pleasures"
"The Nine Honors, Nine Grades and Thirty Distinguished Guests Among Flowers"
"The Phenology and Seasonal Patterns of Flowers"
"Three Masterpieces of Ming Dynasty Flower Arrangement Art"

Living Among Flowers, compiled by Chen Shijiao during the Ming dynasty, is a collection of literary and historical anecdotes drawn from classical texts, all centered on flowers and plants. Organized chronologically across ten eras—Five Emperors, Three Dynasties, Han, Three Kingdoms, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming—the book records numerous stories, tales, and legends related to flora from each period. Its content is highly entertaining and readable, offering a vivid cultural tapestry of China’s botanical heritage. The title Living Among Flowers derives from a line in Tang poet Li He’s “Poem of Qin Palace”: “A life spent living among flowers” . This reflects Chen Shijiao’s profound love for flowers and his poetic aspiration to dwell perpetually amid blossoms.

Prior to this edition, Living Among Flowers had never been published as a punctuated and collated standalone volume. This edition presents the original text with revised punctuation, annotations for difficult terms, and a complete translation into modern vernacular Chinese. Readers will not only broaden their knowledge of historical and Stories related to flowers but also gain insight into how ancient Chinese people cultivated character and spiritual refinement through their interactions with the floral world.

Chen Shijiao, styled Sike and also known as Lüfu, was a native of Xiushui (present-day Jiaxing) in Zhejiang during the Ming dynasty. He is the author of Living Among Flowers and History of Garden Irrigation.

Shi Runhong holds a Ph.D. in Literature from Nanjing Normal University and currently lectures at the School of Literature, Anhui Normal University, where he teaches classical Chinese literature. His research focuses on Tang-Song literature and plant culture. His publications include Studies on Plant Literature and Culture in the Tang and Song Dynasties and Animals and Plants in Classical Chinese Poetry.