The Vermilion Gate Author:Lin Yutang The story begins in the Far West of China, in the ancient capital, Si-an. It stretches across the deserts of Sinkiang to Hami and Urumchi during the period of 1932-1934, with the heroine, Jo-an, her lover, Li Fei, and dozens of other characters. The descriptions of natural scenery, mountains, lake, river, and desert are vivid and eloquent. Th... more »e author's disdain for corrupt and cruel officials and his sympathy with the oppressed and the poor are manifest.« less