This novel is based on what the author has witnessed on his travel across the land in the late Qing Dynasty. B y means of symbolism, the author reveals that the declining empire is trapped in crises just like a tottering ship on the stormy sea. The poor governmental administration is epitomized on a cruel magistrate in a particular district. With detailed accounts and vivid descriptions the novel unfolds a vast panorama of the society of the late Qing Dynasty in China. It is regarded at home and abroad as one of the most prominent among the novels of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.