Leaving the World to Enter the World: Han Shaogong and Chinese Root-Seeking Literature. This book examines the fictional and theoretical writings of Han Shaogong, one of the most striking voices in contemporary Chinese literature and author of the acclaimed 1996 novel, Dictionary of Maqiao. Han is seen by many as the leader of a nationalist movement in search of a cultural identity, but the author of this volume sets out to show that Han's role is much more complex. He shows that Han's style transcends the narrow confines of root-seeking, and it is in fact a highly individual and creative continuation of a Chinese tradition.