The Ancient Ship, a novel with profound historical and cultural heritage, depicts the vicissitudes of life of four families in the Wali Town by the Luqing River in eastern Shandong Province and truthfully recreates the distortion of human nature in those particular historical periods and the changes brought on by the great wave of reform. It is one of the most momentous and profound masterpieces of contemporary Chinese literature and a “dignified monument of the Chinese nation”. It uses one ancient town to reflect the whole China, one river to stand for the continuation of life, and the vicissitudes of one family to describe the plight and struggle of souls. With fine and emotional craftsmanship, the author creates various characters with strong personality.