The Dutch diplomat Robert van Gulik was an outstanding, gifted and mysterious person. Judge for yourself, in the 57 years he was given, he fully realized himself in many areas at once. Orientalist, diplomat, musician and writer, one of the most erudite people of his time and the most educated sinologist of the 20th century. However, he is known throughout the world, primarily as the author of a series of detective stories about Judge Dee. He borrowed this hero from the Chinese novel “Di Gong An” (XVIII century), which was based on the biography of a real person who lived in the 7th century. Books about Judge Dee are interesting, original, bright and exciting, it is impossible to tear yourself away from them, they are easy to read, but are perceived deeper than ordinary detective stories - there is an invariable feeling of touching history and ancient wisdom. How the Dutchman, who wrote in English about Chinese life in the 17th century, managed to do this remains a mystery to me. There is no doubt that van Gulik's works are adapted for a European audience, for example Judge Di is definitely a more rational man and official than was the norm in medieval China. And, at the same time, those around him live in the religious traditions of Taoism and Buddhism that were familiar to that time, and believe in the existence of demons and supernatural beings, which adds a slight mystical flavor to the detectives. By the way, the writer created the drawings for his stories himself. He turned out to be as masterly and completely in the Chinese tradition as the stories themselves. Contents: 1. Robert van Gulik: Buddha's Gold (Translation: M. Aryeva, E. Zvyagin)2. Robert van Gulik: FIVE FAVORABLE CLOUDS (Translation: E. Volkovysky)3. Robert van Gulik: STATIONERY BRAND (Translation: E. Volkovysky)4. Robert van Gulik: IT CAME WITH THE RAIN (Translation: E. Volkovysky)5. Robert van Gulik: Lacquered screen6. Robert van Gulik: Night in a Haunted Monastery (Translation: V. Jordan)7. Robert van Gulik: The Mystery of the Jade Board (Murder on the Flower Boat)8. Robert van Gulik: Four fingers (Translation: A. Kabanova)9. Robert van Gulik: MURDER AMONG THE LOTUSES (Translation: E. Volkovysky)10. Robert van Gulik: Death under the Bell11. Robert van Gulik: The Red Arbor12. Robert van Gulik: The Necklace and the Pumpkin13. Robert van Gulik: TWO BEGGAR (Translation: E. Volkovysky)14. Robert van Gulik: ANOTHER SWORD (Translation: E. Volkovysky) 15. Robert van Gulik: Poets and Murder 16. Robert van Gulik: The Emperor's Pearl 17. Robert van Gulik: Murder in the Labyrinth (Translation: I. Kormiltsev) 18. Robert van Gulik: The Ghost in the Temple19. Robert van Gulik: THE ROYAL Coffins (Translation: E. Volkovysky)20. Robert van Gulik: NEW YEAR'S MURDER (Translation: E. Volkovysky) 21. Robert van Gulik: Murder in Chinese: Deadly nails (Translation: A. Bondarenko, M. Rubinstein) 22. Robert van Gulik: Night of the Tiger (Translation: E. Volkovysky)23. Robert van Gulik: Landscape with Willows (Translation: Alexander Kabanov)24. Robert van Gulik: Murder in Canton