Tan xiang xing, often translated as Sandalwood Death, is a novel set around the year 1900 in Shandong. It centres on a local opera singer and the story of rebellion against foreign powers and the failing imperial government. The book draws on the local Maoqiang opera tradition, so that song and drama run through the narrative. It deals with cruelty, honour and the clash of cultures in a period of crisis, and is told in a theatrical, vivid style.