Animals have always been very important to the Chinese people and Chinese culture. However, scholarly studies of animals in China are few and far between, especially in-depth historical studies of animals’ roles in Chinese culture. Here comes a rare gem, an innovative collection of essays on animals in historical China, a unique and outstanding collection by leading historians in China studies, a welcome contribu-tion to our understanding of human-animal relations in China. The editors, Roel Sterckx, Martina Siebert, and Dagmar Schäfer, note in the introduction that the book aims to open doors into the rich field of animals in China, offering a selection of essays over the longue durée. Judging by the contents, I think the editors and authors have indeed achieved this aim admirably.