Jörg Bäcker of the University of Bonn described it as "the first large-scale anthology of the folk literature in China ever published in the West".
[1] The book includes oral literature from Han Chinese and ethnic minorities.
[3] Bäcker argued that there are parts of the anthology which in many cases should have additional commentary and cultural notes, and others that "are richly and aptly annotated"; he puts the folktales, such as "The Gingseng Tale," in the former group, and the Jiangsu shan ge or wu ge folk songs in the latter group.
[3] Bäcker wrote that "All in all, the Columbia Anthology is an extremely fascinating and well-done work, and it offers new insights into a much neglected field of China's culture.
"[2] Loh Su Hsing of the Asian Review of Books described the anthology as "an impressive and worthwhile enterprise, offering a wonderful selection of folk literature that would otherwise not be accessible to the English-speaking reader.