Discovering History in China

Discovering History in China

Author: Paul A. Cohen

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 0231151926

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Originally published: New York: Columbia University Press, 1984.


Discover China

Discover China

Author: 丁安琪

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 106

ISBN-13: 9780230406384

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Specially designed for young adult and adult learners, this four-level beginner Mandarin Chinese course employs a communicative and integrated approach to Chinese language learning. Emphasis is placed on pair work, group work and on a variety of speaking and listening activities to help students become confident Chinese language speakers.


Chinese Motifs of Good Fortune

Chinese Motifs of Good Fortune

Author: Zhu Wen

Publisher: Shanghai Press

Published: 2011-03-10

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781602201194

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This fascinating and readable book is an exploration of Chinese culture as it appears in art. Chinese porcelains decorated with peaches and ats…textiles boldly printed with a phoenix and peony pattern…furniture carved with dragons amid the coulds…These popular patterns are beautiful and eye-catching—but what do these art symbols mean? Each expresses a wish for fortune, whether that represents prosperity, health, luck or happiness. In China, decorating with auspicious patterns dates back thousands of years, and remains popular today. It has strong ties with tradition, and provides insight into Chinese philosophies about nature, religion, morality and government. Symbols invoking fortune appear in a wide range of media, from porcelains to furniture to architectural decoration, among many others. This Chinese art book examines traditional auspicious patterns featuring animals, plants, figures, objects and symbols, as well as those that combine motifs from different categories. You will discover how to decode this intricate world of Chinese symbolism by exploring the history, meaning and use of many common patterns. In fact, learning this "visual language" will provide a new level of appreciation not only for China's remarkable decorative arts but also its profound traditional culture.


Discovering Ancient China

Discovering Ancient China

Author: Jeanne Nagle

Publisher: Britannica Educational Publishing

Published: 2015-01-01

Total Pages: 50

ISBN-13: 1622758188

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In this comprehensive volume dedicated to ancient Chinese civilization, upper elementary–level readers will learn the different dynasties of ancient China, the memorable leaders that spearheaded them, and the lasting influences each period had on civilizations to follow. Readers will learn about the oldest examples of Chinese writing, which ruler was responsible for completing the Great Wall, and the cultural context in which Confucius became a prominent philosopher, among other fascinating details. These ancient Chinese contributions—all still well known today—constitute only a few of the aspects of ancient China waiting to be discovered.


Parting the Mists

Parting the Mists

Author: Aida Yuen Wong

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2006-02-28

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 9780824829520

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In Parting the Mists, Aida Yuen Wong makes a convincing argument that the forging of a national tradition in modern China was frequently pursued in association with rather than in rejection of Japan. The focus of her book is on Japan’s integral role in the invention of "national-style painting," or guohua, in early-twentieth-century China. Guohua, referring to brush paintings on traditional formats, is often misconstrued as a residual conservatism from the dynastic age that barricaded itself within classical traditions. Wong places this art form at the forefront of cross-cultural exchange. Notable proponents of guohua (e.g., Chen Hengke, Jin Cheng, Fu Baoshi, and Gao Jianfu) are discussed in connection with Japan, where they discovered stylistic and ideological paradigms consonant with the empowering of "Asian/Oriental" cultural practices against the backdrop of encroaching westernization. Not just a "window on the West," Japan stood as an informant of China modernism in its own right. The first book in English devoted to Sino-Japanese dialogues in modern art, Parting the Mists explores the sensitive phenomenon of Japanism in the practice and theory of Chinese painting. Wong carries out a methodologically agile study that sheds light on multiple spheres: stylistic and iconographic innovations, history writing, art theory, patronage and the market, geopolitics, the creation of artists’ societies, and exhibitions. Without avoiding the dark history of Japanese imperialism, she provides a nuanced reading of Chinese views about Japan and the two countries’ convergent, and often colliding, courses of nationalism.


Discovering Chinese Nationalism in China

Discovering Chinese Nationalism in China

Author: Yongnian Zheng

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1999-04-28

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 9780521645904

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This book explores the revival of Chinese nationalism in the 1990s, and analyses the ways in which the West deals with this phenomenon. Yongnian Zheng discusses the complicated nature of China's new nationalism and presents the reader with a very different picture to that portrayed in Western readings of Chinese nationalism. He argues that China's new nationalism has been a reaction to changes in the country's international circumstances and can be regarded as a 'voice' over the existing unjustified international order. Zheng shows that the present Chinese leadership is pursuing strategies not to isolate China, but to integrate it into the international community. Based on the author's extensive research in China, the book provides a set of provocative arguments against prevailing Western attitudes to and perceptions of China's nationalism.


Chinese Architecture

Chinese Architecture

Author: Wang Qijun

Publisher: Shanghai Press

Published: 2011-03-10

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 9781602201187

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With hundreds of illustrations and insightful text, Chinese Architecture: Discovering China explores the unique architecture of this vast country. The architecture of ancient China embodies the country's expansive cultural heritage, and represents one of the world's great architectural traditions. It also reflects the different topographies and peoples spread across the country's vast territory. Architectural historian Wang Qijun takes readers on a visual journey, investigating the most striking and significant aspects of Chinese architectural history. Accompanied by over 100 photographs and exquisite illustrations, more than 40 of the most important structures from different dynasties are highlighted in this book, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Yungang Cave, Daming Palace and Dule Temple. A fascinating overview of ancient Chinese architecture and how it influenced history and culture, this book is a must for those interested in learning more about China.


Geek in China

Geek in China

Author: Matthew B. Christensen

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Published: 2016-11-15

Total Pages: 149

ISBN-13: 1462918360

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For every fan of kung fu, steamed dumplings, Confucius and giant skyscrapers, A Geek in China is a hip, smart and concise guide to the Middle Kingdom. Packed with photographs and short articles on all aspects of Chinese culture, past and present, A Geek in China introduces readers to everything from Taoism and Confucianism to pop music and China's new middle class. A mix of traditional culture, such as highlights of Chinese history, great historical and mythological figures, traditional medicine, how the Chinese language works, real Chinese food, martial arts, and how the Chinese Communist Party works, is complimented with information on what makes China unique today. Chapters discuss why China is so crowded, what it's like to work in an office, internet and cell phone culture, dating and marriage practices, top popular movies and movie stars, the contemporary art scene, China's amazing new architecture and infrastructure, and popular holidays. It also contains chapters on what makes the Chinese tick, such as the importance of harmony in society, the practice of humility, and the importance of hierarchy. For visitors to the country, the author includes sections on what to see, both common cultural sites and off-the-beaten-track sites, and how to get around in China. Sections on visiting Hong Kong and Taiwan are also included. This China travel guide is a unique guide to the world's most populous and longest continuous culture. Readers will learn essential information about China's past and present to be able to understand the many references to history, politics, and pop culture that come up in everyday conversation and in the media.


Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure

Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure

Author: Ching-He Huang

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2012-08-14

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 1446417980

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Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure is the delightful companion book to the BBC TV Show featuring their culinary adventure across China Two of the most highly respected authorities on Chinese and Oriental cooking today, Ken Hom and Ching-He Huang, come together in this exciting cookbook and is the result of their journey through China on a culinary and cultural odyssey to find the old, the new and the unexpected as shown in the BBC TV show. They tell the story of China, both old and new, through food. Each recipe in the book features a back story from Ken and Ching so you can learn the secret stories behind all your old favourite recipes and be inspired to find new ones. They cook with local families, en route to discover the influence of Buddhism on vegetarian food and whether the Chinese did actually invent tortellini in remote Kashgar before travelling to Sichuan Province, China's gastronomic capital. Ken is the old-hand who brought the wok to the West and Ching-He is the energetic newcomer. Together they uncover the secrets of Old China and the techniques of the new, fusing them together to create a unique and authoritative perspective on Chinese food that will surprise and inform.