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What are the representatives of Chinese culture spreading over the world？ A research on Chinese cultural symbol suggested that foreigners reach a relative consensus on the representatives of Chinese culture which are the Great Wall and Chinese Dragon. When it comes to the representatives of present Chinese culture， however， they differ in opinions—Beijing Olympic Games， Shanghai World Expo， eye-catching new-style architectures， luxurious lifestyle， sharp contrast between city and countryside. “On one hand， culture symbols can embody the culture and are therefore good for the spread of Chinese culture. On the other hand， they can keep foreigners from getting a full understanding of the colorful and lively Chinese culture.” said Cai Zhili， professor in Singapore. He also suggested that foreigners should pay attention to all aspects of Chinese culture so that they can get a complete understanding of China and Chinese culture.
Presentation and spread of Chinese cultural elements
Chinese cultural elements， in a broad sense， refer to those a） gradually formed in the long course of emerging， evolution and development in Chinese cultural history； b） created and inherited by Chinese ethnicities； c） reflecting the features of Chinese culture and folklore. They cover ideology， moral concept， value system， customs， living habits， architecture form， arts， science， technology， law， religious beliefs， aesthetic thoughts， ethics and so forth， ranging in space from China to even the Chinese settlements abroad， and in time from the prehistoric age to the present day. Chinese cultural elements， in a narrow sense， mean symbols such as image and customs from art or daily life， wherein the elements of economics and politics are excluded. Here we focus on the latter.
We may find some classic elements in traditional Chinese culture spread and used all over the world. Some， such as calligraphy， seal cutting， Chinese knot， Qin and Han architectural style， terracotta warriors， Peking Opera facial makeup， shadow play， martial arts， the peach blossom fan， cloisonné， gardens， temples， pagodas， tang suit， cheongsam， embroidered shoes， candlestick， compass， gossip， Sinan， etc.， have always being seen in books， movies， conversation， music， etc.
In 1915 Panama Expo， for example， Suzhou embroidery， Hunan chrysanthemum stone， Shanghai "GeDeHe" pottery， Shanghai MayWar Lee clock， Beijing snuff bottle， Hui Ink Stick made by Hu Kaiwen， Zhejiang Huzhou writing brush， Zhejiang Yueqing boxwood carvings， Qingtian stone carving and Changzhou dandruff comb， etc.， won several golden and silver awards. These classic elements not only show the material， techniques and forms of Chinese traditional culture， while more importantly the spirit and concept nourished within them. Recommended books on the elements of Chinese culture
Character Tree： Chinese People Living in Characters
Liao Wenhao | Beijing Joint Publishing Company | Dec 2013 | ISBN 9787550222151
The book breaks through the traditional stereotype of philology， collects 500 characters related to "human". Starting from the cultural characteristics of Chinese characters， it puts all meaning-related characters together in a magical tree of Chinese characters. Each character has its own growth story. Concentrating them in the "tree diagram of Chinese characters" with clear and brief description allows the readers without any foundation of philology to get a lot of new discoveries and fun by virtue of their experience in the use of Chinese characters. When introducing 500 Chinese characters related to "human" in details， the book also substantially collects the oracle bone inscriptions， bronze inscriptions， seal scripts， traditional Chinese characters and simplified Chinese characters， etc. for the Chinese characters related to "human"， so readers can develop an understanding of the development process of Chinese characters from simple to complex according to the logic relationship between the trees of Chinese characters.
About the author
Liao Wenhao， associate professor and library director of National Taipei College of Business， is dedicated to the study of ancient Chinese characters， delves into oracle bone inscriptions for over ten years， and has published The Chinese Character Dragon Turns out to Be a Rebellious Dragon， The Impact of Tattoo Custom on Chinese Character， See God in Chinese Characters， Taste the Aroma of Liquor in Chinese Characters and other articles.
Origins of Chinese Cultural Evolution （2 Vol. Set）
Guangdong Education Publishing House | ?260.00 | Dec 2012
Origins of Chinese Cultural Evolution
- A new interpretation of Chinese culture
Contemporary cultural studies on Chinese characters enjoyed a better time in 1980s and 1990s than present， for which the researching achievements of this century are not as much as that of the last century. However， the recent published Origins of Chinese Cultural Evolution seems to have brought some fresh air.
This is a large work on Chinese characters （840 contained in total）. Each character is followed by an explanatory essay on the emergence and development of its form， sound and meaning. The book features three focuses：
The first one lies in the smart combination of academic and popular content. For the academic part， the book indicates the source of the cited content in detail， and also corrects some existed academic point of view. Meanwhile， the book also caters to the general readers， for which plain language is used to explain some complex academic knowledge. Secondly， it makes a unique combination of character studies and cultural interpretation. The characters contained are each introduced from shape and sound， and further to the evolution of shape and meaning on that basis. After that， the cultural interpretation， the development of social life and customs associated with the characters are followed.
For the third focus， the book also studies the new emerged characters as Chinese society develops， which has been connected with the previous studies on Chinese characters.
On the Four Arts
Xu Mingjia | Hunan University Press （Changsha） | Nov 2013 | ISBN 978-7-5667-0378-1
Chinese traditional art is as vast as a misty ocean， extensive and profound， but the most respected by people are the four arts. People love them and are willing to practice， so they call them "four skills". The book narrates the development overview， celebrity performance and excellent works of Chinese four arts， and by selecting some representative fun facts it highlights the image of celebrities with temperament and interest， enhances artistic conception and readability.
The book has four chapters， respectively introducing the four ancient arts in China - Qin， go， calligraphy and painting. Each chapter is divided into two parts： overview and fun articles， and on the basis of introducing the origin， development， types and other relevant information of four arts， the author respectively selects the relevant fun facts and stories with certain representativeness.
About the author
Xu Mingjia， the senior lecturer of Hubei Radio & TV University Shishou Campus， was awarded the grand prize and gold medal by National Expert Review Committee of Outstanding Teacher Innovative Education， China Traditional Culture Institute University and other academic joint media in 2003， 2006， 2008， and 2010 respectively. He has co-edited Chinese Teaching Materials on Probation of Secondary Normal School， Concise Textbook of Ancient Chinese （Associate Editor）， Notes of Jingzhou （Editor）. He has written Sentence Strand Analysis on the Sentence Patterns of Ancient Chinese， Admonitions on Time and Age， Fun Chinese， Classical Form Word Story and etc.
Supreme Beauty： Calligraphy， Opera， and Pu’er Tea
Yu Qiuyu | Changjiang Wenyi Press | ?68.00 | Oct 2013 | ISBN 9787535469465
In this book， renowned scholar Yu Qiuyu has talked about the aesthetics of Chinese culture， has explained "three unique nonesuch things of Chinese culture in the world： calligraphy， Kunqu and tea" in detail. Calligraphy is the lifeblood of Chinese culture and also a brief for reader to entering the history of Chinese culture. Simply by understanding calligraphy， you can see the personality of Chinese culture from the changing calligraphy. Kunqu opera is the "supreme paradigm" of Chinese classical opera， which has been popular for three centuries. Such a time span and people's obsession to it is enough to make it the best in the history of the world opera unmatched. Pu’er tea is included in the ternary combination of the cultural nonesuch things to represent a significant trend： From the current to the future， the cultural focus is shifting from text culture to ecological culture. Pu’er tea is just a representative reflecting such a trend.
Aesthetically， the nonesuch things show the extreme beauty. It can be considered as a unique aesthetic demonstration that Yu Qiuyu gives a concentrative presentation of this beauty in this book. Certainly， he also said that his book was a bold attempt among the massive writings discussing on Chinese culture and oriental aesthetics.
About the author
Yu Qiuyu began writing Cultural Journey and other cultural essays in late 1980s， and after resignation he took adventuring and visiting the major civilizations at home and abroad in person as his major work. His Mountain Home Journal， Frost-Cold River， A Sigh Of a Thousand Years， Travel No End and other works opened up a generation of literary style， have ranked in the forefront of Global Chinese Bestseller List in the long term， and have been recognized as one of the current most influential writers in Chinese communities around the world.
Tasted Greater China
Baling | Jilin Publishing Group Ltd | ?35.00 | Jan 2013 | ISBN 9787553406367
The unique features of a local environment always give special characteristics to its inhabitants and the local gourmets reflect the local humanity. As to flavor， it refers to the flavor that comes out from gourmets as well as the regional humanistic atmosphere the author found and perceived through gourmets. Walk through the north and south， eat all the gourmets in the world and you will find actually what impresses people most is not the exquisite making process and the way to eat but its "flavor". For instance， few people know about the making process of stinky tofu but its stink is quite notorious， and this is because of its "flavor". As to flavor， the book contains the flavor that comes out from gourmets as well as the regional humanistic atmosphere the author found and perceived through gourmets. The former is an explicit flavor， which you can use the organs to directly perceive and judge； the latter is a potential flavor， which needs the author to find and sense it. Baling finds out the history and culture of each Chinese gourmet， the local customs and practices of its origin， he looks for the folk culinary culture， finds the cultural values of gourmets， and promotes the civilization of gourmets.
About the author
Fang Baling， pen name： Baling， was born in Xinhua， Hunan， China， and he has been engaging in book publishing and planning. Currently he is a member of Hunan Writers Association， working as a book reviewer and gourmet travel columnist. He has published collections of essays High with Autumn Sound and Village Sketches etc.
Culinary Delicacies of Guangdong in series
Series contains：
Culinary Delicacies of Guangzhou – The Food Map of Guangzhou
Zhuang Chen | ?56.00 | Guangdong Science & Technology Press | ISBN 978-7-5359-6305-5
Lengendary of Cantonese Cuisine – The Cultural Landscape and Living Style that You May Not Know
Li Lixiang | ?58.00 | Guangdong Science & Technology Press | ISBN 978-7-5359-6306-2
Century Restaurants –Random talks on the Eateries and Food in Old Guangzhou
Gong Bohong | ?58.00 | Guangdong Science & Technology Press | ISBN 978-7-5359-5745-0
The book series introduces the development and customs of Cantonese cuisine， as well as the century restaurants and the altar anecdotes and allusions related. Featuring a large number of comic illustrations， many daily life scenes in Guangdong including the seafood market， the farmers’ market， the fruit wholesale， the tea market， the dried seafood trading street and the disappearing street hawkers were showed forth vividly in the book. In addition， each volume comes with painting， pen drawing and photographs of different ingredients and dishes. The book series would be a fantastic read for readers interested in Cantonese food and culture， as described by a gourmet who tasted Tanjia cuisine for the first time 80 years ago， “it is a masterpiece in the history of cooking”.
Incense and Life
Pan Yichen | Central Radio and Television University Press | May 2013 | ?56.00 | ISBN 9787304060565
Incense and Life： Tell you everything about incense
In ancient times， the "incense" used for the worship of heaven and earth was called "superior incense"， which can sense and appeal the gods； the incense used for self-cultivation and health maintenance was called "medium incense"； and the incense used for warding off disease and treatment was called "inferior incense". Later they were called superior medicine， medium medicine and inferior medicine. Chinese people stress moderation since ancient times， so the "medium medicine" was later developed into traditional Chinese medicine. "Superior incense" is pure and accessible to spirit， with no harm for long-term use； "medium incense" can help to build the body， also suitable for long-term use； but "inferior incense" is used for treatment and plentiful of it could be harmful. There are five flavors of incense， spicy， sweet， sour， bitter and salty， and as five flavors go into five internal organs， we can reconcile our needs based on the flavor of incense to keep our body in "balance". Incense mobilizes the spiritual mind in the fragrance， adjust our breath， dredge our nose， open our apertures and reconcile our mind， with infinite magical effect. It is due to the understanding of this that generations of emperors， military and political leaders， poets and scholars cherished incense as gold and were too deep in love with incense. According to legend， when the ancient Chinese ministers reported to the emperor， they had to put a pill of "chicken tongue incense" under their tongues before reporting， as they fear that the bad smell in their mouth might disgruntle the emperor. Royal family， courtiers， scholars paid quite some attention to it. The ninth one of "Favorite Sixteen Things" of the literary giant Su Shi in the Song Dynasty was "enjoying a cup of tea with incense burning in the morning air". Although in a common family with general conditions， they also found some mugwort and calamus etc. to add some fun to life.
In China， incense can be used leisurely in the study and musical instrument room， and can also be used in the temple and altar； it can be used for meditation in the silence room and can also be used for amusement at the dinner； it can soothe the nerves and straighten out ideas mentally as well as treat illness physically； and it is not only an elite culture but also a mass culture.
To date， some people still view incense a way of life. From dawn to dark， everything about the author Pan Yichen is done with incense. With a touch of ancient meaning， which is elegant and relaxing， it appeals to people in their mundane life. She used to be a competent woman who thrived in the workplace. Her encounter with incense changed the pattern of her life. The magic is stunning. Her book will tell you everything about incense.
About the author
Pan Yichen， a well-known scholar of incense culture. After over ten years of life with incense， incense has been fully integrated into her life. She has been committed to carry forward the Chinese traditional culture， she has travelled through many countries and areas related to incense culture， visited many masters， and made close friends with many celebrities in domestic and overseas incense industry. Loving， cherishing and tasting incense is both her hobby and her career. The Art of Chinese Kung-Fu
Zhang Zheyi | China Youth Press | Jul 2013 | ?108.00 | ISBN 9787515314655
The authors' team of The Art of Chinese Kung-Fu have gone out for 5 times， travelling through over twenty cities around the country for field investigation， have interviewed over 60 people in Wulin and found a lot of scarce materials， which ensure the reality and value of the book. The team of authors and photographers of The Art of Chinese Kung-Fu consists of a group of young artists who are passionate about Chinese traditional Kung Fu， they hold a very high artistic enthusiasm， and this makes the whole book reflecting a kind of artistic temperament with oriental beauty. The book is divided into three parts. The first part is "The Dream of Kung Fu" combing the exciting light vein of Chinese Kung Fu reflected on the screen from the perspective of movie； the second part is "The Practice of Kung Fu" gathering the first-hand interview materials of over 60 people in Wulin， which truly present the current ecology of Wulin they represent and realize readers' desire to peep at Wulin within easy reach； and the third part is “The Legacy of Kung Fu”， which studies the relationship between Kung Fu and metaphysics， analyzes the law and direction of development of Kung Fu， and has a lot of wisdom.
About the author
Zhang Zheyi， who was born in Guilin in 1975， has maintained a great interest in Chinese traditional martial art since he was young and has been trained for a long term， has in-depth study on kung fu culture. In 2007， he directed a short film Painting Gong-Fu， which was nominated for Best Documentary on Action on Film Festival in Los Angeles. In 2011， he published his personal collections Waking of Insects.
Chinese Design Works Collection （20 Vol. Set）
The Commercial Press | Oct 2012 | ISBN 9787100090346
On the basis of the design of Chinese society over thousands of years， The Chinese Design Works Collection covers 8，000 years of history of Chinese nation’s civilization development from the Neolithic Periods to the early Republic of China era. Its 20 books are classified in the method of direct entry to the subject according to the specific characteristics of China’s design history and the new concepts of modern design： architecture （4 volumes）， costumes （4 volumes）， catering （3 volumes）， tools （3 volumes）， utensils （3 volumes） and stationeries （3 volumes）. It has filled the blank in the realm of Chinese design historiography by including in 3，000 classic design cases and some 18，000 pictures （150 cases in each book） and concerning the aspects closely related to the production mode and the life style of Chinese society. The set initiated the method of “illustrating by diagrams and commenting in texts” to analyzing in detail the four major design factors （design function， material design， process design and shape design） of the 3，000 classic cases in Chinese design history through diagrams and texts.
20 Courses on China’s Ancient Landscape Paintings
Pan Yanghua | QiLu Press | ?68.00 | Jan 2013 | ISBN 9787533327491
This is a book spreading the art of Chinese landscape painting with its unique style. The 20 chapters in the book center on appreciating the existing works of the ancient Chinese landscape painters and include the historical background and environment where the painters were situated， and the painters’ life， creation， anecdotes and the evolution of their paintings. The book strives to explain the special value of ancient Chinese landscape paintings from the perspectives of culture， history， society and art etc. The book exceeds other books of the same kind in aspects including the elaboration in explaining the paintings in past dynasties， the depth of thought in expounding the development of landscape painting， and the historical depth in analyzing the painters’ growth and formation of painting style.
The purpose for writing the book
The history of painting in itself is a part of history. Moreover， the history of painting has the innate advantage of combining pictures with texts.
Chinese landscape paintings represented by those of the Song and Yuan Dynasties have the profound spiritual essences， the cultural connotation and the characteristics of Chinese nation and should be particularly cherished because that “Painting is for the purpose of educating， indoctrinating and helping interpret matters. Its key factors are circumspection and insight， which realize the perception of the most subtle changes of materials just like the practice of the Buddhism as well as the accurate judgment of season and solar terms.” （Famous Paintings of the Past Dynasties by Zhang Yanyuan of the Tang Dynasty）
During years of “exploring the changing world so that the hair turns grey”， I often feel pitiful that the two silent numbers within the brackets behind any excellent ancient artists’ names mean an extremely limited trance of time-space.
However， I often feel relieved that their works can exist for long. As “You can appreciate the paintings sealed for thousands of years on opening the album” （Appreciation of Ancient Paintings by Xie He of the Southern Dynasties）， these essences of human wisdom have far transcended the natural lifespan of their creators and will continue to be handed down forever. To make the book “pleasant to read”， I have chosen the most representative painters as the main body and the appreciation of the existing famous works （including copies） as the center， endeavor to present the turbulent evolution and unique value of ancient landscape paintings from a part to the whole， and apply the “overall outlook of art” to my focus on art from the perspectives of politics， economy， culture and thought in search of high level and profundity of analysis.
Annotation on Stroke Vigor in Chinese Calligraphy
Zhang Borong | QiLu Press | ?28.00 | Jan 2013 | ISBN 978-7-5333-2765-1
Though all the calligraphers in the past dynasties were discussing stroke vigor， their understandings of the topic are different. So what does stroke vigor refer to？ Mr. Zhang Borong， the author of the book， thinks that stroke vigor means a calligrapher exerts strength on the brush through the movements such as holding the brush， manipulating the brush top and wielding the brush to write strokes on the paper and the appreciators can perceive the writing skill by analyzing the structure of characters’ strokes. The author’s study on stroke vigor was in the phase of conception since 2008， started to be written in 2009 and finished in August， 2010. The book uses a great many characters as examples to represent the theory and the practical use of stroke vigor of Chinese calligraphy， and further discuss the issues of writing style and handwriting which are closely related to stroke vigor. The book has drawn wide attentions in the realm of calligraphy after publication. The author was exclusively interviewed by the reporters from Beijing TV. Calligraphers and calligraphy amateurs assess it as the first book ever that exclusively concerns stroke vigor. Besides， discussing stroke vigor from scientific perspective is unprecedented.
Annotation on Stroke Vigor in Chinese Calligraphyextends and improves the Analysis on Stroke Vigor of Chinese Calligraphy by deepening the theoretical study， increasing the elements of theory and adding some new contents and charts， making the analysis on stroke vigor closer to perfection in theory. The book is helpful for readers to improve their calligraphic skill， appreciation of calligraphic works and summary of previous calligraphers’ advantages and defects.
A Study on Culture of Chinese Modern Folk Batik Craftsmanship
Jia Jingsheng | Tsinghua University Press | ?180.00 | Sep 2013 | ISBN 9787302327318 A Study on Culture of Chinese Modern Folk Batik Craftsmanship is the first academic monograph ever that studies the culture of modern folk batik craftsmanship. The book includes 9 chapters and 450 thousand characters （709 pictures）. In a comprehensive and systematic way， the book intensively studies the culture of modern folk batik craftsmanship in areas including Guizhou， Guangxi， Sichuan and Hainan in China， explains different nations’ creativity in crafts and artistic wisdom in the manual process of batik by comprehensively applying the fieldwork of anthropology， literatures analysis and material object study from different entry points， and proposes the methods for protecting and inheriting the culture of folk batik craftsmanship and the measures for innovation and development.
Wakening from Dreams： A Journey of Tang Poetry （A Rare Edition with Ink Wash Paintings）
Li Yuanluo | China Youth Press | ?50.00 | Jan 2014 | ISBN 9787515320861
The book includes a series of essays on the subject of poems and poets in Tang Dynasty. The author “melts the classical poems and modern life in the same pot and condenses reading and traveling into one matter”， expresses personal experience and perception on the Tang poetry and excavates the Tang poetry’s contemporary significance and modern value.
The author helps the readers to interpret the Tang poetry with his true feelings and attainment in the study of Chinese ancient civilization. Immersed in his own world of thought， the author speaks out everything he wants to say. The plain language contains the strong appeal of not only the author’s spirit but also the culture depositing in the Tang poetry over centuries.
A Graceful Shadow in Serendipity： A Journey of Song Ci （A Rare Edition with Ink Wash Paintings）
Li Yuanluo | China Youth Press | ?50.00 | Jan 2014 | ISBN 9787515313580
The author of the book leads the readers to revisit the old haunt of the Song Dynasty by narrating the legends in the literature circle， celebrities’ anecdotes. Interpreting the soul of Song Poems and the personality of the poets， the author enables readers to face history’s desolation and human being’s vicissitudes and gain a deep understanding of the culture connotation and historical origin beneath the Song Poems. Owing to the integration of bountiful literary elements and humanistic spirit， the articles are beneficial for readers to improve literary attainment and cultivation of personality. Embarrassing Idioms
Cong Haiyan | Guangdong Education Publishing House | Aug 2013
Embarrassing Idioms is the first book interpreting traditional Chinese idioms in a way of comedy. The book uses satirical and amusing narrative to reinterpret the ancient stories， for which some boring history has become vivid and appealing.
For example， when it comes to the idiom of "Luo Yang Zhi Gui" （lit. to push up paper prices in Luoyang； fig. sensational popularity of a new book）， the book interpreted it in the following way： "Due to the recommendations of celebrities， Sandu Fu became popular overnight. It was a must buy among the literary youth in Luoyang city， for those who did not talk about it would be considered illiterate. However， as the printing technology was not mature ， people had to borrow the book and copy it on paper， leading to the lack of paper and soar of paper price in Luoyang city. Anyway， the paper store owner was quite happy with that. The increased paper price even stimulated the local GDP growth， for which the local officials could not help thinking that culture is an important productive force indeed！
Presentation and spread of Chinese cultural elements
Chinese cultural elements， in a broad sense， refer to those a） gradually formed in the long course of emerging， evolution and development in Chinese cultural history； b） created and inherited by Chinese ethnicities； c） reflecting the features of Chinese culture and folklore. They cover ideology， moral concept， value system， customs， living habits， architecture form， arts， science， technology， law， religious beliefs， aesthetic thoughts， ethics and so forth， ranging in space from China to even the Chinese settlements abroad， and in time from the prehistoric age to the present day. Chinese cultural elements， in a narrow sense， mean symbols such as image and customs from art or daily life， wherein the elements of economics and politics are excluded. Here we focus on the latter.
We may find some classic elements in traditional Chinese culture spread and used all over the world. Some， such as calligraphy， seal cutting， Chinese knot， Qin and Han architectural style， terracotta warriors， Peking Opera facial makeup， shadow play， martial arts， the peach blossom fan， cloisonné， gardens， temples， pagodas， tang suit， cheongsam， embroidered shoes， candlestick， compass， gossip， Sinan， etc.， have always being seen in books， movies， conversation， music， etc.
In 1915 Panama Expo， for example， Suzhou embroidery， Hunan chrysanthemum stone， Shanghai "GeDeHe" pottery， Shanghai MayWar Lee clock， Beijing snuff bottle， Hui Ink Stick made by Hu Kaiwen， Zhejiang Huzhou writing brush， Zhejiang Yueqing boxwood carvings， Qingtian stone carving and Changzhou dandruff comb， etc.， won several golden and silver awards. These classic elements not only show the material， techniques and forms of Chinese traditional culture， while more importantly the spirit and concept nourished within them. Recommended books on the elements of Chinese culture
Character Tree： Chinese People Living in Characters
Liao Wenhao | Beijing Joint Publishing Company | Dec 2013 | ISBN 9787550222151
The book breaks through the traditional stereotype of philology， collects 500 characters related to "human". Starting from the cultural characteristics of Chinese characters， it puts all meaning-related characters together in a magical tree of Chinese characters. Each character has its own growth story. Concentrating them in the "tree diagram of Chinese characters" with clear and brief description allows the readers without any foundation of philology to get a lot of new discoveries and fun by virtue of their experience in the use of Chinese characters. When introducing 500 Chinese characters related to "human" in details， the book also substantially collects the oracle bone inscriptions， bronze inscriptions， seal scripts， traditional Chinese characters and simplified Chinese characters， etc. for the Chinese characters related to "human"， so readers can develop an understanding of the development process of Chinese characters from simple to complex according to the logic relationship between the trees of Chinese characters.
About the author
Liao Wenhao， associate professor and library director of National Taipei College of Business， is dedicated to the study of ancient Chinese characters， delves into oracle bone inscriptions for over ten years， and has published The Chinese Character Dragon Turns out to Be a Rebellious Dragon， The Impact of Tattoo Custom on Chinese Character， See God in Chinese Characters， Taste the Aroma of Liquor in Chinese Characters and other articles.
Origins of Chinese Cultural Evolution （2 Vol. Set）
Guangdong Education Publishing House | ?260.00 | Dec 2012
Origins of Chinese Cultural Evolution
- A new interpretation of Chinese culture
Contemporary cultural studies on Chinese characters enjoyed a better time in 1980s and 1990s than present， for which the researching achievements of this century are not as much as that of the last century. However， the recent published Origins of Chinese Cultural Evolution seems to have brought some fresh air.
This is a large work on Chinese characters （840 contained in total）. Each character is followed by an explanatory essay on the emergence and development of its form， sound and meaning. The book features three focuses：
The first one lies in the smart combination of academic and popular content. For the academic part， the book indicates the source of the cited content in detail， and also corrects some existed academic point of view. Meanwhile， the book also caters to the general readers， for which plain language is used to explain some complex academic knowledge. Secondly， it makes a unique combination of character studies and cultural interpretation. The characters contained are each introduced from shape and sound， and further to the evolution of shape and meaning on that basis. After that， the cultural interpretation， the development of social life and customs associated with the characters are followed.
For the third focus， the book also studies the new emerged characters as Chinese society develops， which has been connected with the previous studies on Chinese characters.
On the Four Arts
Xu Mingjia | Hunan University Press （Changsha） | Nov 2013 | ISBN 978-7-5667-0378-1
Chinese traditional art is as vast as a misty ocean， extensive and profound， but the most respected by people are the four arts. People love them and are willing to practice， so they call them "four skills". The book narrates the development overview， celebrity performance and excellent works of Chinese four arts， and by selecting some representative fun facts it highlights the image of celebrities with temperament and interest， enhances artistic conception and readability.
The book has four chapters， respectively introducing the four ancient arts in China - Qin， go， calligraphy and painting. Each chapter is divided into two parts： overview and fun articles， and on the basis of introducing the origin， development， types and other relevant information of four arts， the author respectively selects the relevant fun facts and stories with certain representativeness.
About the author
Xu Mingjia， the senior lecturer of Hubei Radio & TV University Shishou Campus， was awarded the grand prize and gold medal by National Expert Review Committee of Outstanding Teacher Innovative Education， China Traditional Culture Institute University and other academic joint media in 2003， 2006， 2008， and 2010 respectively. He has co-edited Chinese Teaching Materials on Probation of Secondary Normal School， Concise Textbook of Ancient Chinese （Associate Editor）， Notes of Jingzhou （Editor）. He has written Sentence Strand Analysis on the Sentence Patterns of Ancient Chinese， Admonitions on Time and Age， Fun Chinese， Classical Form Word Story and etc.
Supreme Beauty： Calligraphy， Opera， and Pu’er Tea
Yu Qiuyu | Changjiang Wenyi Press | ?68.00 | Oct 2013 | ISBN 9787535469465
In this book， renowned scholar Yu Qiuyu has talked about the aesthetics of Chinese culture， has explained "three unique nonesuch things of Chinese culture in the world： calligraphy， Kunqu and tea" in detail. Calligraphy is the lifeblood of Chinese culture and also a brief for reader to entering the history of Chinese culture. Simply by understanding calligraphy， you can see the personality of Chinese culture from the changing calligraphy. Kunqu opera is the "supreme paradigm" of Chinese classical opera， which has been popular for three centuries. Such a time span and people's obsession to it is enough to make it the best in the history of the world opera unmatched. Pu’er tea is included in the ternary combination of the cultural nonesuch things to represent a significant trend： From the current to the future， the cultural focus is shifting from text culture to ecological culture. Pu’er tea is just a representative reflecting such a trend.
Aesthetically， the nonesuch things show the extreme beauty. It can be considered as a unique aesthetic demonstration that Yu Qiuyu gives a concentrative presentation of this beauty in this book. Certainly， he also said that his book was a bold attempt among the massive writings discussing on Chinese culture and oriental aesthetics.
About the author
Yu Qiuyu began writing Cultural Journey and other cultural essays in late 1980s， and after resignation he took adventuring and visiting the major civilizations at home and abroad in person as his major work. His Mountain Home Journal， Frost-Cold River， A Sigh Of a Thousand Years， Travel No End and other works opened up a generation of literary style， have ranked in the forefront of Global Chinese Bestseller List in the long term， and have been recognized as one of the current most influential writers in Chinese communities around the world.
Tasted Greater China
Baling | Jilin Publishing Group Ltd | ?35.00 | Jan 2013 | ISBN 9787553406367
The unique features of a local environment always give special characteristics to its inhabitants and the local gourmets reflect the local humanity. As to flavor， it refers to the flavor that comes out from gourmets as well as the regional humanistic atmosphere the author found and perceived through gourmets. Walk through the north and south， eat all the gourmets in the world and you will find actually what impresses people most is not the exquisite making process and the way to eat but its "flavor". For instance， few people know about the making process of stinky tofu but its stink is quite notorious， and this is because of its "flavor". As to flavor， the book contains the flavor that comes out from gourmets as well as the regional humanistic atmosphere the author found and perceived through gourmets. The former is an explicit flavor， which you can use the organs to directly perceive and judge； the latter is a potential flavor， which needs the author to find and sense it. Baling finds out the history and culture of each Chinese gourmet， the local customs and practices of its origin， he looks for the folk culinary culture， finds the cultural values of gourmets， and promotes the civilization of gourmets.
About the author
Fang Baling， pen name： Baling， was born in Xinhua， Hunan， China， and he has been engaging in book publishing and planning. Currently he is a member of Hunan Writers Association， working as a book reviewer and gourmet travel columnist. He has published collections of essays High with Autumn Sound and Village Sketches etc.
Culinary Delicacies of Guangdong in series
Series contains：
Culinary Delicacies of Guangzhou – The Food Map of Guangzhou
Zhuang Chen | ?56.00 | Guangdong Science & Technology Press | ISBN 978-7-5359-6305-5
Lengendary of Cantonese Cuisine – The Cultural Landscape and Living Style that You May Not Know
Li Lixiang | ?58.00 | Guangdong Science & Technology Press | ISBN 978-7-5359-6306-2
Century Restaurants –Random talks on the Eateries and Food in Old Guangzhou
Gong Bohong | ?58.00 | Guangdong Science & Technology Press | ISBN 978-7-5359-5745-0
The book series introduces the development and customs of Cantonese cuisine， as well as the century restaurants and the altar anecdotes and allusions related. Featuring a large number of comic illustrations， many daily life scenes in Guangdong including the seafood market， the farmers’ market， the fruit wholesale， the tea market， the dried seafood trading street and the disappearing street hawkers were showed forth vividly in the book. In addition， each volume comes with painting， pen drawing and photographs of different ingredients and dishes. The book series would be a fantastic read for readers interested in Cantonese food and culture， as described by a gourmet who tasted Tanjia cuisine for the first time 80 years ago， “it is a masterpiece in the history of cooking”.
Incense and Life
Pan Yichen | Central Radio and Television University Press | May 2013 | ?56.00 | ISBN 9787304060565
Incense and Life： Tell you everything about incense
In ancient times， the "incense" used for the worship of heaven and earth was called "superior incense"， which can sense and appeal the gods； the incense used for self-cultivation and health maintenance was called "medium incense"； and the incense used for warding off disease and treatment was called "inferior incense". Later they were called superior medicine， medium medicine and inferior medicine. Chinese people stress moderation since ancient times， so the "medium medicine" was later developed into traditional Chinese medicine. "Superior incense" is pure and accessible to spirit， with no harm for long-term use； "medium incense" can help to build the body， also suitable for long-term use； but "inferior incense" is used for treatment and plentiful of it could be harmful. There are five flavors of incense， spicy， sweet， sour， bitter and salty， and as five flavors go into five internal organs， we can reconcile our needs based on the flavor of incense to keep our body in "balance". Incense mobilizes the spiritual mind in the fragrance， adjust our breath， dredge our nose， open our apertures and reconcile our mind， with infinite magical effect. It is due to the understanding of this that generations of emperors， military and political leaders， poets and scholars cherished incense as gold and were too deep in love with incense. According to legend， when the ancient Chinese ministers reported to the emperor， they had to put a pill of "chicken tongue incense" under their tongues before reporting， as they fear that the bad smell in their mouth might disgruntle the emperor. Royal family， courtiers， scholars paid quite some attention to it. The ninth one of "Favorite Sixteen Things" of the literary giant Su Shi in the Song Dynasty was "enjoying a cup of tea with incense burning in the morning air". Although in a common family with general conditions， they also found some mugwort and calamus etc. to add some fun to life.
In China， incense can be used leisurely in the study and musical instrument room， and can also be used in the temple and altar； it can be used for meditation in the silence room and can also be used for amusement at the dinner； it can soothe the nerves and straighten out ideas mentally as well as treat illness physically； and it is not only an elite culture but also a mass culture.
To date， some people still view incense a way of life. From dawn to dark， everything about the author Pan Yichen is done with incense. With a touch of ancient meaning， which is elegant and relaxing， it appeals to people in their mundane life. She used to be a competent woman who thrived in the workplace. Her encounter with incense changed the pattern of her life. The magic is stunning. Her book will tell you everything about incense.
About the author
Pan Yichen， a well-known scholar of incense culture. After over ten years of life with incense， incense has been fully integrated into her life. She has been committed to carry forward the Chinese traditional culture， she has travelled through many countries and areas related to incense culture， visited many masters， and made close friends with many celebrities in domestic and overseas incense industry. Loving， cherishing and tasting incense is both her hobby and her career. The Art of Chinese Kung-Fu
Zhang Zheyi | China Youth Press | Jul 2013 | ?108.00 | ISBN 9787515314655
The authors' team of The Art of Chinese Kung-Fu have gone out for 5 times， travelling through over twenty cities around the country for field investigation， have interviewed over 60 people in Wulin and found a lot of scarce materials， which ensure the reality and value of the book. The team of authors and photographers of The Art of Chinese Kung-Fu consists of a group of young artists who are passionate about Chinese traditional Kung Fu， they hold a very high artistic enthusiasm， and this makes the whole book reflecting a kind of artistic temperament with oriental beauty. The book is divided into three parts. The first part is "The Dream of Kung Fu" combing the exciting light vein of Chinese Kung Fu reflected on the screen from the perspective of movie； the second part is "The Practice of Kung Fu" gathering the first-hand interview materials of over 60 people in Wulin， which truly present the current ecology of Wulin they represent and realize readers' desire to peep at Wulin within easy reach； and the third part is “The Legacy of Kung Fu”， which studies the relationship between Kung Fu and metaphysics， analyzes the law and direction of development of Kung Fu， and has a lot of wisdom.
About the author
Zhang Zheyi， who was born in Guilin in 1975， has maintained a great interest in Chinese traditional martial art since he was young and has been trained for a long term， has in-depth study on kung fu culture. In 2007， he directed a short film Painting Gong-Fu， which was nominated for Best Documentary on Action on Film Festival in Los Angeles. In 2011， he published his personal collections Waking of Insects.
Chinese Design Works Collection （20 Vol. Set）
The Commercial Press | Oct 2012 | ISBN 9787100090346
On the basis of the design of Chinese society over thousands of years， The Chinese Design Works Collection covers 8，000 years of history of Chinese nation’s civilization development from the Neolithic Periods to the early Republic of China era. Its 20 books are classified in the method of direct entry to the subject according to the specific characteristics of China’s design history and the new concepts of modern design： architecture （4 volumes）， costumes （4 volumes）， catering （3 volumes）， tools （3 volumes）， utensils （3 volumes） and stationeries （3 volumes）. It has filled the blank in the realm of Chinese design historiography by including in 3，000 classic design cases and some 18，000 pictures （150 cases in each book） and concerning the aspects closely related to the production mode and the life style of Chinese society. The set initiated the method of “illustrating by diagrams and commenting in texts” to analyzing in detail the four major design factors （design function， material design， process design and shape design） of the 3，000 classic cases in Chinese design history through diagrams and texts.
20 Courses on China’s Ancient Landscape Paintings
Pan Yanghua | QiLu Press | ?68.00 | Jan 2013 | ISBN 9787533327491
This is a book spreading the art of Chinese landscape painting with its unique style. The 20 chapters in the book center on appreciating the existing works of the ancient Chinese landscape painters and include the historical background and environment where the painters were situated， and the painters’ life， creation， anecdotes and the evolution of their paintings. The book strives to explain the special value of ancient Chinese landscape paintings from the perspectives of culture， history， society and art etc. The book exceeds other books of the same kind in aspects including the elaboration in explaining the paintings in past dynasties， the depth of thought in expounding the development of landscape painting， and the historical depth in analyzing the painters’ growth and formation of painting style.
The purpose for writing the book
The history of painting in itself is a part of history. Moreover， the history of painting has the innate advantage of combining pictures with texts.
Chinese landscape paintings represented by those of the Song and Yuan Dynasties have the profound spiritual essences， the cultural connotation and the characteristics of Chinese nation and should be particularly cherished because that “Painting is for the purpose of educating， indoctrinating and helping interpret matters. Its key factors are circumspection and insight， which realize the perception of the most subtle changes of materials just like the practice of the Buddhism as well as the accurate judgment of season and solar terms.” （Famous Paintings of the Past Dynasties by Zhang Yanyuan of the Tang Dynasty）
During years of “exploring the changing world so that the hair turns grey”， I often feel pitiful that the two silent numbers within the brackets behind any excellent ancient artists’ names mean an extremely limited trance of time-space.
However， I often feel relieved that their works can exist for long. As “You can appreciate the paintings sealed for thousands of years on opening the album” （Appreciation of Ancient Paintings by Xie He of the Southern Dynasties）， these essences of human wisdom have far transcended the natural lifespan of their creators and will continue to be handed down forever. To make the book “pleasant to read”， I have chosen the most representative painters as the main body and the appreciation of the existing famous works （including copies） as the center， endeavor to present the turbulent evolution and unique value of ancient landscape paintings from a part to the whole， and apply the “overall outlook of art” to my focus on art from the perspectives of politics， economy， culture and thought in search of high level and profundity of analysis.
Annotation on Stroke Vigor in Chinese Calligraphy
Zhang Borong | QiLu Press | ?28.00 | Jan 2013 | ISBN 978-7-5333-2765-1
Though all the calligraphers in the past dynasties were discussing stroke vigor， their understandings of the topic are different. So what does stroke vigor refer to？ Mr. Zhang Borong， the author of the book， thinks that stroke vigor means a calligrapher exerts strength on the brush through the movements such as holding the brush， manipulating the brush top and wielding the brush to write strokes on the paper and the appreciators can perceive the writing skill by analyzing the structure of characters’ strokes. The author’s study on stroke vigor was in the phase of conception since 2008， started to be written in 2009 and finished in August， 2010. The book uses a great many characters as examples to represent the theory and the practical use of stroke vigor of Chinese calligraphy， and further discuss the issues of writing style and handwriting which are closely related to stroke vigor. The book has drawn wide attentions in the realm of calligraphy after publication. The author was exclusively interviewed by the reporters from Beijing TV. Calligraphers and calligraphy amateurs assess it as the first book ever that exclusively concerns stroke vigor. Besides， discussing stroke vigor from scientific perspective is unprecedented.
Annotation on Stroke Vigor in Chinese Calligraphyextends and improves the Analysis on Stroke Vigor of Chinese Calligraphy by deepening the theoretical study， increasing the elements of theory and adding some new contents and charts， making the analysis on stroke vigor closer to perfection in theory. The book is helpful for readers to improve their calligraphic skill， appreciation of calligraphic works and summary of previous calligraphers’ advantages and defects.
A Study on Culture of Chinese Modern Folk Batik Craftsmanship
Jia Jingsheng | Tsinghua University Press | ?180.00 | Sep 2013 | ISBN 9787302327318 A Study on Culture of Chinese Modern Folk Batik Craftsmanship is the first academic monograph ever that studies the culture of modern folk batik craftsmanship. The book includes 9 chapters and 450 thousand characters （709 pictures）. In a comprehensive and systematic way， the book intensively studies the culture of modern folk batik craftsmanship in areas including Guizhou， Guangxi， Sichuan and Hainan in China， explains different nations’ creativity in crafts and artistic wisdom in the manual process of batik by comprehensively applying the fieldwork of anthropology， literatures analysis and material object study from different entry points， and proposes the methods for protecting and inheriting the culture of folk batik craftsmanship and the measures for innovation and development.
Wakening from Dreams： A Journey of Tang Poetry （A Rare Edition with Ink Wash Paintings）
Li Yuanluo | China Youth Press | ?50.00 | Jan 2014 | ISBN 9787515320861
The book includes a series of essays on the subject of poems and poets in Tang Dynasty. The author “melts the classical poems and modern life in the same pot and condenses reading and traveling into one matter”， expresses personal experience and perception on the Tang poetry and excavates the Tang poetry’s contemporary significance and modern value.
The author helps the readers to interpret the Tang poetry with his true feelings and attainment in the study of Chinese ancient civilization. Immersed in his own world of thought， the author speaks out everything he wants to say. The plain language contains the strong appeal of not only the author’s spirit but also the culture depositing in the Tang poetry over centuries.
A Graceful Shadow in Serendipity： A Journey of Song Ci （A Rare Edition with Ink Wash Paintings）
Li Yuanluo | China Youth Press | ?50.00 | Jan 2014 | ISBN 9787515313580
The author of the book leads the readers to revisit the old haunt of the Song Dynasty by narrating the legends in the literature circle， celebrities’ anecdotes. Interpreting the soul of Song Poems and the personality of the poets， the author enables readers to face history’s desolation and human being’s vicissitudes and gain a deep understanding of the culture connotation and historical origin beneath the Song Poems. Owing to the integration of bountiful literary elements and humanistic spirit， the articles are beneficial for readers to improve literary attainment and cultivation of personality. Embarrassing Idioms
Cong Haiyan | Guangdong Education Publishing House | Aug 2013
Embarrassing Idioms is the first book interpreting traditional Chinese idioms in a way of comedy. The book uses satirical and amusing narrative to reinterpret the ancient stories， for which some boring history has become vivid and appealing.
For example， when it comes to the idiom of "Luo Yang Zhi Gui" （lit. to push up paper prices in Luoyang； fig. sensational popularity of a new book）， the book interpreted it in the following way： "Due to the recommendations of celebrities， Sandu Fu became popular overnight. It was a must buy among the literary youth in Luoyang city， for those who did not talk about it would be considered illiterate. However， as the printing technology was not mature ， people had to borrow the book and copy it on paper， leading to the lack of paper and soar of paper price in Luoyang city. Anyway， the paper store owner was quite happy with that. The increased paper price even stimulated the local GDP growth， for which the local officials could not help thinking that culture is an important productive force indeed！