Professor CM Si and his team have compiled this illustratedvolume of 56 succinct essays grouped within 8 chapters, to cover the core myths, festivals, historical sights, food and sports, arts and crafts, language and literature, philosophy and international connections. These iconic stories, localities and cultural practices stretch back thousands of years and have emerged from amidst myriad other possible competitors as the foundational cultural grammar of twenty-first century China.

This book will be invaluable to all students of Chinese culture but also to the educated observer of world cultures and travelers to China. In understanding the foundational principles underlying Chinese culture, readers will be able to make far better sense of the uniqueness of the modern China that they see before them.

Foreword

Chapter 1 Myths and Legends

 1. How the World Was Created

 2. The Dog from the Sky

 3. Shooting down the Sun

 4. The Old Man under the Moon

 5. Zhaojun the Peace Ambassador

 6. The Brotherhood of Liu-Guan-Zhang

 7. Joining the Army for Her Father —— Mulan

 8. The Butterfly Lovers

 9. The White Lady

Chapter 2 Festivals and Folklore

 1. The Spring and Yuanxiao Festivals

 2. The Qingming and Hanshi Festivals

 3. The Dragon Boat Festival

 4. The Qixi Festival

 5. The Mid-Autumn Festival

 6. The 24 Solar Terms and the Chinese Calendar

 7. The Interesting Story of the 12 Zodiac Animals

 8. Yin-Yang and the Five Elements

Chapter 3 Scenic Spots and Historic Sites

 1. The Yellow River

 2. The Yangtze River

 3. The East and West Mountains

 4. The Yellow Mountain

 5. The West Lake and Tai Hu

 6. The Great Wall

 7. The Forbidden City

 8. The Ming Tombs

 9. The Capital of the Ten Dynasties ——Xi'an

 10. The Qin Terracotta Warriors

Chapter 4 Food and Sports

 1. The Wide Variety of Chinese Cuisine

 2. Table Manners and Dining in China

 3. Wine Culture

 4. Tea Culture

 5. Martial Arts and Sports

Chapter 5 Arts and Crafts

 1. Chinese Pottery and Porcelain

 2. Precious Stones of China

 3. Needlework and Paper-cuts

 4. The Four Treasures of a Study

 5. Chinese Paintings

 6. Architectural Beauty

Chapter 6 Language and Literature

 1. National Language and Local Dialects

 2. Fascinating Chinese Characters

 3. The Three Great Poets —— Li, Du and Su

 4. Romance of the Three Kingdoms and All Men Are Brothers

 5. Journey to the West and Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 7 Thought and Enlightenment

 1. The Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought

 2. Confucius the First Private Teacher

 3. Talent Recruitment Systems

 4. Filial Piety and Marriage

 5. Taoism and the Harmony with Nature

 6. Buddhism and the Truth of Life

Chapter 8 China and the World

 1. Fifty-six Ethnic Groups as a Nation

 2. China's Expansion and Its Interactions with the West

 3. Prosperity and the Spread of Buddhism

 4. Communication between China and the World

 5. The Four Great Inventions

 6. Other Scientific and Medical Breakthroughs

 7. New Culture Movement

Appendix

A Brief Chronology of Chinese History