About the Book
An up-to-date, concise examination of China—past and present—providing detailed information on a country whose substantial impact on the global economy and consumer culture continues to grow.
Part of ABC-CLIO's Asia in Focus series, this authoritative resource is designed to help a wide variety of readers understand the complexities of the world's most populous country—a nation of ancient glory and rising importance, yet one that remains elusive and not generally well known.
Packed with recent scholarship and fascinating details, this concise, multifaceted volume offers an updated look at China's geography and history, from the political and technological dominance of the imperial period to the communist revolution and the present state. The work also vividly captures the "living" China of today—its economy, politics, and culture—with extensive coverage of topics ranging from education, languages, arts, and cuisine to industrialization, gender issues, population control efforts, and human rights controversies that have impacted the country's relationship to the global community.
Table of Contents:
About the Editor and the Contributors,
Introduction,
1 Geography,
Robert André LaFleur, Warren Bruce Palmer
The Physical Setting and China's Population,
Geographical Regions,
Land, Agriculture, and the Laojia,
Coming to China: Invasion and Tribute,
Themes in Chinese Geography,
Imaginative Geography,
2 History,
Robert André LaFleur
Archaeology,
Foundation Myths and Early History (to c. 1100 b.c.e.),
Charting the Rise and Fall of China's Dynastic Tradition—Sima Guang's Perspective,
The Zhou Dynasty (c. 1100–221 b.c.e.),
The Qin Centralization (221–206 b.c.e.),
The Han Dynasty (206 b.c.e.–220 c.e.),
The Period of Division (220–589),
The Sui Dynasty (581–617),
The Tang Dynasty (618–906),
The Five Dynasties (907–959) and the Kingdoms of Liao, Xi Xia, and Jin (c. 900—1234),
The Northern and Southern Song (960–1279),
The Mongols and the Yuan (1234–1368),
The Ming Dynasty (1368–1644),
The Qing Dynasty to 1800,
The Early 19th Century—Stasis, War, and Diplomacy (1800—1850),
Rebellion and Beyond (1850–1870),
Attempts at Restoration and the Fall of Qing (1870–1911),
Republican China and the War Years (1912–1949),
The People's Republic of China (1949–Present),
Notes,
3 Politics and Government,
John A. Rapp
From Traditional to Modern: The 20th-Century Chinese State,
Themes from Communist Systems,
Combining Traditional and Communist System Models,
Ideology,
Party-State Structure,
Domestic Policy: Human Rights and Dissent,
Foreign Policy: China and Global Politics,
Greater China Issues,
4 The Modern Chinese Economy,
Warren Bruce Palmer
China's Traditional Agricultural Economy,
The Chinese Economy, 1900–1949,
China's Economy: The Mao Era, 1949–1978,
Economic Reform, 1979–1989,
The Chinese Economy Today,
Resources,
China's Economic System,
Intellectual Property Rights,
China's Financial System,
China's Trading Partners and China's Trade Balance,
5 Society,
Robert André LaFleur, Tamara Hamlish
Religion and Thought,
The Hundred Schools of Thought (c. 700–200 b.c.e.),
Buddhism and Religious Daoism During the Period of Division (c. 200–600 c.e.),
Neo-Confucian Thought,
Religion, Thought, and the Power of Gathering,
Social Classes and Ethnicity,
People,
Wealth, Class, and Status in Chinese History,
Wealth and Status in Contemporary China,
Ethnicity and Outlying Peoples in Early Chinese Thought,
Ethnic Minorities in Modern China,
Women and Marriage,
Women in Chinese Society,
Marriage and Family in Traditional China,
Traditional Marriage and Family Life,
Women in Contemporary China,
Education,
Language and Locality,
Education and Acculturation,
Traditional Education,
Contemporary Education,
Educational Curricula,
Education in Taiwan and Hong Kong,
Educational Challenges,
6 Culture,
Chinese Language,
Shin Yong Robson
The History of Written Chinese,
Formation of the Characters,
Simplified Characters,
Problems of Simplification,
Pronunciation,
Phonetic Writing (Romanizational) Systems: Peking or Beijing?,
Mandarin versus Dialects,
Useful Chinese Expressions,
Social Relationships and Etiquette,
Tamara Hamlish, Warren Bruce Palmer, Robert André LaFleur
Nested Boxes,
Social Relationships—Guanxi,
Social Relationships—Family,
Social Relationships—Beyond Home,
Social Relationships—Practical Etiquette in Chinese Social Situations,
Literature,
Daniel Youd
Introduction: Continuity, Discontinuity, and Diversity,
The Classic of Poetry,
The Songs of Chu,
Early Prose,
Han Dynasty Poetry,
One Poet from the Period of Division: Tao Qian,
Two Poets from the Tang: Li Bo and Du Fu,
Cí Poetry of the Song Dynasty,
Fiction: Tales and Short Stories,
Drama,
Ming and Qing Novels,
The Modern and Contemporary Periods,
Chinese Art,
Kenneth S. Ganza
Chinese Art and the Supernatural World,
Nature in Chinese Pictorial Art,
Chinese Decorative Art,
Music in China,
Ann L. Silverberg
Introduction,
Differences between Chinese and Western Music,
Characteristic Types of Traditional Chinese Music,
Food,
Robert André LaFleur, Tamara Hamlish
Food in Chinese Culture,
Food in Chinese History,
Chinese Regional Cuisines,
Tea Culture and Chinese Festival Foods,
Leisure and Sports,
Robert André LaFleur, Tamara Hamlish, Kevin Latham
A Walk in Shanghai,
Daily Life in Chinese Societies,
Pilgrimage and Everyday Activities,
Spectator Sports and the Olympic Games,
Popular Culture and Traditional Beliefs,
Robert André LaFleur, Kevin Latham, Tamara Hamlish
The Internet, Gaming, and Communication,
Film and Cinema,
Popular Religion,
Calendars and Almanacs,
Numbers and Directions,
Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, and Color Symbolism,
Language and Popular Culture,
7 Contemporary Issues,
Anita M. Andrew
Contemporary China: Echoes of the Past,
China's Traditional Worldview,
European Maritime Powers and the Qing Dynasty,
The Opium War, 1839–1842,
The Century of Humiliation,
Environmental Problems,
Pollution,
Coal Dependence and Mining Dangers,
Three Georges Dam Controversies,
Poaching of Endangered Species,
Tainted Products from China,
Lead Paint Products from China,
Political Events in China: China's Government Crackdown against Political Protests by Tibetans and Uighurs,
The Chinese Adoption Industry,
The Beijing Summer Olympics,
Conclusions,
Glossary,
Facts and Figures,
Chinese Festivals and National Holidays,
China-Related Organizations,
Annotated Bibliography,
Thematic Index,
Index,
About the Author :
Robert André LaFleur is professor of history and anthropology and chair of the Asian Studies program at Beloit College, Beloit, WI .
Review :
For general readers and high school students, LaFleur (history and anthropology and Asian studies, Beloit College) introduces China's history and culture, from the political and technological dominance of the imperial period to the present day. A group of American specialists in Chinese history, economics, cultural anthropology, political science, languages and literatures, and music cover the country's economy, society, geography, religion, politics and government, social classes, culture, education, literature, arts, etiquette, leisure activities, popular culture, languages, cuisine, industrialization, gender issues, population control efforts, human rights controversies, contemporary issues like pollution and the adoption industry, and key people, places, and events.
Highly recommended for all high school, public, business, and academic libraries. . . also appropriate for circulating collections.
From its political dominance to its economy, this offers detailed coverage of the country and its controversies and impacts on the world, and is a 'must' for any seeking an in-depth survey of the nation, from its resources to its peoples.
