ABSTRACT

China is a country with a long history of culture, originating from several thousand years ago. As China is a large country with many people, regions, nationalities, and languages, Chinese culture is diversified and varied and its influence on Asia and the world has been dominant and far-reaching. This encyclopedia attempts to introduce a number of areas in traditional Chinese culture to enhance our understanding of the intellectual, spiritual, material, and aesthetic life of the Chinese people through the ages. Its coverage may not be comprehensive, but the topics discussed in this encyclopedia are highly important and some are much understudied.