Historical Dictionary of Chinese Culture

by Lawrence R. Sullivan, Nancy Y. Liu-Sullivan

Overview

Covering wide-ranging topics from the arts and entertainment to customs and traditions from the ancient imperial and modern eras, Historical Dictionary of Chinese Culture provides more than 300 separate entries along with a comprehensive chronology, glossary of Chinese cultural terms, and an extensive bibliography of Western and Chinese-language sources. Dictionary entries of the decorative and fine arts include ceramics and porcelains, handicrafts, jade and seal carving, jewelry, and painting. The literary subjects range from fiction to non-fiction, but especially poetry. Major entertainment venues of cinema and film, classical puppetry, and theater, both ancient and modern are also covered.

In addition to the arts, the authors include major customary practices from childbirth and childrearing to marriage and weddings to funerals and burial practices. Other aspects of the culture are also examined, including crime, foot-binding, pornography, and prostitution, and the government policies aimed at their eradication. Throughout the text, Chinese-language translations of key terms are presented in italics and parenthesis, along with biographies of figures central to the creation of China’s magnificent cultural heritage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538146033
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/29/2021
Series:	Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East
Pages:	530
Product dimensions:	6.41(w) x 9.48(h) x 1.72(d)

About the Author

Lawrence R. Sullivan is professor emeritus of political science, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York, with a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (1975) and a specialist on contemporary China. Prominent published works, authored and co-authored, include Leadership and Authority in China, 1895-1976 (2014), Historical Dictionary of the Chinese Economy (2017), Historical Dictionary of Chinese Foreign Affairs (2018), and Historical Dictionary of the Chinese Environment (2019).

Nancy Liu-Sullivan is a member of the faculty in the biology department at the College of Staten Island (CSI), City University of New York, with previous work as a senior research scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Dr. Liu-Sullivan received her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology from the Stony Brook University School of Medicine in 2006 and is a member of the Advisory Board of the CSI/NYS Stem Program.

Editorial Reviews

The volume's 300-plus entries range from half a page ("Abacus") to over five pages ("Archaeology," "Cinema and Film," "Education"). Alongside topical entries, a handful of cities and provinces, as well as half a dozen notable modern figures (e.g., Mao Zedong, current president Xi Jinping), are also featured, with a focus on their cultural influences. Despite space limitations, the authors are successful in achieving both breadth and depth of coverage, offering meaningful insights into various aspects of China's ancient yet vibrant culture. Recommended

Choice Reviews

The volume's 300-plus entries range from half a page ("Abacus") to over five pages ("Archaeology," "Cinema and Film," "Education"). Alongside topical entries, a handful of cities and provinces, as well as half a dozen notable modern figures (e.g., Mao Zedong, current president Xi Jinping), are also featured, with a focus on their cultural influences. Despite space limitations, the authors are successful in achieving both breadth and depth of coverage, offering meaningful insights into various aspects of China's ancient yet vibrant culture. Recommended

Choice