The art of calligraphy is seen as the epitome of Chinese culture. Originating in the earliest abstract symbols carved on cave walls, animal bones and... tortoise shells by the ancient Chinese people, over several thousand years calligraphy has become far more than a means of writing and recording events. This book provides an accessible, illustrated introduction to the history of calligraphy from the beginning of the Chinese written language, the methods and styles used by calligraphers through the ages, and the influence that calligraphy has had on modern art around the world.

Rebecca Yue's unique approach to calligraphy comes from years of teaching this ancient art. Most teachers prefer to demonstrate all of the basic... brushstrokes before teaching you how to form words. In Rebecca's experience, however, students soon become bored with this method and fail to progress. Whilst teaching new brushstrokes, Chinese Calligraphy Made Easy allows the reader to practise them, and brushstrokes learnt previously, by writing Chinese words. From this, the reader feels a sense of achievement and satisfaction at the end of every lesson - which, in turn, stimulates them to look forward to the next exercise. As the lessons progress, the words introduced become more complicated. When there are enough words to form phrases, projects are introduced. These include painting Chinese characters onto a bonsai pot, a t-shirt, a vase and making personalised greeting cards.

This general introduction to the study of Chinese traces the language's history from its beginnings in the second millennium B.C. to the present, and... provides a clear picture of the contemporary language and its sociolinguistic status. Chinese, in its numerous dialects, has more speakers than any other language in the modern world, and this vast extension in time and space brings to its study an exceptional complexity. Nevertheless, Norman's crisp organization and lucid elegance make this extraordinary range of material easily accessible even to those with an elementary understanding of linguistics. Chinese includes information on the genetic and typological connections of the language, the writing system, the classical and early vernacular tongues, the modern language and non-standard dialects, and the history of linguistic reform in China.

Han Jiantang provides an accessible, illustrated introduction to the fascinating history and development of the written Chinese language, from... pictograms painted on rocks and pottery and ancient inscriptions to the refined art of calligraphy and the characters in use today. Chinese Characters will appeal to readers looking for an introduction to the rich but complex Chinese language and to all those interested in the relationship between language and culture.

A riveting memoir of a girl's painful coming-of-age in a wealthy Chinese family during the 1940s.A Chinese proverb says, "Falling leaves return to their... roots." In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and courage in the face of despair. Adeline's affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her. Life does not get any easier when her father remarries. She and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother, while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for -- the love and understanding of her family.Following the success of the critically acclaimed adult bestseller Falling Leaves, this memoir is a moving telling of the classic Cinderella story, with Adeline Yen Mah providing her own courageous voice.From the Paperback edition.

The standard for supplementary texts in Chinese history courses.  Now newly expanded with more material.  Presents personal documents, social records,... laws and documents that historians often ignore. Even more useful than its now classic predecessor. 

A complete revision of the first volume in the Yale Linguistic Series, this new version, in pinyin romanization, and aimed at secondary school and... college levels, is an introduction to spoken Chinese. It includes dialogues, pronunciation drills, sentence-building exercises, examples of characters, substitution drills, and miscellaneous exercises in the form of games like crossword puzzles. There is a combined glossary-index, supplementary vocabulary for each lesson, notes, and a detailed suggested study guide. John De Francis is research professor of Chinese at Seton Hall University. Yale Linguistics Series, 1. The features of this introductory text for learning the Chinese language include:-Pinyin romanization-Vocabulary of 600 items-Pronunciation drills, dialogues, sentence-building exercises, pattern drills, substitution tables, games and other learning aids, memorization exercises, and a combined glossary-index-No characters are used 

Every college major gives students valuable skills and training, perfect for a wide range of careers. The Great Jobs for Theater Majors helps you assess... your talents and skills for a job, target the perfect career, tailor your job search, present college majors as workplace assets, and much more!

More than a book, Chinese Culture Pack offers a range of materials designed to introduce Chinese culture through participation. Great for hands-on... activities and fun school projects. The sets includeds: board games, crafts, postcards and more.

The first of its kind because it uses both Cantonese and Mandarin romanizations. It features over 6,000 of the most commonly used single-characters and... over 12,000 terms to illustrate the use of the characters.

This volume meets the demand for a small dictionary which is at the same time comprehensive enough for the needs of the ordinary student. It contains... 7,773 Chinese characters and 104,000 compounds taken from the classics, general literature, magazines, and newspapers. Published in 1931, it has been thoroughly revised and brought up to date in this new edition. All necessary corrections in regard to pronunciation have been made; the tones of the characters have been checked; and a large number of new terms have been added in order to facilitate the reading of contemporary periodicals and newspapers--whether political, economic, chemical, or military.

This fresh and elegant translation of 100 tales from 25 centuries of Chinese literature opens up a magical world far from our customary haunts.... Illustrated with woodcuts.

The past two centuries have witnessed tremendous upheavals in every aspect of Chinese culture and society. At the level of everyday life, some of the... most remarkable transformations have occurred in the realm of gender. Chinese Femininities/Chinese Masculinities is a mix of illuminating historical and ethnographic studies of gender from the 1700s to the present. The essays in this highly creative collection are organized in pairs that alternate in focus between femininity and masculinity, between subjects traditionally associated with feminism (such as family life) and those rarely considered from a gendered point of view (like banditry). The chapters provide a wealth of interesting detail on such varied topics as court cases involving widows and homosexuals; ideal spouses of early-twentieth-century radicals; changing images of prostitutes; the masculinity of qigong masters; sexuality in the era of reform; and the eroticization of minorities. While most of the essays were specifically written for this volume, a few are reprinted as a testament to their enduring value. Exploring the central role of gender as an organizing principle of Chinese social life, Chinese Femininities/ Chinese Masculinities is an innovative reader that will spark new debate in a wide range of disciplines.