Historical Dictionary of Chinese Culture (Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East)

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 Chinas magnificent cultural heritage. "Covering wide-ranging topics including the arts and entertainment along with customs and traditions from the ancient imperial and modern eras, the Historical Dictionary of Chinese Culture provides more than 300 separate entries along with a comprehensive Chronology, Glossary of Chinese cultural terms, and extensive Bibliography of Western and Chinese language sources"-- Provided by publisher Contents 11 Editor’s Foreword 13 Preface 15 Reader’s Note 17 Acronyms and Abbreviations 19 Map 21 Chronology 23 Introduction 35 THE DICTIONARY 39 A 39 B 75 C 99 D 173 E 189 F 203 G 233 H 247 I 275 J 281 K 287 L 291 M 305 N 335 O 343 P 349 Q 383 R 387 S 405 T 451 U 465 V 469 W 475 X 481 Y 487 Z 493 Glossary 495 Bibliography 499 About the Authors 531