Overview of Chinese Culture (in Russian)

Author: Yan Guodong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-01-01
Features: As a foreign language professional, one's work should not only involve introducing foreign culture but also promoting the outstanding culture of one's own country. This is the relationship between "taking in" and "sending out" as mentioned by Mr. Ji Xianlin. Traditional foreign language education has focused solely on the former while neglecting the latter, leaving students unable to confidently introduce their own culture in foreign languages, even to the point of being speechless. This situation is neither suitable for China's reform and opening-up nor beneficial to promoting the country's outstanding culture. Scholars in domestic universities have also recognized this issue, but due to the lack of available teaching materials, they have been unable to offer courses on it. To address the knowledge gap among Chinese students majoring in Russian and to meet the demands of economic globalization and the dissemination of Chinese culture to the world, the authors overcame difficulties in gathering resources and finally compiled the textbook in 1991, becoming the first in the country to offer Chinese culture courses in Russian. This has become a distinctive feature of the Russian program at Nankai University. Over the following years of teaching and practice, the authors continuously tested the scientific and practical aspects of the textbook, striving for excellence to make it an outstanding Chinese culture reader in Russian that meets the needs of Russian language teaching nationwide.
The book includes 18 lessons covering: China at a Glance, Language and Writing, Education, Literature, Music and Dance, Painting and Calligraphy, Theatre, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ethnic Sports, Cuisine, Etiquette, Folk Festivals, Tea Culture, The Emperor, Confucianism, Religion, Famous Landmarks and Historical Sites, and Chinese Culture Abroad. Each lesson consists of one to several articles, aiming to provide rich and accurate language materials. After each text, there are vocabulary notes to help students improve their reading efficiency. Additionally, thought-provoking questions are included to enhance students' ability to express Chinese cultural knowledge in Russian.
The appendix includes a timeline of Chinese history, famous landmarks and historical sites, festivals, Chinese cuisine names, traditional units of measurement, common Chinese herbal medicines, the 24 solar terms, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, and the 12 zodiac signs. This book can serve as a textbook and reference material for Chinese culture courses, Sino-Russian translation courses in universities, as well as reading material for all Russian learners. It can also be used as a language and cultural course textbook for students from the former Soviet Union or as a reader for all foreign friends interested in Chinese culture.