Famous temples, palaces, and churches in China--New Version

Author: Yu Guiyuan | Chief Editor/Origin: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: China is one of the ancient civilizations of the world. Many of the splendid ancient civilizations in the world failed to continue, someed, and others shifted their cultural centers to other regions with the transfer of cultural focus. Only China, a country both ancient and young, has maintained its continuity. From the primitive society to the formation of the state, it has a documented history of over 5,000 years. Chinese culture and its people stand tall in the world, unbroken and ever-renewing through time. Chinese culture is a dynamic and historical concept, characterized by inclusivity and enduring vitality. Beyond temporal differences, it also encompasses regional and ethnic diversity. It is the result of long-term, continuous exchange, penetration, competition, and integration among the cultures of various regions of the Chinese nation (including Central Plains culture, Shandong culture, Jingchu culture, Bashu culture, Wu-Yue culture, Lingnan culture, Min-Taiwan culture, etc.) and the cultures of all ethnic groups (including Zhuang, Manchu, Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, and the 56 ethnic groups of China). In this sense, the development of Chinese culture is both concrete and historical, as well as a multi-regional, multi-ethnic, and multi-layered three-dimensional network. Chinese culture is the crystallization of the common culture, social psychology, and customs of the Chinese nation, originating from ancient times and continuing to the present day in the regions surrounding the Yellow River and Yangtze River. Inheriting Chinese cultural heritage does not mean uncritically accepting ancient culture; rather, it means preserving its fine traditions while discarding feudal remnants. Today, China is in a new era of advancing toward modernization. Understanding the excellence of the past is essential for creating a new culture for the future. This holds great significance for enhancing national self-esteem and strengthening national cohesion. Youth are the future of the country and the hope of the nation. Educating them in traditional culture is both an urgent task and a long-term goal. It is a grand endeavor to enable middle school students and readers with secondary education to grasp the basic knowledge of Chinese cultural history, appreciate the glorious history of Chinese culture, inherit and promote fine traditions, and lay a foundation for building a new culture with Chinese characteristics under socialism. This is also the purpose of our editorial team in compiling this series. For adult readers with higher cultural levels and experts, whose individual expertise is always limited, this series remains a high-quality and reliable cultural knowledge resource. The predecessor of this series covered 110 topics, involving all aspects of history and culture, jointly published by Commercial Press, the Central Party School Press, Tianjin Education Press, and Shandong Education Press. Now, the editorial committee has reorganized the categories, establishing ten major fields: archaeology, history and geography, philosophy, culture, education, science and technology, military science, economics, literature and art, and sports, totaling 110 topics, exclusively published by Commercial Press. Each topic has also expanded from the original 50,000 words to approximately 80,000 words, with richer content and more detailed narratives. We hope this series can reflect the mainstream and characteristics of Chinese culture from multiple perspectives and levels, enabling readers to understand the basic profile of Chinese culture and grasp the essence of the Chinese nation. This is the greatest aspiration of the editors. We warmly welcome criticism and suggestions for this series, striving to make it increasingly perfect.
Editorial Committee of the History of Chinese Culture Series
April 1996