Mountains and Waters of China (Beijing Volume 1)

Author: Duan Baolin et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This series of books has two key concepts: "Mountain and Water Stories" and "Mountain and Water Sentiments." The richness of "stories" behind the mountains and waters is a primary characteristic of Chinese landscapes. Due to the long-standing civilization and historical heritage, as well as the cultivation of agricultural life over time, the "stories" behind China's mountains and waters are particularly abundant, meaning that the cultural landscapes are exceptionally rich, and the accumulation of historical and cultural heritage is profound. This series blends landscape aesthetics, anecdotes and legends, literary works about mountains and waters, and local customs, presenting readers with a "compendium of mountain and water stories." This sentiment, when expressed in the relationship between humans and nature, is the "heart of the forest and spring," where climbing a mountain fills one with emotion, and watching the sea overflows with feelings. This sentiment, when reflected in daily life, is the transformation of life into art and aesthetics. The Records of the Grand Conversation states: "Zixiu Wang once temporarily rented an empty house and immediately had bamboo planted." This sentiment, when applied to one's attitude toward life and society, is the "ritual and music mindset of not rejoicing in external things or grieving for oneself." For thousands of years, this sentiment has not only enriched the lives of many individuals but also endowed China with a culturally beautiful spirit that the world admires. In modern society, where people are alienated into biological specimens by instrumental rationality and their spiritual worlds are fragmented into scattered cultural pieces, this sentiment and this cultural spirit undoubtedly hold special significance. Naming this series "Mountain and Water China" is an attempt to call back this sentiment and this spirit. It is hoped that it can become a spiritual oasis and a clear spring on the cultural journey of Chinese people in the new century.