Chameleon China - An Analysis of the European Perception of Chinese Civilization

Author: (English) Raymond
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: China is considered rich and poor, developed and backward, intelligent and foolish, beautiful and ugly, strong and weak, honest and cunning in different contexts—Westerners have assigned to her countless mutually opposing characteristics, which are difficult to list entirely here. The intention of this book is to analyze these ever-changing concepts about China and clarify which accurately reflect the actual situation of China, and which are merely fabricated or imagined out of Europe's needs. The perception of China by Europeans has undergone earth-shattering changes over time. Interestingly, these changes reflect more the progress of European intellectual history than the transformation of Chinese society. China is more like a chameleon than a dragon.