The Northern Wei was a dynasty which originated outside China and ruled northern China when the south of China was ruled by a series of dynasties which originated inside China. Both during the time that the Northern Wei dynasty was in power and over many centuries subsequently, the legitimacy of the Northern Wei dynasty has been questioned. This book outlines the history of the Northern Wei dynasty, including its origins and the history of its southern rivals; considers the practices adopted by both the Northern Wei dynasty and its rivals to establish legitimacy; and examines the debates which preoccupied Chinese scholars subsequently. The book casts light on traditional ideas about legitimate rule in China, ideas which have enduring relevance as tradition continues to be very significant in contemporary China.

The Northern Wei was a dynasty which originated outside China and ruled northern China when the south of China was ruled by a series of dynasties which originated inside China. Both during the time that the Northern Wei dynasty was in power and over many centuries subsequently, the legitimacy of the Northern Wei dynasty has been questioned. This book outlines the history of the Northern Wei dynasty, including its origins and the history of its southern rivals; considers the practices adopted by both the Northern Wei dynasty and its rivals to establish legitimacy; and examines the debates which preoccupied Chinese scholars subsequently. The book casts light on traditional ideas about legitimate rule in China, ideas which have enduring relevance as tradition continues to be very significant in contemporary China.

This book outlines the history of the Northern Wei, including their origins, and the history of their southern rivals, considers the practices adopted by both the Northern Wei and their rivals to establish legitimacy, and examines the debates which preoccupied Chinese scholars subsequently.

A thorough and stunning look at The MacLean Collection Asian Art Museum, which consists of more than five thousand objects, from Neolithic times to the present, focused in three media--pottery, bronze, and stone from primarily China and Southeast Asia. A selection of Chinese pottery from the MacLean Collection of Asian art, dating from the Neolithic period (ca. 10, 000-2000 BCE) to the Tang dynasty (618-906), providing insights into the material culture, belief systems, and social development of early to medieval China. Nowhere in the world has such a rich, distinguished, and continuous tradition of pottery production developed as in China. From the Neolithic period (ca. 10, 000-2000 BCE) to the Tang dynasty (618-906), the art of Chinese pottery making has developed as much in response to functional and aesthetic considerations as to technological improvement. The forty-eight objects selected from the MacLean Collection Asian Art Museum represent some of the most important stages of this unparallel tradition when the forms, the artistic styles, and the techniques of pottery making emerged, improved, and sophisticated. They also provide insights into the material culture, belief systems, and social development of early and medieval China. OFFICIAL MUSEUM COLLECTION: An inside look into the rare collection of Asian Art both achived pieces and those currently on display in the museum located in Chicago, Illinois PERFECT FOR ART LOVERS: With enthralling photography and it's sleek hardcover, this book makes an exquisite gift for museum and art lovers everywhere CURATED FOR YOU BY THE BEST: Authored by three of the finest doctors and curators of ancient, modern, and contemporary Chinese art and pottery

This book unravels some of the complex factors that allowed or hampered the presence of (certain aspects of) Buddhism in the regions to the north and the east of India, such as Central Asia, China, Tibet, Mongolia, or Korea.

Since the establishment of the Red Army in 1927, China's military has responded to profound changes in Chinese society, particularly its domestic politics, shifting economy, and evolving threat perceptions. Recently tensions between China and Taiwan and other east Asian nations have aroused great interest in the extraordinary transformation and new capabilities of the Chinese army. In A History of the Modern Chinese Army, Xiaobing Li, a former member of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), provides a comprehensive examination of the PLA from the Cold War to the beginning of the twenty-first century that highlights the military's central function in modern Chinese society. In the 1940s, the Chinese army was in its infancy, and many soldiers were rural conscripts and volunteers who had received little formal schooling. The Chinese military rapidly increased its mobility and weapon strength, and the Korean War and Cold War offered intense combat experience that not only allowed soldiers to hone their fighting techniques but also helped China to develop military tactics tailored to the surrounding countries whose armies posed the most immediate threats. Yet even in the 1970s, the completion of a middle school education (nine years) was considered above-average, and only 4 percent of the 224 top Chinese generals had any college credit hours. However, in 1995 the high command began to institute massive reforms to transform the PLA from a labor-intensive force into a technology-intensive army. Continually seeking more urban conscripts and emphasizing higher education, the PLA Reserve Officer Training and Selection program recruited students from across the nation. These reservists would become commissioned officers upon graduation, and they majored in atomic physics, computer science, and electrical engineering. Grounding the text in previously unreleased official Chinese government and military records as well as the personal testimonies of more than two hundred PLA soldiers, Li charts the development of China's armed forces against the backdrop of Chinese society, cultural traditions, political history, and recent technological advancements. A History of the Modern Chinese Army links China's military modernization to the country's growing international and economic power and provides a unique perspective on China's esttablishment and maintenance of one of the world's most advanced military forces.

This guide to identifying lions, unicorns and other creatures real and fanciful in Chinese and Japanese artwork explains how these and other animal depictions were introduced to the East, and how their portrayals changed over time. Tracing the lion's early use in Mesopotamian art and its cultural symbolism in Greece and Rome, this study includes stylized foxes, tigers, badgers and cats, as well as fanciful creatures like dragons, humanoid birds, water imps, demons and other chimerical beasts. Stories and descriptions are provided along with numerous photographs and drawings, making this work an invaluable resource for art collectors and anyone interested in East Asian culture and history.

The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang tells the saga of the seventh-century Chinese monk Xuanzang, one of China's great heroes, who completed an epic sixteen-year-long journey to discover the heart of Buddhism at its source in India. Eight centuries before Columbus, this intrepid pilgrim traveled 10,000 miles on the Silk Road, meeting most of Asia's important leaders at that time. In this revised and updated edition, Sally Hovey Wriggins, the first Westerner to walk in Xuanzang's footsteps, brings to life a courageous explorer and devoutly religious man. Through Wriggins's telling of Xuanzang's fascinating and extensive journey, the reader comes to know the contours of the Silk Road, Buddhist art and archaeology, the principles of Buddhism, as well as the geography and history of China, Central Asia, and India. The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang is an inspiring story of human struggle and triumph, and a touchstone for understanding the religions, art, and culture of Asia.

The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Medicine is an extensive, interdisciplinary guide to the nature of traditional medicine and healing in the Chinese cultural region, and its plural epistemologies. Established experts and the next generation of scholars interpret the ways in which Chinese medicine has been understood and portrayed from the beginning of the empire (third century BCE) to the globalisation of Chinese products and practices in the present day, taking in subjects from ancient medical writings to therapeutic movement, to talismans for healing and traditional medicines that have inspired global solutions to contemporary epidemics. The volume is divided into seven parts: Longue Durée and Formation of Institutions and Traditions Sickness and Healing Food and Sex Spiritual and Orthodox Religious Practices The World of Sinographic Medicine Wider Diasporas Negotiating Modernity This handbook therefore introduces the broad range of ideas and techniques that comprise pre-modern medicine in China, and the historiographical and ethnographic approaches that have illuminated them. It will prove a useful resource to students and scholars of Chinese studies, and the history of medicine and anthropology. It will also be of interest to practitioners, patients and specialists wishing to refresh their knowledge with the latest developments in the field. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: China reveals the magnificence of China's greatest sights, including in-depth coverage of the Forbidden City and Terracotta Soldiers. The guide provides expert tips for visiting the Great Wall, cruising through the stunning Yangzi Three Gorges, and exploring the ultra-modern cities of Shanghai and Hong Kong. Explore China's cultural heritage through richly illustrated features on everything from the Beijing Opera to Confucianism, calligraphy, and the cult of Mao. DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: China includes 3-D cutaway illustrations, floor plans, and reconstructions of the major architectural sights, plus maps of the key cities and towns. The best places to stay and eat have been provided by resident experts and recommendations on regional specialties will ensure you don't miss China's best dishes. Markets and festivals are listed town by town. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that brighten every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: China shows you this diverse country as no one else can.