Description
This dictionary is China's first bilingual dictionary of Chinese folk culture jointly compiled by Sinolingua and the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies.
It contains over 700 folk terms selected from four areas: solar terms and festivals; rites of passage; food, clothing, shelter, and transportation; and beliefs and worship. Based on an extensive review of authoritative literature, the Dictionary provides a concise yet informative bilingual interpretation for each entry, covering its historical evolution, current practice, geographical features, and more. Illustrations are provided for some entries to facilitate understanding. Together, these specific folk events and phenomena reflect the evolution of the Chinese culture over time, the tradition of diversity in unity, and the ever-changing lifestyle of the Chinese people in the new era.
To help readers understand all the terms included and for easy reference, the Dictionary has a keywords list and a Chinese phonetic order index, namely the pinyin index, at the end of the book. The appendixes include a dynasties list, the list of twenty-four solar terms, the distribution of Chinese ethnic groups, and important Chinese folk festivals.
The Dictionary can serve as a reference book for translators and other professionals engaged in international cultural communications. It also hopes to be of help to international readers who are studying Chinese or are interested in learning more about Chinese culture.
