Wisdom and Beliefs 3
1．Confucian Thought on Heaven and Humanity 3
Confucius on Heaven:the Source of Everything 11
Confucius on People:ren（仁）and Ii（礼） 11
Confucius on the State of Life 11
2．Laozi's Philosophy of Non-action 11
Naturalness and Non-action 19
The Philosophy of Non-contention 19
Returning to a Newborn State 19
3．Sunzi's Art of War:Source for All Books on War 19
The Strategic Thoughts of Sunzi 27
The Dialectical Thinking of Sunzi 27
Sunzi's Cautions Against War 27
Sunzi's Wisdom Beyond the Military 27
4．The Temple of Heaven:Reverence with Awe and Gratitude 27
Ceremonial Offerings of the Emperor 33
Holding Nature in Awe 33
Humanity and Heaven in Communion 33
5．Eco-awareness in Traditional Chinese Culture 33
The Philosophy of"Life" 43
Ecological Aesthetics 43
Humans at One with Other Living Things 43
Creativity and Exchange 43
6．Chinese Characters:Poetic Symbols 43
Symbols of Sentiment 49
Graceful Olympic Symbols 49
7．The Silk Road 49
Zhang Qian,Trail Blazer 57
Opening to the"West” 57
Murals in the Kuche Grottoes 57
8．Openness of the Great Tang 57
Arts from All Corners of the World 65
Religious Diversity 65
Seeking Buddhist Truths 65
Chang'an as an International Metropolis 65
9．Zheng He's Voyages to the Western Seas 65
Advanced Navigation Civilization 71
Spreading Peace 71
10．The Great Wall 71
Aspiration for Peace 79
Separation and Integration 79
Spirit of the Great Wall 79
Wonder of the Great Wall 79
11．The Forbidden City:Glorious and Awe-inspiring 79
Concealed Contours of a Dragon 87
The Colors of the Forbidden City 87
Art and Aesthetics 87
12．Music:Govern the Country,Nourish the Mind 87
Governance Through Music 93
Consoling the Mind with Music 93
13．Spiritual Essence in Bronzeware 93
Great Ding for Yu 99
Lotus and Crane Kettles 99
Galloping Horse Overtaking a Flying Swallow 99
14．A Silent Army 99
Discovery of the Terracotta Army 105
Vivid Sculpture 105
15．The Eternal Smile of the Buddha 105
Beautiful Guanyin in the Mogao Grottoes 113
Smiling Buddha in the Maijishan Grottoes 113
Buddha of Brightness in the Longmen Grottoes 113
Compassionate Buddha of Qingzhou 113
16．Flying Strokes of Calligraphy 113
Rhythm of Calligraphy 119
Wang Xizhi and Preface to the Lanting Pavilion Collection"Hidden Style"of the Yan Script17．The Charm of Ink and Wash 119
Black-and-White World 131
Shaping Beyond Likeness 131
Landscape Painting of the Song and Yuan Dynasties 131
Innovation after the Ming and Qing Dynasties 131
18．Porcelain-Calling Card of Chinese Culture 131
Nature's Craft 139
Pure Blue-and-White Porcelain 139
A Subtle and Reserved World 139
Shape and Imagery 139
19．Gardens South of the Yangtze River 139
A Winding Path to Places of Interest 149
Fascinating Stones 149
A Sense of Space 149
20．Peking Opera:Artistry of Performers 149
The Delights of Peking Opera Masks 159
Peking Opera Performance:Sing,Speak,Act,and Fight 159
The Beauty of a"Virtual World" 159
"Watching a Play Is Watching Famous Actors" 159
Mei Lanfang,Great Peking Opera Artist 159
21．A Variety of Splendid Folk Arts 159
Cloisonné:Artifacts with the Gleam of Precious GemsNew Year Pictures:Enhancing the Festive AtmospherePapercuts:a World Created with ScissorsEmbroidery:Ten Fingers Like a Spring BreezeShadow Play:the Art of Light and ShadowFolr Customs 159
22．Urban Customs in A Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival 171
A Horizontal Scroll of the Scenery along the Bianhe RiverUrban Civilization of the Northern Song Dynasty 171
23．Customs and Charms of Old Beijing 179
Food in Old Beijing 191
Alleys and Hawkers'Cries 191
Bustling Tianqiao 191
Temple Fairs in Old Beijing 191
Leisure Life in Old Beijing 191
24．Modern Glamour of Old Shanghai 191
The Most Open City 201
Fashion Seekers 201
Shikumen and the Customs of the Alleys 201
25．Traditional Costumes 201
Graceful Tang-style Fashion 209
Beautiful Cheongsam 209
Natural Wax Printing 209
Splendid Stage Costumes 209
26．Culinary Delights in China 209
Local Chinese Cuisines 217
Every Dish Has a Story 217
Warmth and Hospitality Expressed by Food 217
Superb Skills of Chinese Chefs 217
27．Life with Fragrant Tea 217
Magical Functions of Tea 227
Ways of Savoring Tea 227
Tea Drinking and Folk Customs 227
28．Civil Residences in Deep Alleys 227
Siheyuan in Beijing 241
Ancient Town of Lijiang 241
White Walls and Black Tiles,Anhui 241
Xitang,a Serene Water World 241
29．Martial Arts and Cuju 241
Martial Arts of the Shaolin Temple 251
Flowing Shadow Boxing 251
Martial Arts from the Heart 251
Cuju Flew Higher than Birds 251
30．Go:a Game of Wits 251
A Game on Rotted Ax-handle Mountain 258
Wisdom at Play 258
A Game of Peace 258
Hand Conversations 258
A Brief Chronology of Chinese History 258
Index of Persons 260
Index of Major Sights 263