中国文化系列丛书：中国文化·汉字（西）

This book briefly introduces basic knowledge about China’s profound culture of Chinese characters with easily understandable words and exquisite pictures. It will take readers on a relaxing and interesting journey in the “kingdom of Chinese characters”.

汉字是方块形的表意体系的文字，也是世界上*活着的古文字。汉字的存在，是人类文明史上的一个奇迹。今天，汉字仍在不断发展中。这种世界上使用人口*多的古老文字，正朝气蓬勃地走向未来。

The “Chinese Culture” book series includes ten books on philosophical thoughts, literature, art, Chinese characters, festivals, foods and drinks, crafts, clothes, architecture and medicine. Each book introduces the history of a field or theme and the same origin of Chinese culture reflected by it, pursues its existence and manifestation in Chinese people’s life today, tells those “unknown stories” through smooth and relaxing words and exquisite pictures, reveals Chinese people’s thinking habits, behavioral modes, traditional concepts and social life, and helps readers understand “what Chinese people are like and what their thinking modes and living customs are.”

Chinese characters are square-shaped ideograms and the only ancient language alive in the world. The existence of Chinese characters is a miracle in the human civilization history. Today, Chinese characters are still developing. This ancient language used by most people in the world is embracing the future vigorously.

Han Jiantang, a native of Tianjin and a TCSL (Teaching Chinese as Second Language) teacher at Tianjin Normal University, began to engage in TCSL education and research in 1985, and was dispatched by the State Education Commission in 1994 to give lectures at Mongolian National University, Ulaanbaatar for three years. Publications: China’s Cultural Heritage (1994), Approaching Traditional Chinese Art (2001), The Culture of Chinese Characters – With Illustrations by Pictures (2005), In*ions on Bones and Tortoise Shells from the Yin Ruins – With Illustrations by Pictures (2009) and The Culture of Chinese Characters (2010). Hundreds of his illustrations were published in books, newspapers and periodicals; his prints were displayed at three artwork exhibitions in Tianjin; his brick-relief prints were exhibited at the National Art Museum of China.