Cultural Flow Between China and Outside World Throughout History (English)by Shen Fuwei ISBN: 9787119057538

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The author of Cultural Flow Between China and Outside World Throughout History, Shen Fuwei, is a recognized authority on cultural history. His books covers the major events and developments throughout the several thousand years ofcultural relations between China and the outsideworld " from remote antiquity to 1949. He uses vivid description, ancient legends, archaeological data and Chinese and foreign literature all carefully chosen and verified. The book consists of ten chapters, divided into two parts: the six chapters in Part One cover the historical cultural exchange and amalgamation of China and Western Regions; thefour chapters in Part Two detail the introduction of modern sciences and the reform of Chinese traditional culture.
The main focus of the book includes threes aspects: first, an introduction of the historic "bridges"and passages of the East West cultural exchange;second, an explanation of the scope and scale of such exchanges; and, third, an analysis of the interaction of Chinese and foreign cultures and a look atthe future of Chinese culture.
The book contains many colored as well asblackandwhite pictures, in addition to two sketchmaps showing "East-West Communication in theYear 200" and "The Westward Spread of China's Five Great Inventions," as well as an index at the end of the book for readers' reference.

PART ONE
Cultural Intercourse Between China and the Western
Regions
Chapter One
The Earliest Contact Between China and the Western Re-gions Before the Qin Dynasty
Ⅰ The Western Regions as Described in Ancient Chinese History
1. The Origins of Chinese Culture
2. The Ancient Chinese Legend About Xiwangmu
(Western Queen Mother) and Its Relations with the Western Regions
Ⅱ The Origin of Chinese CⅣilization
1. Various Hypotheses on the Origin of Chinese Civilization
2. The Yangshao Culture of Painted Pottery and Its Introduction to the West
Ⅲ Convergence of the Hua Xia Culture and the Eura- sian Steppe Culture
1. The Northward Advance of the Bronze Culture of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties
2. The Westward Migration of Jichuo and Westward Expedition of the Zhou Dynasty's King Mu
Ⅳ Nomadic Travellers and the Silk Trade
1. Silk——the Earliest Link Between China and Greece
2. Silk Fabrics Make China Known Throughout the World
3. The Route of Glass and Gem Trade
4. The Animal Style in the Northern Chinese Art Designs

Chapter Two
Opening of the Sino-Western Communications During the Han Dynasty
Ⅰ An Open Society and Smooth Traffic
Ⅱ Parthia and the Monopoly of Silk Trade
Ⅲ China and the Oriental Trade of the Roman Empire
1. The Biggest Customer of Chinese Silk
2. The Proposed Diplomatic Relations Between China and Rome
3. The Voyage of Chinese Sailing Ships to Port Adulis
4. The Acclaimed "Land of Treasures"
Ⅳ Earliest Cultural Exchanges Between China and India
1. The Origin of Buddhism and Its Introduction to the East
2. The Bridge Between China and Egypt

Chapter Three
The Introduction of Culture and Art from the Western Regions During the Han and Tang Dynasties
Ⅰ The Steppe Empire and East-West Cultural Exchange
Ⅱ The Influx of Art from the Western Regions
1. The Buddhist Art in Inland China
2. Popularity of the Xiyu Theme in Art Style
3. Paintings and Sculptures of the Graeco-Roman Genre
4. The Gandhara Buddhist Art of North China
5. Fine Arts of Sassanian-Persian Style
Ⅲ Music of the Western Regions
1. The Introduction of Persian Musical Instruments and Songs During the Han Dynasty
(A) Konghou
(B) Pipa
(C) Bill
(D) Drum and Cymbal Music and Songs
2. The Collation and Promotion of Xiyu Music During the Northern Zhou, Sui and Tang Dynasties
Ⅳ The Xiyu Dances and Acrobatics
1. The Xiyu Music and Dance Boom During the Sui and Tang Dynasties
2. The Hu Drama of the Tang Dynasty
3. Introduction of Xiyu's Acrobatics and Magic Arts
Ⅴ The Introduction of Foreign Folk Arts and Games
1. Puppet Shows and India
2. Indian Chess
3. The Arabian Shuanglu Game
4. The Polo Game
Ⅵ The Translation of Buddhist Scripture and Its Influence on Chinese Literature
t. The Inception of Buddhist Scripture in China
2. The Endeavours of Masters Fa Xian and Xuan Zhuang
3. A 700-Year-Long History of Translation Work
4. The Indian Touch in Chinese Literary Styles
Ⅶ The Introduction of Science and Technology from Egypt, Persia and Arabia
1. Persian Armour Widely Adopted Across China
2. Glass-Making Based on Egyptian Prescription
3. The Introduction of Medicine from Arabia and Persia
Ⅷ Science and Technology Introduced from India
1. The Nine-Volume Calendar and Gautama
2. Indian Medicine and Longevity Drugs
3. The New CreatⅣe Buddhist Architecture
4. The Improvement of Sugar-Refining Skills

Chapter Four
Cultural Exchange During the Course of Founding a Unified Empire
Ⅰ The Famous Conqueror Gurkhan
Ⅱ The Westward Advance of Chinese Culture During the Mongolian Rule
1. The Three Mongolian Expeditions to the West and the Tide of National Amalgamation
2. The Khanate Golden Horde and the Northern Pas- sage of Chinese Culture to the West
3. II-Khanate and the Southern Passage of Chinese Culture to the West
Ⅲ The Mongolians and the Roman Catholic Church
1. The Vatican Envoy's Trip to the Orient
2. A Mongolian Envoys' Visit to Europe
Ⅳ The Arabian Culture During the Yuan Dynasty

Chapter Five
Cultural Communication Across the Maritime "Silk Road"During the Period from the Ninth to the Fifteenth Century
Ⅰ Developments of Ocean Shipping in the Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties
1. Maritime "Silk Road" to the Indian Ocean
2. Delegations Sent Overseas by China During the Song and Yuan Dynasties
Ⅱ The Maritime "Silk Road" and the Communication in Materials and Culture
1. Overseas Markets Opening to Chinese Silk
2. The Chinese Porcelain Boom Across Three Continents
3. The Influx of Spice, Rhinoceros Horns and Ⅳory into China
Ⅲ The Three Famous Travellers of the Yuan Dynasty
1. Marco Polo and His Trip to China
2. Ibn Battutah's Tour of the Orient
3. Wang Dayuan's Two Voyages Across the Indian Ocean
Ⅳ Zheng He's Voyages to the West and China's New Ties with the Asian and African Countries
1. The Itinerary of Zheng He's Seven Voyages
2. The Treasure Boat Fleet and Overseas Cultural Exchange
……
PART TWO
Epiloque
Index

Sample Pages Preview

It should be noted that the painted pottery cultures discov-ered in areas of Gansu and Xinjiang dated one to three thousand years after the Yangshao culture of Central China. Since 1957,when the ancient cultural site of Majiayao-Wajiaping was discov-ered in Lintao of Gansu Province, many similar colourfully-painted pottery objects were found from subsequent finds of the Majiayao and Banshanmachang cultures in Gansu, which dated between 3000 to 2000 B.C. In fact, despite the decline of painted pottery in Central China since the era of Longshan culture, itcontinued to flourish in Gansu and became more variegated incolour after Majiayao culture; and painted pottery was found tohave existed in Gansu as late as during the Spring and Autumnand Warring States periods——long after it had vanished in Central China.
Yangshao painted pottery culture had entered Xinjiang, viaShaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia, during the prehistoric periodfrom 5000 to 1000 B.C.; and cultural linkage between Xinjiang and the inland China had already begun during the early Neolithic Age. A culture marked by fine stone-ware had spread throughout the whole Xinjiang area, and merged itself into thefine stone-ware culture, which extended across Gansu, Qinghai,Ningxia, Inner Mongolia and Northeast China. This corrobor-ated the course of cultural dissemination and national migra-tion over this vast territory. Then, at about 1000 B.C., a chiefly agricultural and partly pastoral economy emerged in some areas of Xinjiang. At such sites of agricultural economy, culturalrelics composed of ground stone tools and painted pottery were unearthed. These were scattered over the major oases in Barkol,Hami, Turpan and Tarim Basin, including Yanqi, Kuqa, Xinhe,Xayar, Pishan, Hotan, Qiemo and Lop Nut areas, and Ili Rivervalley.