An illustrated volume of 56 succinct essays grouped within 8 chapters, to cover the core myths, festivals, historical sights, food and sports, arts and crafts, language and literature, philosophy and international connections. These iconic stories, localities and cultural practices stretch back thousands of years and have emerged from amidst myriad other possible competitors as the foundational cultural grammar of twenty-first century China. The book will be invaluable not only to all students of Chinese culture but also to the educated observer of world cultures. In understanding the foundational principles underlying Chinese culture, readers will be able to make far better sense of the uniqueness of the twenty-first century China that they see before them.