Institutions and Regulations (Part One) cover

Institutions and Regulations (Part One)

Rating 2.9
Word count
82K words
Chapters
40
ISBN
9787807119937

Tags

Summary

Chinese culture values peace and upholds the ideal personality of the golden mean. When diverse cultures meet, it excels at integration—without bias or resentment, favoring harmony and balance—so that the Chinese nation has continued to grow and strengthen. Chinese culture is like a sea into which a hundred rivers flow, vast and boundless. A History of Chinese Culture recounts China's extraordinary journey from prehistoric times to the present: the opening of its territory, the formation of its peoples, social evolution, economic and cultural development, and political change.

Editor's review

This book is the first volume of the A History of Chinese Culture series and focuses on institutions and regulations, presenting institutional change within the broader context of a Chinese culture that values peace and favors harmony and balance. Its value lies in helping readers understand the evolution of Chinese society from an institutional perspective, linking the opening of territory, the formation of the nation, social evolution, economic and cultural development, and political change into a relatively complete vision of cultural history. The narrative emphasizes tracing historical threads and is suitable as an introductory or supplementary reader on Chinese cultural history. It is typically read alongside courses, for self-study, or for topic-based reference. Note that as the first volume of a series with continuous content, reading it alone may leave an incomplete grasp of later institutional developments; and as an overview, its depth of detail is limited and it should not replace specialized studies of institutional history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Introductory readers interested in Chinese cultural history and institutional change
  • Students needing course support or topic-based reference materials
  • General readers seeking to understand Chinese social evolution from an institutional perspective
  • Self-learners who prefer reading cultural history along historical lines

Not a good fit for

  • Specialist scholars needing in-depth research on institutional history
  • Readers expecting extensive primary sources and detailed textual scholarship
  • Readers who want only the second volume or a stand-alone single volume

Reading tips

  1. First read through the table of contents to grasp the overall framework of institutional change, then select specific chapters according to interest.
  2. While reading, take simple notes alongside a historical timeline to trace the chronological thread of institutional change.
  3. Read in connection with the second volume in the same series to avoid gaps caused by the content's continuity.

About the publisher

Liaohai Publishing House China · Founded in 1996

Liaohai Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for textbooks and the collation of ancient works. Its publishing scope covers state-approved textbooks, local curriculum materials, supplementary educational books, and national and local ancient-text compilation projects, while also extending into humanities fields such as Eastern philosophy. Its catalog contains about 4,694 titles, with representative works including the multi-volume Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), and its author resources include classic writers and works such as Sima Qian and Confucius. Grounded in educational publishing and the transmission of traditional culture, the press maintains sustained investment in ancient-text collation, forming a publishing profile that balances textbooks and scholarship. Due to limited public information, its more specific publishing directions and features require further supplementation.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 《中国文化知识大观园》编委会
  3. 编写说明
  4. 一、户籍制度
  5. 会稽
  6. 登人
  7. 料民
  8. 仓颉造字与“韦编三绝”
  9. 八月算人
  10. 自占
  11. 案比
  12. 黄册
  13. 鱼鳞册
  14. 中丁制
  15. 亡命之徒
  16. 造册
  17. 一脉相承
  18. 寄军令
  19. 作法自毙
  20. 锄社
  21. 力田
  22. 乡官
  23. 玉牒
  24. 九儒十丐
  25. 编户齐民
  26. 工商食官
  27. 军籍
  28. 方外之民
  29. 户籍转换
  30. 户调
  31. 户等
  32. 手实
  33. 推排
  34. 户税
  35. 生分制
  36. 家籍
  37. 户主
  38. 绝户
  39. 尚农固本
  40. 符传制

FAQ

Can this book be read on its own without the second volume?
It offers a preliminary understanding of the institutional content covered in the first volume, but as the first volume of a series, its institutional developments are continuous. For a more complete understanding, read it in connection with the second volume to avoid an interrupted thread.
Can readers with no historical background understand this book?
The narrative emphasizes tracing threads and is written in fairly plain language, so readers with basic historical knowledge can follow it. If you are unfamiliar with the order of dynasties, keep a historical timeline at hand for reference while reading; this works better.
Is this book suitable as supplementary reading for a course?
It is suitable as a supplementary reader for courses related to Chinese cultural history, helping build an overall impression at the institutional level. But as an overview work, its depth of detail is limited and it cannot replace specialized textbooks or research works on institutional history.

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About the author

Xing Chunru Author · China

Xing Chunru is a Chinese full-time book editor about whom publicly available information is limited. He has long compiled popular series for institutions such as Liaohai Publishing House. His output is considerable, with more than 700 titles held in the collection, covering fields such as art history, science and military affairs, politics and history, language and writing, and film and television. Representative works include Chinese Martial Arts (Part II), A History of Chinese Art, A History of Chinese Science and Technology, A Course in the Art of Language, Famous Paintings and Masterpieces, and the series A Grand Garden of Chinese Cultural Knowledge. These books present specialized knowledge in an accessible style, emphasizing systematic organization and readability, and are intended for young readers and general audiences, helping to popularize and guide understanding of traditional culture, art appreciation, and language expression.

李穆南 Author

Li Munan: publicly available information is limited, and details of his life, such as nationality and dates of birth and death, are not clearly recorded. Nevertheless, the 229 works held in the library indicate a prolific compiler with wide-ranging interests. His works focus mainly on Chinese culture and history, and representative titles include Chinese Martial Arts (Volume Two), The Grand Compendium of Chinese Cultural Knowledge: Science and Military Volume, The Grand Compendium of Chinese Cultural Knowledge: Politics and History Volume, The History of Ancient Chinese Literature, The History of Contemporary Chinese Literature, Poems of Successive Dynasties, and Residential Architecture and Folk Customs (Volume One). The common categories cover culture, popular science, general biography, and history readers, showing that his writing centers on knowledge popularization and cultural dissemination. His subjects span literary history, folk customs, military science, and political history, and are mostly aimed at general readers. Overall, Li Munan's body of work is extensive and emphasizes the systematic organization of traditional Chinese culture and historical knowledge, giving him a certain accumulated presence and influence in the compilation of popular cultural reading materials.

Jie Baofeng Author · Chinese · 1976

Jie Baofeng, born in 1976 and a native of Qianguo, Jilin, is of Han ethnicity and serves as an assistant researcher. He is currently director of the Jilin Provincial Local Chronicles Museum, a member of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial CPPCC, and vice chair of the Jilin Provincial Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, and has long been engaged in compiling local chronicles. He has planned and published more than ninety chronicles and gazetteers, including the Illustrated Gazetteer of the Colonial Governing Institutions of the Puppet State of Manchukuo, and has served as chief editor of numerous history and popular science series, gaining extensive experience in document organization and knowledge dissemination. His works span a wide range of subjects, including folk literature, inspirational growth, and social fiction, with 970 titles held in the collection. These include multivolume editions of traditional classics such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas and The Complete Works of Guiguzi, as well as accessible popular readings, reflecting an editorial approach that balances scholarship with readability.

刘心莲 Author

Liu Xinlian is a Chinese compiler credited with a considerable number of titles, though public information about her is limited, and her nationality, dates of birth and death, and personal background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the 182 works held in the collection, her writing focuses mainly on cultural popularization and general knowledge books, covering such subjects as Chinese martial arts, political history, science and military affairs, emperors and eunuchs of successive dynasties, imperial examination top scholars, and myths and legends. The common categories include culture, popular science, history readings, folk literature, and general biography. Representative works include Chinese Martial Arts (Volume II), The Grand View of Chinese Culture: Political and Historical Volume, The Grand View of Chinese Culture: Science and Military Volume, Emperors of Successive Dynasties, and Myths and Legends. Overall, her editorial style leans toward accessible introductions for general readers, emphasizing systematic organization and readability, making it suitable for ordinary readers seeking to understand traditional culture and historical knowledge.

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