Guobin Xu

Western Organizational Culture: EU Organizational Culture

This chapter was written by Hu Wentao and Gao Ying and has been translated by Qiu Qingqing. It displays the rich connotations of Western organizational culture, focusing on the origin and development of European Union (EU) culture, the cultural features of the EU, and current EU cultural policies.

Economic Systems of the West

This chapter was written by He Chuantian and has been translated by Li Jinxin. It first describes the European economy from the European Community (EC) to the European Union (EU), including the development from one to the other, as well as the Customs Union, the Common Agricultural Policy, and the fiscal systems. The economies in four major European countries, Germany, France, the UK, and Russia, are outlined, as is the American economy.

Western Military Culture

This chapter was written by Cheng Yonglin and has been translated by Qiu Qingqing. There are many ways in which military culture can be analyzed. This chapter interprets Western military culture by analyzing its development from the perspectives of practice, technology, and thought.

European and American Literature

This chapter was originally written by Zhou Fang and has been translated by Liu Xueying. This chapter introduces European and American literature according to the historical development, covering ancient Greek literature, ancient Roman literature, Medieval literature, Renaissance literature, literature of several major European countries from the seventeenth to the twentieth century and American literature in the nineteenth and the twentieth century.

Customs and Etiquette

Chapter 9, “Folk Customs and Etiquette,” was written by Zhu Zhigang and translated by Zhou Yajuan. After a brief discussion of the features and functions of customs and etiquette, the chapter focuses on the important traditional rites of a typical Chinese life: birth, enlightenment, puberty, wedding, birthday celebrations, and funeral. It then goes on to introduce rituals among family members and those on social occasions.

Clothing, Food, Housing and Transportation

Chapter 8, “Basic Living Aspects,” was written by Tang Jing and translated by Zhou Yajuan. The chapter describes the clothing, food, shelter, and means of travel of ancient China. The costumes of the Chinese people changed greatly throughout history owing to different philosophical trends and fashions, as well as the influence of the surrounding minority nationalities. Cooking methods and types of food have become increasingly diversified. Residential buildings reflect regional features and the building materials used in different eras. The Chinese people made use of domestic animals and boats or ships for long-distance journeys.

National Defense and Military Culture

Chapter 7, “National Defense and Military Culture,” written by Cheng Yonglin and translated by Zhou Yajuan, delves into two aspects of Chinese culture normally ignored by general works on China, namely, its national defense policy and its military system. This chapter examines the characteristics and significance of both in a historical context.

Chinese Architecture and Gardens

Chapter 7, “Chinese Architecture and Gardens,” was written by Liu Geng and translated by Zhou Yajuan. This chapter discusses the stages of development and main artistic characteristics of Chinese architecture, different forms of residential buildings, landscape architecture, special features of gardens in different locations, classic works on architecture and gardens, and examples of several representative modern Chinese buildings.

Economy and Trade

Chapter 6, “Economy and Trade,” was written by Kang Weimao and Li Xiaoli and translated by Li Jinxin. The chapter gives a comprehensive introduction to agricultural developments and achievements from antiquity to the modern era; the focus then shifts to a presentation of the marvelous creations in craft and industry throughout Chinese history. The last section unveils the history of Chinese international trade as represented by the famous Silk Road.

Astronomy and the Calendar

Chapter 6, “Astronomy and the Calendar,” was written by Zhang Linmao and translated by Qiu Qingqing. The chapter provides a brief description of the development of ancient Chinese astronomy, introduces all the different calendars used throughout China’s history, and presents nine important astronomers and several astronomical instruments used by the ancient Chinese to observe celestial bodies and time. Several contemporary observatories in China are mentioned at the end of the chapter.