Chinese Almanacs

by Richard J. Smith

Despite efforts by Chinese governments to suppress their popularity, and the influence of Western ideas and science, almanacs have been one of the most widely distributed and read publications in Chinese societies all over the world. Perhaps no other single class of artifacts reflects more
clearly the essence of inherited culture and its evolution in China in late imperial and modern times. Beautifully illustrated with block-prints and full-color covers, Chinese almanacs provide a unique insight into the structure, beliefs, hopes, and concerns of Chinese societies around the world.
This perceptive introduction traces the almanacs' links with traditional calendars, astrology, and divination, and examines their importance as indexes of continuity and change, popular hopes and fears, aesthetic preferences, ethical concerns, and symbolic expression from the Tang dynasty to the
present day.

104 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Richard J. Smith is Professor of History and Director of Asian Studies at Rice University, Houston, Texas.

Reviews

[Tuchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read it in order to make a ppt for my university where I had to speak about Chinese almanacs, calendar and zodiac. It is really complete, easy to understand and fast to read. It doesn't have difficult information and, for me, a native Spanish speaker, it was not that complicated to read. Really, a 5/5, really intereseting.