Traditional Chinese Folk Customs

Book excerpt: "Traditional Chinese Folk Customs provides the reader with a kaleidoscopic view of social and cultural phenomena in various different areas and ethnic communities in China, in both ancient times and the present. Although the extent to which such old customs are still prevalent in Chinese society today varies, these traditions have had an undeniable impact on the contemporary Chinese way of life. Furthermore, given the growing consciousness of the importance of protecting traditional cultures, a number of folk customs that had once fallen to the verge of extinction are now being recovered, while others are still often found in Chinese literary works even if they have fallen out of common usage. As such, this book offers interesting insights into an often overlooked aspect of Chinese culture"--Provided by publisher.