This book gives a basic introduction to the Chinese culture and national conditions, including altogether 15 aspects, namely “the national flag, emblem and anthem”, “administrative divisions”, “geography and resources”, “population, ethnic groups and languages”, “history”, “political institution”, “economy”, “diplomacy”, “science and technology”, “education”, “traditional thoughts”, “literature”, “arts”, “social customs” and “sports”. The contents are extensive, systematic and up-to-date, written in explicit words, with phonetic notations provided for unfamiliar words and notes for idioms, terminologies and cultural phenomena so as to lower the difficulty in learning. Combining the text with pictures, the book is lively and visually appealing.

Ning Jiming, dean of the College of International Education of Shandong University, is a member of the National Steering Committee of Master’s Degree Programs in International Chinese Education and an executive director of the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching. His research mainly focuses on the transmission of language and culture, language economy and human resources.