In this work the author uses nine themes to explore the many facets of China's past and present: territory (guo), city (cheng), temple (si), gods (shen), home (jia), texts (wen), body (shen), food (shi), and people (min). This book will be of interest to anyone looking to better understand China, its long political, religious, and cultural histories, and the complexities of how an imperial system transforms into a modern nation-state and a new form of empire in our contemporary world.
