Introduction to Programming Concepts With Case Studies in Python

Toward the end of his first term, President Barack Obama's election promise to reduce the American military presence in the Middle East and Afghanistan led to a general re-evaluation of priorities. What eventuated was a series of phrases to describe the new foreign policy posture. These included "rebalancing to Asia", the "pivot to Asia" and the "pivot to the Pacific". The two principal drivers of the new posture were identified by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a key November 2011 Foreign Policy article as winding down of the military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan the "new global realities" of the Asia-Pacific Century. The juxtaposition of the two elements gave the American policy objectives a balance of power orientation with a military emphasis. The logic of "rebalancing" the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific in the wake of the growing ascendency of China is basic International Relations 101. The repositioning of US military assets into the Pacific has all th

There is a growing trend in virtual world commercial transactions. In order to protect people’s rights in the virtual world and keep pace with innovative trading demands, it is essential for us to understand the commercial implications of virtual world economies by evaluating the effectiveness of the existing laws, practices, and policies in business, technology, intellectual property and related fields. This book, in 11 sections, investigates the issues and opportunities associated with commercial transactions in the virtual world. In 29 detailed essays, this book analyses every facet of virtual world transactions, including the nature of virtual commercial transactions, virtual goods and services, transfer of virtual property, issues of negotiable instruments, remedies for buyers and sellers in the virtual world, consumer protection, dispute resolution and other related topics. Each of these sections both contributes to and advances the field of commercial law and related discipline

Agriculture builds upon the integration of crops and the environment, with which its yield depends strongly on a healthy soil foundation. With that in mind, the knowledge of the soil and fertilizer is crucial to maintaining an environment with optimal nutrients, water and oxygen for crop production. Soil is one of human's precious resources, the protection and nurturing of our soil is thus an integral part of sustainable development. Effective soil management is considered not only a technology, but also an art. In practice, to make use the full potential of the land, the management strategies need to take account of the differences and characteristics of the soil, plant and climate that are unique to each geographical location. Such an approach is increasingly more important nowadays because of the increasing loss of cultivable land and need of high quality agricultural products.

More than any other treasure, Shijing 詩經 contains the historical roots of China, from which much of modern culture grew. From a lovelorn young man to an aging woman spurned by her wedded husband, from an elder statesman admonishing a young sovereign, to foot-soldiers facing the unspeakable fate of sacrificial burial, the love and war in Shijing serves as a key to unlock the cultural roots of Ancient China. The book presents the reader with a fascinating glimpse of the peoples of Ancient China by analyzing many poems in Shijing and discussing aspects of culture and events reflected in the poems from a wide range of disciplines, including archeology, ethnography, history and linguistics. Reading this book will enhance the general reader’s knowledge of Chinese culture as well as familiarity with the language as a “bare-bone”. Minimalist English translation is used which enables readers to get closer to and gain a better sense and flavor of the original text.

Competition is Fierce, 2013 Taiwanese Industry Expects Transition Global economy, surviving from the impact of the previous financial crisis, is now presenting a slow-to-moderate growth rate in 2013. Taiwan is now facing the pressure from regional economy expansion, new threats from Asia’s newly developing countries and competition from Japan/Korea with their strong industrial vertically integrated power. Moreover, there is a trend for those major western multinational companies to move their overseas manufacturing and technical services back to their mother lands, creating a new face of the global supply chain. More severe industrial competition is being expected. As such, Taiwan needs to aggressively proceed with its own industry structural transformation concentrating on the industries, investment, human resources and industrial efficiency. One of the government efforts could be made to continue building the industrial intelligent information service system through the mechanism of

At the close of the Chinese Civil War, two million Chinese fled from the victorious communist army under Mao Zedong. They fled across a long ocean strait to the island of Taiwan where they waited for almost fifty years, dreaming of their lost homes and relatives left behind, aging and living out their lives as defeated, cursed people. But when both Taiwan and China began to become wealthy, the two sides allowed cautious exchanges. The split families met up again. There was hope, joy, sorrow, and disasters. Yet the losers of the Chinese civil war, who had endured for so long, now found a new reason to persevere: they no longer hated their enemies. In fact, they now wanted to join them. This book draws on oral histories with Kuomintang loyalists in Taiwan to show their painful struggles with family, friends, and relatives back in the mainland, their hopes and disappointments, the effects on a changing society and political situation in Taiwan, and the dynamics of cross-strait relation

Renowned astrologist master Peter So invented his very own So Clan Feng Shui. Unlike any predecessor, he champions the re-interpretation of ancient wisdom with modern applications, earning recognition among countless clients. In this book, Master So handpicked the most popular subject matters and the most practical Feng Shui applications for his readers, such as how to choose and decorate a house and ways to ward off mishaps in an office. - Feng Shui implications of “missing corners,” floor number of a flat - Do’s and don’ts for decorating main entrance, living room, bedroom, kitchen, washrooms and offices - Feng Shui setups for boosting love luck, dissipating unwanted love luck, blocking leakage of wealth, notching up income and bringing in more people - Ways to overcome or dissipate negative energies from indoor or outdoor sources; elaborate explanations on every Feng Shui tool - Highlights include Feng Shui setups for keeping your job, finding a new job, getting a salary raise and

'From the introduction:''I publish these essays at the present time for a particular reason conne...

Given the rapid pace at which the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and other Asian economies are growing and the global volatility that these societies are experiencing, social capital and its diverse connectivities can furnish useful anchoring to communities, neighbourhoods, local governments and social protection networks. This volume in twelve chapters provides a critical analysis of social capital, its indigenous evolution and spread in HKSAR. Some of the experiments and activities narrated in these chapters indicate the ingenious blending of the local ethos and culture with modern organisational forms and information networks. Policy makers, development practitioners, researchers of civil society organisations and welfare agencies will find this book a helpful reference source. The book will also appeal as a text or supplementary reading in management, public administration, governance, and development economics courses dealing with social capital and social enterprise.

Many excellent books have been written for administrators about motivating faculty. Some books have been written about being an academic. Books have been written about the reward system. Others have been written on improving student learning. Some books have been written on measuring effective teaching. Some books are written only for administrators; others, only for individual faculty. None have been written so as to integrate all of these and address them as a whole. This volume provides a timely discussion on the issues pondering in the minds of many newly recruited faculty and administrators—to uncover the real culture and offer suggestions on how to create a culture to nurture student learning; and to explore the issue of what is research-in-teaching. With improving student learning as the ultimate goal, the author suggests many concrete ways to change the teaching practice and, more importantly, the culture of a university. Readers will appreciate the eight inventories provided

The fourth book in Baum's Oz series, Dorothy returns to lands of magic and fantasy with her cousi...

Ruth Fielding, a recently-orphaned girl, arrives in Cheslow, New York to live with her uncle, Jab...

Somewhere in this book, Wharton observes that clever liars always come up with good stories to ba...

From the atomic age in Atlantis to the far-flung future, here is a story of interstellar war with...

Hao Zhidong has provided essential background on the types of thinking that could create a unified island-mainland polity. Do the politicians in Beijing and Taipei want one enough to make the symbolic sacrifices that would be needed to bring their citizens peace with prosperity? The thinkers whom Hao analyzes in this book can show them ways to do this---Lynn White, Princeron University A tour de force survey of the dilemmas and possibilities facing intellectuals and policy makers in the Chinese-speaking world when dealing with Taiwan as a problem of Chinese nationalism.---Christopher R. Hughes, London School of Economics and Political Science A sane, thoughtful and thoroughly grounded study of what intellectuals are doing---and could do---to mediate the contentious patriotism in both Mainland China and Taiwan. Hao brings the sensibilities of a native to a rigorous comparative sociological analysis of the states and the intellectuals involved and what it would take to resolve this key

The global youth market is important to international marketers, educators, and policy makers because of its growing purchase power, homogeneity, and its readiness to accept new innovations. This book explores the interplay of the youth segment and the market environment. It employs a variety of research methodologies to analyze how young people in Hong Kong interact with various consumer socializing agents, including parents, peers, media celebrities, government publicities, media contents and advertisements. With evidence-based advice on how to communicate with the youth in the context of consumption of products, services, and ideas, this volume will prove to be a very useful reference to a wide range of readers, including marketing professionals, counselors and educators who work closely with young people as a unique group of target audience.

As a Cultural construct, gender is fictional and imagined, yet its ideological and representational effects on the formation of self and identity are quite real. The fiction behind the fictional, which many accepts as truth, is at the core of what is most intriguing about the problem of gender. Critiquing this narrative, Gender, Discourse, and the Self in Literature unravels the strategies that writers and filmmakers adopt in their (de)construction of the gendered self in three Chinese communities: mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Writing from the vantage points of film, literature, and gender studies, contributors make an innovative marriage to Western gender discourse and the construction and representation of self and identity in contemporary China.

A Pragmatist and His Free Spirit portrays the unconventional love of Hu Shi, a Chinese social reformer and civil rights pioneer, and Edith Clifford Williams, an American avant-garde artist of the early twentieth century. Hu studied at Cornell University, where he first met Williams, and Columbia University, where he worked with the famous pragmatist John Dewey. At the time of his death in 1962, he and Williams had exchanged more than 300 letters that, along with poems and excerpts from Hu's diaries and documents (some of which have never before been translated into English) form the center of this book. In Williams, Hu found his intellectual match, a woman and fellow scholar who helped the reformer reconcile his independent scholarship with cultural tradition. Williams counciled Hu on the acceptance of an arranged marriage, and she influenced his pursuit of experimental vernacular poetry through an exposure to avant-garde art. In 1933, the two became lovers, although their romance wou

Our world today is troubled by war and conflicts, and leaders are seeking solutions from different sources, and some are turning to the Confucian principles of benevolence, righteousness, priority, and trust for moral guidance. These are simple concepts pertaining to human relationships and personal development. This book is a rendition of selected parts of The Four Books, focusing on the nature and morality of man, the education process, and the perfect personality, and will help the modern reader to appreciate the essence of Confucian wisdom.

Feng Shui practice has become an important reference for the planning and design of buildings, monuments and even entire cities. In fact Feng Shui is an evolved study of the natural and built environment. By utilizing the natural elements and practical environmental changes, we may improve upon our well-being, relationships, prosperity, health and living environment. People in many advanced countries seek to establish a deeper understanding of these relationships between human and natural environment. Architects from around the world also begin to recognize Feng Shui as a broad ecologically and architecturally connected paradigm. To remove the shadow of superstition for Feng Shui practice, it is essential to use a scientific approach in the hope of combining and fusing ancient wisdom with modern knowledge in building science. Scientific Feng Shui has two meanings, namely (1) the verification of Feng Shui principles scientifically and (2) studying Feng Shui logically in a scientific wa

The social, economic and technological developments have inspired the advancement in architectural design, construction technology and building services installations in modern cities. Hong Kong, as a modern city famous of its tall buildings in Asia Pacific, has gone through remarkable changes in its building design and construction since 1970s. Building owners and occupants are now keen on achieving better environmental health, human comfort, life safety and more effective use of space. This book assesses the contemporary changes in design concepts and development trends of the major disciplines in building services engineering. Among the analyses featured are trends on heating, ventilating and air-conditioning, electrical and fire services, plumbing and drainage, and building automation systems. Powerful examples of well-known building projects in Hong Kong and Mainland China will be put forward and discussed. Written by a team of experts in the building services engineering discip

This book is about management of student conduct in the classroom, which is the number one area of concern of many teachers. The chapters include discussions and real-life cases with specific reference to the influences of Chinese culture on Hong Kong classrooms. Examples are provided to illustrate how positive learning environments can be created and maintained in the classroom. Topics covered include managing challenging behaviour, establishing classroom rules, conveying authority, and coping with bullying.

目錄 自序／胡世銘 Author`s Introduction to his Work／Hu Shyh Ming 自然之音－閱讀胡世銘的繪畫創作世界／陶文岳 Sound of thw Nature－Understanding Hu Shyn Ming`s Painting Works／Tao Wen Yueh 生命條碼－觀胡世銘的繪畫／許遠達 Life BarCode－Observing Hu Shyh Ming`s Painting 內文 簡歷

Economic integration between Hong Kong and Mainland China is a topic of great interest among both policy circles and the academia. This book is a collection of relevant research papers of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority in the past two years, which study the economic integration process between Hong Kong and the Mainland from different perspectives, including linkages through both the trade and financial market channels. This volume sheds light on the important policy issues facing both Hong Kong and the Mainland, including how resilient the Hong Kong economy is against external shocks, how large portfolio capital outflows from China will be once its capital account is liberalized, and in what ways fund flows between Hong Kong and the Mainland affect Hong Kong’s monetary and financial conditions. With 11 essays, this monograph can be divided into 2 parts. Part I studies the “real” linkages between Hong Kong and the Mainland, while Part II focuses on the financial linkages. A detailed

Originating from a genuine need of the secondary school teachers of English in Hong Kong to understand what it means to implement a task-based curriculum in the English classroom, this book aims to support and empower frontline ELT teachers in implementing a task-based approach systematically without losing sight of the importance of grammar teaching within the framework of tasks. Useful examples are provided to illustrate how grammar teaching can be conducted through meaningful tasks in authentic contexts. The importance of viewing assessment as an integral part of the learning, teaching and assessment cycle is also discussed with practical suggestions on developing assessment tasks and assessment assessment criteria provided. In the form of a self-learning package, this book can be readily used for independent self-study or as a school-based staff-development programme run by teachers themselves. Student-teachers of English, teacher educators and curriculum developers will also find

Seeking truth and due responsibility for the 228 Massacre has been the long-time goal for the 228 Massacre victims and their families. It is also the pursuit of the 228 Memorial Foundation since my assumption as the foundation chairman. After the 87th board meeting on September 2003, which approved the establishment of a “228 Massacre Truth Research Task Force,” a 7-member name-list was nominated by Administrator Lee Wang-Tai. The list included academic board members Chang Yan-Hsian, Huang Hsiu-Cheng, Hsueh Hua-Yuan and Chen Yi-Shen; representative of the victims and their families Jhong Yi-Ren and Lee Rong-Chang; and Administrator Lee Wang-Tai himself. Task force members then jointly suggested board member Chang Yan-Hsian to serve as the team’s convener. In a bid to avoid overlap with that of the 228 Massacre Research Report issued by the Executive Yuan on 1992, Administrator Lee proposed during the 88th board meeting to have the task force’s research report be named: Research Report

Decision Making and Operations Research Techniques for Construction Management challenges the traditional empirical approach to problem solving and provides construction practitioners with a seasoned account to resolving day-to-day complicated issues in construction project management. With over 150,000 workers at different levels working at dispersed project sites throughout the territory, construction managers have to look for optimal solutions to minimize the costs and to maximize the efficiencies. This book provides scientific tools for practitioners to resolve some practical problems which are administered empirically at present and may lead to inconsistent results and human errors. The modern decision-making tools introduced in this book include Multi-criteria Decision-making Models, Artificial Neural Network, Genetic Algorithms, Construction Simulation, Rough Set Theory and Advanced Statistical Techniques for construction. This book will serve as a useful companion for those m

Co-authored by Eugene Nida and JIN Di, On Translation was first published in 1984 by the China Translation and Publishing Corporation in Beijing. It is widely recognized as a classic in translation theory with a practical orientation. Following the theoretical framework Nida had developed over decades of work on translation and semiotics, the two authors offer an easily comprehensible analysis of the complex problems involved in translation. After a critical review of the historical development of translation theory in the light of modern information theory, they elucidate the most fundamental principles of translation in accordance with the concept of dynamic equivalence. The treatment is closely related to actual translation practice, and the principles elucidated are applicable to all types of translation, though most of the examples analyzed are taken from translations between Chinese and English. This new and expanded edition has two main parts. Part I is the complete text of th

Evolution of language has evolved at multiple levels—from changes in the cognitive processes by which language is acquired in the individual, to language change by diffusion of acquired linguistic features across populations of individuals, to the emergence of linguistic features over phylogenetic time scales. Evolution of language at each of these levels interacts with that at each other level. This volume is a collection of essays by noted researchers from diverse fields that deals with a broad spectrum of issues in the study of language evolution. The principle topics addressed here include: the genetic and cognitive bases for the phylogenetic emergence of language; several distinct accounts of the underlying cognitive processes by which children learn to acquire language; a critique of the methods employed by historical linguists in the last century; the modeling of language evolution using mathematical and computational techniques; discussions on the complexity of language.

This reader is designed for an intermediate-level Chinese course in which students not only develop proficiency in the Chinese language but also gain some knowledge of Chinese culture. It consists of twenty-two lessons, which are arranged according to their level of difficulty. Each lesson contains a core text and a reading text. The contents of the texts cover a wide variety of topics, including Chinese language structures and characters, Chinese customs, proverbs, holidays, social phenomena, religions, poetry and geography, as well as Chinese folklore. A list of questions for group discussion follows the text in each chapter to help students further explore issues related to Chinese culture and to their own lives. Grammar notes and exercises for relevant grammatical points are introduced after each core text to enhance students’ skills of reading, comprehension and writing. The grammar notes are all explained in English and illustrated through sample sentences in Chinese with Engli

This volume comprises nine articles that fall into three categories: general survey of Chinese archaeology as well as the author's visit to Tom Harrison's field work in Sarawak in 1966; field reports on archaeological sites in Fujian and Sichuan; and archaeological investigations in Hebei, Henan, Shandong and Fujian.

013 第一回: 蝦咪！原來美國首都不在紐約 文法1：When it comes to (ph.) = Speaking of + n./ Ving 文法2：In the meantime + 完整句子 023 第二回: 嘿！先不要走，記得給小費哦！ 文法1：go the extra mile 盡心盡力 + for sb./ sth. 文法2：put sb./sth. in a plight 使某人身陷困境 之中 035 第三回：早餐時的閒聊，誰是露比？ 文法1：Let’s be honest = Let’s face it 文法2：What are you up to? 048 第四回: 麥當勞點餐遇到奧客 文法1：With all due respect 文法2：Get the hell out of + 地點 滾出去 062 第五回: Alanna Foxx 的健康正向肯定句 文法1：Wrap 的用法 文法2：Vibrate 的用法 074 第六回：意外成為梗圖 文法1：In order to 的用法 文法2：Of all time 的用法 087 第七回：Jimmy O. Yang 的脫口秀 文法1：Star 的用法 文法2：Ovation 的用法 100 第八回 : Slice n Rice 韓國與非洲的背景 文法1：Provide 的用法 文法2：Be about to do something 的用法

014 第一回: Buffalo Chicken Wings 水牛 城辣雞翅 文法1：Imperative Sentences 文法2：Passive Voice 025 第二回: Apple Pie 蘋果派 文法1：So That 文法2：In Order To 034 第三回：chocolate chip cookies 巧克 力豆餅乾 文法1：Present participle phrases 文法2：Allow sb to do sth (Causative Verb) 045 第四回: Clam Chowder 奶酪蛤蜊湯 文法1：Relative Clauses (關係子句) 文法2：Inversion (倒裝句) 057 第五回: 烤肋排 Barbecue Ribs 文法1：Conditional Sentences 文法2：Participle Clauses 068 第六回：Macaroni and Cheese 奶酪 通心粉 文法1：Reduced Relative Clauses 文法2：Imperatives with Adverbs 079 第七回：Biscuits and Gravy 脆麵包和肉汁 文法1： Conditional Sentences 文法2：Mixed Conditionals 090 第八回 : Reuben Sandwich 魯賓三明治和肉汁 文法1：Relative Pronouns 文法2：Present Perfect

014 第一回: Gray's Papaya 文法1：Would + 動詞 文法2：Not... until (直到...才) 024 第二回: La Grande Boucherie 文法1：Had + 動詞過去分詞 文法2：Given + 名詞/代名詞 036 第三回：Shake Shack 文法1："Not for everyone" 文法2："Considering" + 名詞/代名詞 048 第四回: The Metropolitan Museum of Art 文法1：The + 名詞 + is + 形容詞 文法2：Once + 子句 文法3：I feel the need to + 動詞 058 第五回: Central Park 文法1：With + 名詞 文法2：Depending on + 名詞 文法3：Best if + 句子 068 第六回：Broadway 文法1：Depending on + 時間/條件表達 文法2：Taking in + 名詞 078 第七回：Statue of Liberty 文法1： While + 子句 文法2：If not + 名詞 089 第八回 : Time Square 文法1：Apart from + 名詞 文法2：It’s a must + 動詞

Sometimes, we feel shy, especially to raise her hand in class. Today Ali knows the answer to Teac...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-HH51ueD6k 《生成式AI × 穩健提示爬蟲技術 I》數據抓取篇 ★從Colab、Anaconda 到 Jupyter Kernel，一步步把 Python 環境建好、跑起來。 ★用Pandas × PyArrow × Polars，把資料整理做得更快、更穩，也更貼近實務。 ★透過提示工程和情境工程，讓 ChatGPT、Claude 成為你的程式開發夥伴。 ★結合Perplexity Comet＋爬蟲＋寄信＋行事曆，把資訊蒐集到自動化流程一次串起。 ★多模態OCR × Gemini和Groq API，把圖片文字直接變成可分析的結構化資料。 你學過Python，卻常卡在「環境裝不好、資料處理很慢、爬蟲一下就被擋、AI 工具只會聊天」嗎？本書以「做得出成果」為主軸，帶你從 Google Colab、Anaconda、Jupyter Notebook 與 Kernel 建置開始，快速建立穩定、可重現的開發環境。 接著用 Pandas 打底，涵蓋多欄多列取值、資料框合併、字串提取與條件篩選，並延伸到 PyArrow 與 Polars，讓你面對較大的資料量也能跑得快、跑得順。 更關鍵的是，本書把提示工程與情境工程結合「直覺式開發」：教你如何用 ChatGPT和Claude 協作寫程式、除錯；再搭配 Perplexity Comet 進行摘要與探勘，串接 Gmail、Google 行事曆、SMTP、Resend 寄信，打造可實際應用的自動化資訊流程。 最後以多模態 API（Gemini、Groq）＋中文 OCR（PaddleOCR、EasyOCR）＋爬蟲實戰進行總結，範例涵蓋電商、股價、ESG、重大訊息、交易指標等案例，並附上Gemini AI 教育版證照準備重點，適合資料分析初學者、稽核、採購、研究人員、跨域工作者，以及想把 AI 變成生產力的人。 專業推薦 崑山科技大學 電機工程系系主任─林俊良 博士 住宅消保會創會理事長─吳翃毅博士 錸成科技有限公司執行長、嘉南藥理大學兼任助理教授─凃春愛 博士 伽碩職訓中心執行長─郭明洽 昱創企管顧問有限公司總經理─裴有恆 元大銀行系統開發部專業副理─陳尚瑋 極策網路行銷有限公司總經理、崑山科技大學房地產開發與管理系講師─蔡宗甫

The Sublime Object of Orientalism proposes that globalised Asian physical cultural practices such as taiji, qigong, yoga, and meditation can be understood by examining the intimate connection between Western orientalism and the Romantic aesthetic notion of the sublime. The book recasts ‘orientalist physical culture’ as practices animated by the sublime and argues that this relationship is stronger than has hitherto been recognised by commentators. Bowman combines new readings of philosophers and cultural critics such as Slavoj Žižek and Jane Iwamura with analyses of film, media, and Asian physical practices and their entrepreneurial forms to shed light on the quest to articulate a philosophy of orientalist physical culture. He also explores ways to make sense of orientalist physical culture in the contemporary world and evaluate the often-problematic ideologies that circulate around these cultural practices without either uncritically accepting their value or rejecting them outright.

Two siblings living in a home shadowed by fear learn that silence protects the wrong person. With...

Qi-Deng Sheng was one of the most philosophically incisive creative writers on the Taiwan island in the 1960s and 70s, and one of the most controversial figures in local literary history. Criticism of his work is polarized, in a sort of tug of war between “collective consciousness” and “individual will” in the cultural landscape of a rapidly modernizing society. As the hive mind buzzed, Qi-Deng Sheng tuned out and listened to his inner voice. As he explains in the above quotation, he regarded writing as a creative process that differentiated the ego from the group, and reality from falsehood. In other words, he wrote to build a sanctuary for his individuality. On the one hand, he was committed to conveying his personal beliefs through his works, rejecting vulgarity wherever he found it: in social groups, cultural trends, even literary critics. On the other hand, he was dedicated to highlighting the antagonism between self and society––to spotlighting the poor, deprived, embattled, iso

Travels and Revelations: 23 Essays by Zhang Chengzhi is about cultures which the author knows intimately. With sophisticated sensibility, he describes the tangible cultures of Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia and Xinjiang in recent decades – the landscapes and cityscapes, the roads and waterways, the rural and urban dwellings, the working and living habits, and the outstanding symbols and totems. Like a traveller pausing before stunning scenery – the Mongolian grasslands, the yellow-earth plateaus, the Yellow River’s mighty gorges – he reflects on the intangible cultures that have made the Han, the Hui, the Mongolian and the Uyghur peoples who they are, and contemplates on their language usages, socio-political dilemmas, philosophical traditions, beliefs and biases and their religious aspirations. These essays show how deeply Zhang Chengzhi understands modern China’s painful evolution through war and revolution and how deeply he is attached to his Hui–Muslim roots. They also