The History of Chinese Crafts is the first book on the general history of Chinese crafts. In 2014, it was included in the second list compiled by the Ministry of Education as part of the national textbook plan (2011-2015) for undergraduate programs of general higher education institutions.
This book presents information in a sophisticated way. It contains an extensive, well-organized collection of historical materials on China’s ancient and contemporary crafts, introduces their characteristics and production process, combines historical facts and viewpoints, and traces their development through the entire history from the primitive society to the People’s Republic of China. This book gives a lot attention to the attributes of crafts as part of material culture. It outlines the history of crafts through narration and depiction of representative crafts in each historical period, supported by extensive historical materials and pictures.
The social impact of this book should not be underestimated. On the one hand, culture is a source of international competitiveness. Its importance to a country’s national identity and international image has been more widely recognized. It is also an internal driving force for national development and social progress. On the other hand, many wonderful and exquisite Chinese crafts are on the verge of extinction due to a lack of documentation. In this sense, this book has played a positive role in promoting the collection and organization of historical materials on Chinese crafts, the establishment of an academic discipline dedicated to the study of Chinese crafts, and the healthy development of Chinese crafts.
The book was an immediate hit, garnering a lot of attention from academic circles. It won the first National Excellent Textbook Award from the Ministry of Education. “The word ‘crafts’ has become an academic term because of its systematic introduction of the history of Chinese crafts.” More than 100,000 copies of the book have been printed after numerous printings. This book provides a framework for the study of the history of Chinese crafts.