Book excerpt: Featuring the distinctive heights of Chinese culture, the authors share with you their insights into the concepts and passions of the Chinese nation over the past 5,000 years. On reading through this historical range of remarkable creativity and flair for innovation, still evident today in living artistic masterpieces and folk traditions, the reader soon acquires a better understanding of the cultural character, life views, aesthetic pursuits and national spirit of the Chinese people. Through every work of art or architecture, a fascinating story or legend unfolds.