Finding an article is easy: browse through the categories below, or use the search function to find an article about a specific topic. For a quick overview of all the 800 articles in the Berkshire Encyclopedia of China, download the complete Table of Contents, or check out the Online Reader’s Guide.

Or download the master bibliography for the entire Berkshire Encyclopedia of China (Word-file, 1.1 MB) and you won’t have to spend hours searching your library catalog or browsing the Internet for suitable primary sources and recommended readings.

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY (sample)

A traditional Chinese wedding chair

For centuries, the family has influenced many aspects of Chinese society, culture, politics, and every-day life. Multiple generations lived together in large court-yard houses (sìhéyuàn 四合院). Dynasties revolved around imperial families, where sons were raised to become emperors, and brothers and uncles fought over the throne. Family dynamics are also a popular theme in Chinese literature, from the classic Dream of the Red Chamber (Hónglóumèng 红楼梦, 18th century) to Bā Jīn’s 巴金 coming-of-age novel Family (Jiā 家, 1931), and Yu Hua’s funny yet provocative Brothers (Xiōngdì 兄弟, 2005).

Praise for the Berkshire Encyclopedia of China

“The Encyclopedia of China is a five-volume set with 800 articles written by China scholars from the US and a number of other nations….The work includes 1,200 photographs, as well as maps, timelines, tables, and primary source-side bars. Each of the entries, which range from 500 to over 6,000 words, contain a short introductory abstract. The editors deliberately designed the Encyclopedia of China to make it easy for teachers to reproduce entries for classroom use….Most probably those educators, schools, and universities who acquire the Encyclopedia of China will find it useful for a long time. I highly recommend the set for middle and high schools as well as colleges and universities.”

Read Ellington’s full review of the Berkshire Encyclopedia of China in Education About Asia (2011, 16,1) by clicking here.

Library Journal Best Reference: “Take a publisher with a decade of experience in China, add a group of well-known Chinese and Western scholars, pay special attention to details (each of the 800 articles begins on its own page, all article titles are rendered in English, Chinese characters, and transliterations), add 1100 unique photographs, sprinkle in dozens of traditional Chinese proverbs, do it all on recycled, chlorine-free paper…and the end result is this sumptuous resource on all things China for the 21st century.”