Thomas O. Höllmann

In this brisk and accessible history, sinologist Thomas O. Höllmann explains the development of the Chinese writing system and its importance in literature, religion, art, and other aspects of culture. Spanning the earliest epigraphs and oracle bones to writing and texting on computers and mobile phones today, Chinese Script is a wide-ranging and versatile introduction to the complexity and beauty of written text and calligraphy in the Chinese world. Höllmann delves into the origins of Chinese script and its social and political meanings across millennia of history. He recounts the social history of the writing system; written and printed texts; and the use of writing materials such as paper, silk, ink, brush, and printing techniques. The book sheds light on the changing role of literacy and education; the politics of orthographic reform; and the relationship of Chinese writing to non-Han Chinese languages and cultures. Höllmann explains the inherent complexity of Chinese script, demonstrating why written Chinese expresses meaning differently than oral language and the subtleties of the relationship between spoken word and written text. He explores calligraphy as an art, the early letter press, and other ways of visually representing Chinese languages. Chinese Script also provides handy illustrations of the concepts discussed, showing how ideographs function and ways to decipher them visually.

History, Characters, Calligraphy

Chinese Script

La Ruta de la Seda

DIE LEGENDÄRE SEIDENSTRAßE - MEISTERHAFT DARGESTELLT VON THOMAS O. HÖLLMANN Die Seidenstraße, die Ostasien mit dem Mittelmeerraum verbindet, ist zum Inbegriff einer frühen Globalisierung geworden. Thomas O. Höllmann schaut von China aus auf das legendenumrankte Routennetzwerk. Er beschreibt anschaulich, wie die Menschen reisten und wie Güter und Ideen weiter vermittelt wurden. Ein Ausblick macht deutlich, warum China mit der "Neuen Seidenstraße" auf das symbolische Kapital der alten Verbindungen setzt. Seit der Antike nutzten Gesandte, Händler, Missionare und Abenteurer die Seidenstraße. Auf dem Landweg passierten sie dabei lebensfeindliche Wüsten wie die Taklamakan, überwanden hoch aufragende Gebirge wie den Pamir und verweilten in betriebsamen Oasenstädten wie Buchara, Samarkand oder Turfan. Davon künden zahllose archäologische Zeugnisse, von denen viele erst in den letzten Jahrzehnten erschlossen wurden. Thomas O. Höllmann rekonstruiert mit ihrer Hilfe sowie anhand von historiographischen Quellen, fesselnden Reisebeschreibungen und lebensnahen Gedichten, welche Waren nach China gelangten, wie der Buddhismus und andere Religionen im Reich der Mitte rezipiert wurden und welche Schlüsseltechnologien, allen voran Papier und Buchdruck, von dort aus ihren Siegeszug über die ganze Welt antraten. Das Buch geht den ökonomischen Grundlagen, politischen Motiven und kulturellen Rahmenbedingungen des Austauschs nach und führt faszinierend konkret vor Augen, was Globalisierung in einem Zeitraum von rund zwei Jahrtausenden bedeutete. Vom Reich der Mitte durch den islamischen Orient nach Europa: Wie der legendäre Fernhandelsweg China und den Westen verändert hat Auf der Grundlage neuer archäologischer Entdeckungen entlang der Seidenstraße Mit 80 farbigen Abbildungen

Kultur und Geschichte von der frühen Kaiserzeit bis zur Gegenwart

China und die Seidenstraße

Die Seidenstrasse

Xiaobing Wang

This is the publication of proceedings from the conference "Writing, Ritual and Cultural Memory in Early States" which took place in Munich in November 2007. It is dedicated to the German Sinologist Herbert Franke on the occasion of his 95th birthday on September 27th of 2009. The papers contained in this book examine ways in which time and ritual mutually stimulated each other in Early China. Attention is also paid to the role played by writing in encoding the calendar system and in the notation of time, and how time and history were linked. Most authors make use of archaeologically excavated inscriptions and try to coordinate them with received texts of Confucian classics. Their philological and historical examinations lead to in-depth views of the cultural complexity of early Chinese civilization as well as its non-linear development. Questions raised provide new perspectives and stimuli for future studies.

Time and Ritual in Early China

Shing Müller

Putao Gui

Papers from an international conference held at the Institute of Sinology, Munich University in March 2003.

Archäologie und Frühe Texte

Renowned sinologist Thomas O. Höllmann tracks the growth of food culture in China from its earliest burial rituals to today's Western fast food restaurants, mapping Chinese cuisine's geographical variations and local customs, indigenous factors and foreign influences, trade routes, and ethnic associations. Höllmann details the food practices of major Chinese religions and the significance of eating and drinking in rites of passage and popular culture. He enriches his narrative with thirty of his favorite recipes and a selection of photographs, posters, paintings, sketches, and images of clay figurines and other objects excavated from tombs. Höllmann's award-winning history revisits the invention of noodles, the role of butchers and cooks in Chinese politics, debates over the origin of grape wines, and the causes of modern-day food contamination. He discusses local crop production, the use of herbs and spices, the relationship between Chinese food and economics, the influence of Chinese philosophy, and traditional dietary concepts and superstitions. Citing original Chinese sources, Höllmann uncovers fascinating aspects of daily Chinese life, constructing a multifaceted compendium that inspires a rich appreciation of Chinese arts and culture.

Thomas O. Höllmann

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