“一方水土養一方人”。歷史上的中國，是一個以農業和手工業為支撐的農業國家，農耕社會的自然環境衍生了延續至今的傳統生活方式。種類繁多的傳統手工藝扎根於民間，與民生民俗息息相關，以實用、樸素、溫情的品格展現了中國從過往到現代的國計民生和區別於其他文明起源地的文化特征。無論是服務於上層的宮廷工藝、充滿文人趣味的士大夫工藝，還是帶有濃郁鄉土氣息的民間手工技藝，發明創造的初衷源於特定自然環境中中國人的生活所需，蘊涵著生產與生活的造物智慧，是中華文明的重要載體。

The “Chinese Culture” book series includes ten books on philosophical thoughts, literature, art, Chinese characters, festivals, foods and drinks, crafts, clothes, architecture and medicine. Each book introduces the history of a field or theme and the same origin of Chinese culture reflected by it, pursues its existence and manifestation in Chinese people’s life today, tells those “unknown stories” through smooth and relaxing words and exquisite pictures, reveals Chinese people’s thinking habits, behavioral modes, traditional concepts and social life, and helps readers understand “what Chinese people are like and what their thinking modes and living customs are.”

As the old saying goes, “Each place has its own way of supporting its own inhabitants.” For China, an agricultural country backed by the agriculture and handcraft industry in the history, is nowadays permeated with traditional lifestyles originated and derived from the natural conditions in farming society. As an outcome of people’s life and customs, an enormous variety of traditional handcrafts are anchored among the folk. Characterized by cultural features differing from other birthplaces of civilization, such practical, simple and warmhearted arts have always demonstrated China’s national economy and people’s livelihood from ancient to modern times. Speaking of court crafts serving rich and powerful ones, scholar-bureaucrat crafts highlighting the fun of literati and folk crafts spilling local flavor, all the intentions to invent and create have come from Chinese’s daily needs in certain natural conditions. All of these crafts, acting as the important carrier of Chinese civilization, contain the wisdom of creation accumulated during production and life.

Guo Qiuhui, born in 1979, graduated from the Department of Art History of the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University. She is a Doctor of Letters, a teacher at the Department of Art History of the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University, and a member of the Theory Committee of the China National Arts and Crafts Society. She mainly engages in research on the history and theory of Chinese arts and design, and has published more than 30 papers and interviews. Her published works include: Chinese Art & Crafts (coauthor), Pursuing the Light of the Sun – Deng Wei (coeditor), Collection of Academic Thoughts on Chinese Modern Art and Design – Collected Works of Wu Lao, Tradition and Learning: A Collection of Interviews on the History of the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University (coeditor), Guanghua Road: Old Photos of the Central Academy of Arts & Design (coeditor), etc.Wang Lidan, born in 1978, graduated from the Department of Art History of the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University. She is a Doctor of Letters, a teacher at the School of Art and Design of Zhongyuan University of Technology, and a member of the Theory Committee of the China National Arts and Crafts Society. She mainly engages in research on the history and theory of Chinese and foreign design, and has published more than 20 papers and interviews. Her published works include: Collection of Academic Thoughts on Chinese Modern Art and Design – Collected Works of Qiu Ling, Tradition and Learning: A Collection of Interviews on the History of the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University (main writer), A Brief History of the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University (main writer), Appreciation of Art (coeditor), etc.