Chinese civilization is about 5000 years old. The roots of Chinese culture are as old as Chinese civilization . The ancient culture has tremendously evolved over the long period. Much of what we see in China today can be traced back to the ancient civilization. Chinese people love their culture, and no wonder they are proud of their culture. Chinese language is a very important part of Chinese culture. If you are learning Chinese, you are supposed to learn Chinese culture. This book is Part 1 (第一卷, dì yī juǎn) of introduction to Chinese culture. The book introduces you to 5 main topics of Chinese culture. All the chapters contains English , simplified characters , and pinyin . This book is essentially a Chinese reading practice book. It will help you learn to read Chinese books. Free online Mandarin Chinese lessons (Ming Mandarin): www.MingMandarin.com -Jia Ming