Praise for the book on Chinese characters
Good News!
I’m happy to share that my book Chinese Characters: An Easy Learning Based on Their Etymology and Evolution has been selected by BookAuthority.org as one of The Best Etymology Books for Beginners! BookAuthority promotes some titles with the motto: “Start your journey with the best etymology books for beginners, recommended by leaders, experts, and readers worldwide.”
What makes this especially meaningful for me is that the book was originally published on Amazon’s self-publishing platform as a provisional edition, while I searched (in theory) for the time and energy to reach out to publishers and literary agents.
That was over two years ago.
That shows that I’m much more enthusiastic about researching and writing than pitching to publishers, I haven’t even started compiling a list of potential publishers or agents who might be interested in this project.
So, as I add this task (once again) to my 2025 to-do list, I’d like to celebrate this small milestone by sharing a page from the book along with this post.
About me: I have spent 30 years in China, much of the time traveling and studying this country’s culture. My most popular research focuses on Chinese characters (Chinese Characters: An Easy Learning Method Based on Their Etymology and Evolution), Matriarchy in China (there is a book with this title), and minority cultures (The Naxi of Southwest China). Yo can see my mis videos in Youtube, and more pictures about China in Instagram (pedroyunnan).
In travel, I have specialized in Yunnan, Tibet, the Silk Road, and other lesser-known places. Feel free to write to me if you’re planning a trip to China. The agency I collaborate with offers excellent service at an unbeatable price. You’ll find my email below.
Last posts
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Family of characters 欠 qian
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On the left side was a densely wooded rocky hill. Its steep slope was carved into fantastic figures of unicorns, leogryphs and other mythological animals, and statues of gods and saints. They had been fashioned out of rock by the monks more than fifteen centuries ago....
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'My friend is going to conclude an exorcism service this morning and, if you are really so interested, he hopes you can come and witness it.' He paused uncertainly. 'But I must warn 86 you that it is not a pretty sight. Really it is most unpleasant, disgusting and...
Chinese superstitions before the birth
To have five sons, rich, vigorous, literate and who become mandarins: this is the ideal of any Chinese family. From this matrix idea emerged the various types of popular images that are displayed in all households: Wu Zi Deng Ke (五子登科), Have five official children!...
Asking about Taoism
Now is the time to ask him something about Taoism, I decided, and I poured out my questions. He looked up at me with his innocent, childish eyes, his smile gentle but, I thought, slightly ironical. 'Take time, observe and learn,' he said simply. 'Words spoken in haste...