New York, New York, June 24th, 2003
H.W. Wilson today announced the release of Facts About China, a timely collection of substantive essays that paint a detailed portrait of a world power unfamiliar to most Americans. The result of a 5-year collaborative effort by experts in Chinese studies, Facts About China offers an in-depth guide to the country that is home to 20% of the world's population.

From the cowry-shell currency of its first historic dynasty, the Shang, to the investment boom of today, from the cool conifer forests of its north to the tropical rain forests of its south, from the Muslims of Ningxia to the Marxist-Leninists at the center of government, every aspect of China's history and culture is discussed, in essays that are as readable as they are informative. 

While its average city-dweller made the equivalent of just $653 in all of 1998, China's huge population, market potential, and military might make it an important player on the world stage. Researchers, students, travelers, history buffs, and general readers will appreciate Facts About China's chapters on:

• geography and climate

• peoples and languages

• systems of thought and belief

• health and medicine

• arts, entertainment, and sports

• literature

• science and technology

• economy and trade

• important institutions that govern Chinese society

They'll also explore informative special sections:

• "China A to Z"–An alphabetical listing of significant figures, movements, and ideas that inform Chinese culture.

• A 200-page chronology of the most important events in Chinese history.

• An abundance of information for travel to China–from recommended travel guides, to business etiquette, to tourist bureaus and sites and attractions.

Additionally, the volume's appendix presents a handy Pinyin to Wade-Giles pronunciation table, and a map of modern China. Bibliographies of sources for further research are included in each chapter, and an in-depth subject index completes the text. 

Editor Xiao-bin Ji, assistant professor of history at Rutgers University, was born in Beijing and has lived in the U.S. since age 15. As a historian, he specializes in the politics, thought, and historiography of pre-modern China, and has also written articles, encyclopedia entries, and conference papers on various research subjects.

Facts About China is the latest volume published in the Wilson Facts About Series. Other recent volumes include Facts About American Immigration; Facts About the World's Languages; Facts About Retiring in the United States, and Facts About the Presidents, Seventh Edition. More on the Wilson Facts About Series.

Facts About China 751 pages June 2003 ISBN 0-8242-0961-3 $105 ($115 outside U.S. and Canada)

Contact: 
Roseward Sky
Phone (800) 367-6770, x2272
Email: rsky@hwwilson.com

Eileen Sutter
Phone (800) 367-6770, x2312
Email: esutter@hwwilson.com