pdf / English / 1963 Viking press / 276 pages / 48 MB

The monuments of China reproduced in this book span a period of two thousand
years. They are the products of one of the world's most individual cultures. In the
history of civilization such independent cultural systems are comparatively few; they include the ancient Near East, Egypt, pre-Columbian South America, Europe, India and China. Of them all, the Chinese shares with the Indian the longest unbroken tradition. Of the two, that of China has on the whole been least influenced by other cultures. The material remains of China's past give evidence of prodigious vitality, resilience and refinement. Whatever it created has the unmistakable imprint of its genius