Mei Yuan

This book urges readers to develop a radical capacity to unthink and rethink interculturality, through multiple, pluri-perspectival and honest dialogues between the authors, and their students. This book does not give interculturality a normative scaffolding but envisages it differently by identifying some of its polyphonic textures. China’s rich engagement with interculturality serves to support the importance of being curious about other ways of thinking about the notion beyond the ‘West’ only. As such, the issues of culture, identity, language, translation, intercultural competence and silent transformations (amongst others) are re-evaluated in a different light. This is a highly informative and carefully presented book, providing scientific insights for readers with an interest in interculturality.

This book urges readers to develop a radical capacity to unthink and rethink interculturality, through multiple, pluri-perspectival and honest dialogues between the authors, and their students. This book does not give interculturality a normative scaffolding but envisages it differently by identifying some of its polyphonic textures. China’s rich engagement with interculturality serves to support the importance of being curious about other ways of thinking about the notion beyond the ‘West’ only. As such, the issues of culture, identity, language, translation, intercultural competence and silent transformations (amongst others) are re-evaluated in a different light. This is a highly informative and carefully presented book, providing scientific insights for readers with an interest in interculturality.

IntroductionThis English translation of 102 quatrains by Yuan Mei invites readers into the intimate world of a celebrated poet of the Qing Dynasty. Yuan Mei (1716-1798), known for his remarkable poetry, essays, and culinary passions, believed that the true essence of poetic creation lies in expressing the poet's spirit, personality, and genuine emotions. The translations included here primarily focus on his personal experiences---his journeys and the feelings they evoked.Yuan Mei's quatrains are deeply rooted in the social and cultural contexts of 18th-century China, offering poignant reflections on love, longing, and the passage of time. For example, in "Pavilion of the Chinese Lute," the melancholic strains of a lute resonate through the autumn night, evoking nostalgia for lost connections amidst the ephemeral beauty of nature. Similarly, "Xi Shi" captures the bittersweet paradox of beauty and political intrigue, where personal relationships intertwine with the fate of kingdoms.The translators recognized the necessity of rendering these quatrains into English to provide Western readers with a window into the rich tapestry of Chinese social customs, etiquette, and the complexities of human emotion during this period. As you explore these verses, you will encounter themes of love and betrayal, joy and sorrow, all filtered through Yuan Mei's unique lens-one that harmonizes personal sentiment with the broader strokes of history.This collection not only serves as a bridge between cultures but also as a testament to the enduring power of poetry to transcend time and place. We invite you to immerse yourself in Yuan Mei's poetic world and discover the profound connections that link us all.

This unique book starts from the premise that students, scholars, and educators should be given access to a form of global education that is genuinely global. Using the notion of interculturality as change and exchange as a basis, the authors examine fifty discourse instruments (e.g. idioms, neologisms, slogans) related to what they call ‘Chinese stories of interculturality’. China, like other countries, has a rich and complex history of intercultural encounters and her engagement with the notion today, which shares similarities and differences with glocal discourses of interculturality, deserves to be unpacked and familiarized with. By so doing, digging into the intricacies of the Chinese and English languages, the reader is empowered to unthink, rethink and especially reflect on their own take on the important notion of interculturality.

China is often seen as a monolith outside its borders. However, heterogeneity and interculturality have characterized the Middle Kingdom for centuries. Today, China’s take on diversity is too easily disparaged or perceived as ambiguous – as if China was not legitimate to take part in conversations about it. The authors wish to contribute to global discussions about interculturality in education, which have often been dominated by ‘Western’ voices, by problematizing a very specific Chinese perspective called Minzu (‘ethnic’) education. Minzu is presented as a potential companion to other forms of diversity education (multicultural, intercultural, transcultural, cross-cultural, global education). Without claiming that they have found a miraculous and one-size-fits all recipe, they argue that the lessons learnt from researching various aspects of Minzu in Chinese education can also help students, researchers, educators, and decision-makers unthink and rethink the central issue of interculturality. As such the book introduces the complexity, contradictions and benefits of Minzu while helping the reader consider how compatible and complementary it could be with discussions of interculturality in other parts of the world. The book also aims at making readers observe critically their own contexts. This book was written with an open mind and it should be read with the same.

This book examines today’s central and yet often misunderstood and misconstrued notion of interculturality. It specifically focuses on one aspect of intercultural awareness that has been ignored in research and education: the presence and influence of things on the way we experience, do, and reflect on interculturality. This book provides the readers with opportunities to engage with interculturality by reflecting on how our lives are full of things and entangled with them. It urges teachers, teacher educators, scholars, and students to open their eyes to the richness that the more-than-human, with which we can reflect, has to offer for intercultural communication education.

This unique book starts from the premise that students, scholars, and educators should be given access to a form of global education that is genuinely global. Using the notion of interculturality as change and exchange as a basis, the authors examine fifty discourse instruments (e.g. idioms, neologisms, slogans) related to what they call ‘Chinese stories of interculturality’. China, like other countries, has a rich and complex history of intercultural encounters and her engagement with the notion today, which shares similarities and differences with glocal discourses of interculturality, deserves to be unpacked and familiarized with. By so doing, digging into the intricacies of the Chinese and English languages, the reader is empowered to unthink, rethink and especially reflect on their own take on the important notion of interculturality.

China is often seen as a monolith outside its borders. However, heterogeneity and interculturality have characterized the Middle Kingdom for centuries. Today, China’s take on diversity is too easily disparaged or perceived as ambiguous – as if China was not legitimate to take part in conversations about it. The authors wish to contribute to global discussions about interculturality in education, which have often been dominated by ‘Western’ voices, by problematizing a very specific Chinese perspective called Minzu (‘ethnic’) education. Minzu is presented as a potential companion to other forms of diversity education (multicultural, intercultural, transcultural, cross-cultural, global education). Without claiming that they have found a miraculous and one-size-fits all recipe, they argue that the lessons learnt from researching various aspects of Minzu in Chinese education can also help students, researchers, educators, and decision-makers unthink and rethink the central issue of interculturality. As such the book introduces the complexity, contradictions and benefits of Minzu while helping the reader consider how compatible and complementary it could be with discussions of interculturality in other parts of the world. The book also aims at making readers observe critically their own contexts. This book was written with an open mind and it should be read with the same.

Chinese ethnic minority education is virtually unknown to readers outside China. Based on extensive qualitative and quantitative data, this book examines the basic education policies for ethnic minorities in China and describes policy implementation. It also discusses successful case studies, restrictive factors, existing gaps and challenges as well as the associated problems, highlighting teacher training and the role of policymakers. The authors propose recommendations to address the challenges faced by Chinese education, and to develop and implement culturally sensitive basic education for ethnic minorities in the country. Offering a rare glimpse inside minority schools in different parts of the country, the book appeals to educators, scholars, decision-makers and anyone interested in diversity education (intercultural, multicultural, global education).