The Spirit of the Chinese People.

Hung-Ming's The Spirit of the Chinese People is a collection of essays discussing the history and values of the Chinese people. Born of an age when misconceptions about Chinese culture ran rampant in Europe, Hung-Ming's book sought to demystify and promote understanding between China and the West. In the preface he writes, "The object of this book is an attempt to interpret the spirit and show the value of the Chinese civilization. Now in order to estimate the value of a civilization, it seems to me, the question we must finally ask is not what great cities, what magnificent houses, what fine roads it has built and is able to build; what beautiful and comfortable furniture, what clever and useful implements, tools and instruments it has made and is able to make; no, not even what institutions, what art and sciences it has invented: the question we must ask, in order to estimate, the value of a civilization, - is what type of humanity, what kind of men and women it has been able to produce."