Book Series on China's Ethnic GroupsTo date, 40 volumes in a book series on the Yi nationality have been published by the Yunnan People's Publishing House, according to Monday's Beijing Daily.The whole series is expected to have a total of 51 volumes, the paper said. The first volume was published in 1985. The books contain documentary materials, archaeology and relics, records of surveys, and oral materials, giving an in-depth depiction of the social and economic development, religious beliefs, science and technology, philosophy and customs of the Yi ethnic group. The books also contain narrations on some important historical and cultural issues of the Chinese nation. The book titled "Yi Ten-month Calendar of Civilized China", dubbed as the cornerstone of the series, further probes into the origin of the Chinese civilization and tells people that an ancient civilization once existed in areas along both sides of the Jinsha River. The book also unties many knotty problems in the history of China's philosophy and astronomy. China has 55 minority ethnic groups living in various parts of the country. |
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