The sayings known as Cheng yu are used frequently in Chinese. Chinese Proverbs Illustrated features ovr 75 of the more than 5,000 Cheng yu, reproduced in a large format. Alongside each phrase is an accessible and inspiring explanation, its literal translation in English, and what the particular strokes symbolize.
James Trapp is the author of Chinese Characters: The Art and Meaning of Hanzi, Chinese Proverbs and also has translated a bestselling new multilingual edition of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. A Chinese language graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, he teaches Mandarin and was previously an Education Officer on the China Collection at the British Museum.