“Beautiful virtue” (mei-de 美德) as the “most precious treasure” in China. [Review on:] Su Shuyang (ed.) A Reader on the Beautiful Virtue of China. Transl. from Сhinese by Yang Chunlei, A. I. Kobzev. Moscow; St. Petersburg: Nestor-History; 2019. 320 р.

Abstract

This is a review article on the “Reader of the Beautiful Virtue of China” (中国 美德 读本 Zhongguo mei-de duben), published in 2019 by the “Nestor-History” Publishing House (Moscow). It was translated from Chinese into Russian by a Chinese Slavist Yang Chunlei 杨春蕾, and Professor I. A. Kobzev, the Head of the China Department of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The book was edited by Su Shuyan 苏叔阳 (1938–16.07.2019), the writer, screenwriter and poet who is best known to the Russian reader for his bestselling “Reader on China” (中国 读 本 Zhongguo duben. Liaoning 辽宁, 2007). The book under review consists of three parts “The Heaven”, “The Earth” and “The Man”. It comprises a collection of different stories about the mythical characters and everyday events mythological, historical and everyday stories (96 in total, including several songs). Each of the specimens illustrates one or another aspect of the concept of “beautiful virtue”. The review article, therefore, examines in detail the concept of “virtue” (de 德), which is fundamental for Chinese culture. Equally, it deals with such phenomenon as the “beautiful virtue” (mei-de 美德), as well as its place within the value system of modern China. The author concludes as follows. Although the book, in general, offers an idealized image of China, which does not have very much in common with reality, the ideas expressed in the specimina are humanistic and noble and therefore of universal value. The chrestomathy (“Reader”) can therefore be of significant interest to anyone interested in the culture and history of China as well as a teaching aid.