A Kaleidoscope of China follows after Anything Goes (PrincetonUniversity Press, 2006) as an advanced Chinese textbook compiled by Chineselanguage teachers in the Department of East Asian Studies at Princeton University.This text is aimed towards students who have already studied two to three years ormore of modern Chinese. If four classes meet each week, it contains enoughmaterial to fill a complete academic year.

As enrollment has surged in recent years, advanced Chinese textbooksnow more than ever need to present diverse genres and pieces of writing, while atthe same time ensuring that all pieces are a reflection of contemporary China.Moreover, today's students view " contemporary China" as "China as it is in thisinstant" or "China at its most current." Textbooks, of course, are not today'snewspapers or news programs: they must be able to stand the test of time. Whencompiling A Kaleidoscope of China, we tried to ensure that the writings selectedwere varied, and that their content was current. The materials includedencompass a multitude of topics, from affairs of state to daily life, from articlesabout pollution to essays on China's rise to global prominence. In recent years,China has truly been changing by the day, and textbooks have often lagged behind.This text also seeks to fill part of the gap that has been created between today'sChina and China as it is portrayed in teaching materials.

Years of teaching experience have taught us that students can't help butfind focusing solely on a single genre or topic monotonous. When preparing thistext, we took special care to include writings focused on many different facets ofcontemporary China.

The writings contained in this text were either written or compiled byProfessor Chih-p'ing Chou. Jingyu Wang, Joanne Chiang and Huahui Weiworked together to create the vocabulary lists, grammar notes, and exercises foreach lesson. We have included a note on the first page of each lesson detailingwhich teacher prepared it. Teng Kuan Ng, Noelle Lyle and Cara Healey lookedover the English sections of each lesson, and offered valuable opinions during theediting process. All teachers in Princeton's Chinese Language Program also mettogether to proofread the final version of this textbook. We extend to them oursincere thanks. Of course, any remaining errors are ours.

A portion of this text has already been field-tested both at PrincetonUniversity and at Princeton in Beijing. It has been well-received by both studentsand teachers.

Chih-p'ing ChouJanuary 14, 2010