Chinese popular culture is extremely diverse and richly complex. The 18 chapters in this reference provide the most current and comprehensive bibliographical and descriptive study of Chinese popular culture in English. The chapters, each devoted to a particular topic, are written by expert contributors who offer comprehensive surveys of research materials and discuss the most important points of critical interest.

The opening chapters of the book discuss the complexity of the Chinese cultural tradition and the relationship between popular culture and Chinese civilization. The chapters that follow are devoted to particular topics that reflect key elements of Chinese popular culture, such as tea drinking, literature, and religion. The chapters generally discuss the history of the topic, review current research in the field, evaluate available reference sources and research collections, and present bibliographic information.