British Sinologist admires China's 'enduring' civilization

Chinese civilization is one of the most fascinating and enduring in the world, Frances Wood, a well-known British Sinologist, has said.

Not only does China have a rich, ancient history, but the country is also dynamic in terms of changing over time, Wood says.

"The continuity (of Chinese civilization) is fantastically important," Wood emphasizes.

Some rules used by the Chinese today originate from as far back as the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), she says, taking the example of the measurement rule at the entrance of metro stations in China, which decides whether a child should buy a ticket or not according to his or her height.

Wood studied Chinese at Cambridge University in the 1970s, before traveling extensively in China while studying at Peking University in the Chinese capital of Beijing. After graduating from London University with a master's degree in Chinese architecture, she joined the British Library in 1977 and served as the curator of the Chinese collections for more than 30 years, until retiring in 2013.

One of her main duties in the role of curator was to purchase books in Chinese about China, covering various subjects including humanities and literature.

"It was a wonderful and rewarding job," she says. "It was fascinating watching China's expanding number of publications from the 1970s onward."

Wood wrote several books related to China, including on Qinshihuang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Marco Polo and the Silk Road. Last month, Wood received a golden trophy from the 16th Special Book Award of China in Beijing for her contributions to promoting Chinese culture.

"It's certainly the first award that I have ever received in China. … It was extraordinary to go to a proper ceremony where we were handed our trophy," she says.

Wood has been interested in Chinese history ever since she studied at Peking University. She has a particular interest in the history of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), which she says is "quite well-known to historians of China".

"People in the West know the name (of the Ming Dynasty). But that's it," she adds. In her view, mutual understanding and learning among civilizations are becoming more and more important.

"Chinese culture is so rich and, in a sense, different. … I think it's terribly good for us to look at things (differently)," she says. "There are so many things that affect people all over the world equally, and we really do have to work together.

"To me, it has been so fascinating learning about China and continuing to learn about Chinese culture."

Wood's love for Chinese culture is reflected in her daily life. The front yard of her house is full of bamboo, and her bookshelf is loaded with Chinese and English books related to China. She keeps numerous gifts given to her by Chinese friends, such as small Peking Opera masks, inkstones, Chinese calligraphy works and paintings.

Referring to her recent role as a judge in the "Chinese Bridge" language contest held in London for British university students, she says she was amazed by their great enthusiasm in learning Mandarin.

They were not only fluent Mandarin speakers but also excellent performers, with talents ranging from musical instruments to martial arts, she says.

"People now have such a good opportunity to go to China, to visit and learn from people (in China). The opportunities are much greater than they were when I started learning," she says.

She says that one of her favorite Chinese words is the one for owl, maotouying (literally meaning "cat-head eagle"). She explains: "I love it because it immediately gives you a picture of an owl. … It looks like a cat because it stares straight at you. And it has little ears, but it has the beak of an eagle."

Such a "wonderful combination" of Chinese characters offers her much pleasure, she says. For Wood, learning Chinese is an "endless process", which is still "endlessly fascinating".