The Chinese People's Liberation Army

by Wang Wei, Xu Dingxin, Zhang Zhiyu

From The Long March, through guerrilla war with the Japanese, to the victory against the Nationalist forces, the story of the PLA is the story of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese Military Library title  The Chinese People’s Liberation Army  relates the complete history of the army of the People’s Republic of China. Starting with the struggle to found the PRC, this book takes readers through the Korean War, disarmament under Deng Xiaoping, and the road to the modern army that serves the people of China today.



The Chinese People’s Liberation Army  includes sections on the organization or the PLA, the equipment currently in use, and peacetime missions undertaken by the PLA, along with 146 black and white photographs. UN peacekeeping missions are also covered in detail, and the ongoing technological innovation of the PLA is reviewed.



The Chinese People’s Liberation Army  is written by Chinese military experts with first-hand information on the Chinese military. The Information Office of the Ministry of National Defense joined active military personnel in advising the authors and reviewing the text, providing a complete, authoritative inside story of the PLA’s history, equipment, and operations.

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Wang Wei (Chinese: 王維, 699-761) was a Chinese poet, painter, musician, and politician of the Tang dynasty, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential literary figures of his time. Known for his mastery of both poetry and painting, he was a key figure in the development of Chinese landscape poetry and art, particularly in the fusion of poetry and painting, a concept later described by critics as embodying "poetry within a painting, and a painting within poetry." His work, deeply influenced by Buddhist thought, particularly Chan (Zen) Buddhism, is characterized by themes of nature, solitude, and contemplation.
A prolific poet, Wang Wei wrote nearly 400 poems, 29 of which were included in the celebrated anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems. His poetic style was known for its elegant simplicity, evocative imagery, and deep emotional resonance. His mastery of the jueju (quatrain) form, especially his landscape poetry, set a standard that influenced generations of poets and artists. Though none of his paintings have survived, his influence on Chinese landscape painting was profound, and his artistic techniques and themes were emulated by later painters, particularly in the literati tradition.
Born into an aristocratic family, Wang Wei demonstrated exceptional literary and artistic talent from a young age. He achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination and enjoyed a successful, though at times turbulent, career as a government official. His later years were deeply shaped by the political upheavals of the An Lushan Rebellion, during which he was briefly held captive by rebel forces. Following his release, he withdrew further into Buddhist practice, dividing his time between official duties and the solitude of his estate in Lantian, where he wrote some of his most famous works.
Wang Wei's legacy endures in both Chinese and world literature. His poetry has been widely translated and studied, influencing poets and writers across cultures, including the Japanese haiku tradition and Western literary figures such as Ezra Pound and Gustav Mahler. His artistic vision, emphasizing the harmonious unity of nature and human spirit, remains a cornerstone of Chinese aesthetic philosophy.