Good books for learning characters available in China?

[mandarynski]

My favourite so far is "Cracking the Chinese Puzzles" by T.K Ann which I had to leave behind in the UK. I also came across books by Heisig and Matthiews and cannot find any in China where I am at the moment and will stay for some time. (Shenzhen)

Are there any others easily available here that anyone can recommend?

[m.ellison]

Use Amazon.

[Don_Horhe]

Although not a textbook per se, you can check out Cecilia Lindqvist's China: Empire of Living Symbols. There is also a much cheaper Chinese language edition - click.

[zhouhaochen]

hey,

my favourite book is What' in a character, by Zhang Peng Peng (professor at BLCU)

http://www.amazon.com/Most-Common-Chinese-Radicals/dp/7800525767

he explains the radicals in a character, which helps a lot with remembering them afterwards.

And then get a QQ account, sign up on kaixinwang for an online farm, steal your friends strawberries and you will be there in no time. If you are not that far yet, get a translation software (for example www.babylon.com) to help.

Well, thats what I would do.

I hear the Heisig method is not bad as well though, but have not tried it.

[m.ellison]

I'd recommend Heisig, Simplified if you aren't going across the bridge, but you will need to get it from Amazon. None of the book shops in Hong Kong stock it. Only volume 1 is out so far but that should keep you busy for a while. After that you could pick up some 羊羊狼狼 books from Walmart or anywhere.

[mandarynski]

Thank you very much for your replies.

Right after posting my question I have received a copy of the abridged edition of T.K. Ann's book from the UK (the one I started on before coming to Shenzhen. I have to say I am quite delighted with it and making slow but pleasant progress.

Another idea I have is to use the online version of Rick Harbaugh's book online.

I have gone through the introduction to Heisig's "Remembering Hanzi" and may give it a bash later on.

For now I would like to concentrate on "Cracking the Chinese Puzzles" especially as I have got the full 5 volume edition as an early Christmas present for when I get back to London later this month.

On another note, I have to say I find the idea of using QQ a bit scary although I have been using Skype quite a lot to practise Chinese.

I have downloaded Anki to help me to revise and remember the characters better.

So far I plan to learn the traditional version as I would like to visit Hong Kong more often and Taiwan as well ( I am going there this weekend :-)

I find it easier to form connections in my mind based on the traditional forms.

I suppose the other variety is much easier to write in the beginning so I plan to learn them in due course as well.

So far over the last three months of my stay in China I wanted to concentrate on contact with spoken Chinese as much as possible and "attack" the characters when I get back to the UK for a short while.

Your replies have given me a few ideas. Thank you!

When you mention Amazon, I presume you mean amazon dot com shipping to China?

Best regards,

Darek

[m.ellison]

When you mention Amazon, I presume you mean amazon dot com shipping to China?

Yes, though if you are going back to the UK in the next month you might as well wait and buy your books at Foyles or somewhere.

[mandarynski]

Yes, though if you are going back to the UK in the next month you might as well wait and buy your books at Foyles or somewhere.

good advice, thank you, though I feel getting down to studying should be my priority rather than buying more books! :-)