PUBLICATIONS WRITTEN BY DAN K.J. VERCAMMEN IN ENGLISH

 

All books published by BETA (Belgian Taoist Association) are currently only available from China Arts. Contact us for information about current price quotes and other practical matters: info@china-art.org.

We also stock many other publications by Vercammen in Dutch. More information on the Dutch pages of this web site.

For information about books and articles in English, Dutch and Chinese by Vercammen not published by us contact the author: fei@taoiststudies.org.

 

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JINDAN, THE GOLDEN CINNABAR : TAOIST INTERNAL ALCHEMY (volume 1)

 

• A book on Taoist Internal Alchemy of the Southern Tradition (Nanzong) written by a practitioner, giving the readers an inside view of this hermetical science
• Contains an introduction to the series and to the Southern Tradition
• Annotated translations from classical Chinese of two important texts of the Southern Tradition: the Jindan Sibaizi (The Four Hundred Characters of the Golden Cinnabar) ascribed to the most famous master of the tradition, Zhang Boduan (984-1082), and the Huanyuanpian (A Piece of Writing on Returning to the Source) by Zhang’s disciple Shi Tai (1022-1158)
• Contains an extensive dictionary of internal alchemical terminology, the first attempt ever to create a complete dictionary of this sort; a necessary and useful tool to understand the cryptic language of alchemical texts
• Translations of the biographies of both Zhang Boduan and Shi Tai
• Beautiful presentation designed by Wu An: traditional Chinese binding using symbolic alchemical colors, golden cover, etc.
• An absolute must for people interested in (eastern and/or western) alchemy
• The first book in a series on internal alchemy; other volumes will present the history and texts of the Southern Tradition, anthropological and historical studies of alchemy in China and elsewhere, and finally a complete dictionary of Southern Tradition terminology
• In English, 89 pp., published by BETA in 2003

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NEIJIA WUSHU (the Internal School of Chinese Martial Arts), vol. I: the Texts of Neijia Wushu with an English Introduction and Annotations

 

Originally published as part of dr. Vercammen’s PhD dissertation, this is the world’s first collection of ancient Chinese texts on the Internal School of Chinese martial arts (taijiquan, baguazhang, xingyiquan).

All important versions of the texts are presented in the English annotations. Includes an English introduction and a quite extensive bibliography.

319 pp., published by Ghent University in 1989.

 

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NEIJIA WUSHU (the Internal School of Chinese Martial Arts), vol. II: Taijiquan: Modernity and Tradition

 

In this book Dan K.J. Vercammen presents a case study of the evolution of taijiquan against the background of   history of China in the 19th, 20th and 21st century. How the tradition was altered for reasons alien to the tradition. A beautiful publication designed by Wu An, bound by hand in traditional Chinese fashion.

In English, 58 pp., published by BETA in 2005.

 

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THE HISTORY OF TAIJIQUAN

 

This book introduces a paper presented by the author at the “International Conference on Wushu Tradition and the Modern World”, in Moscou (1991). The text summarizes that part of dr. Vercammen’s PhD dissertation that deals with the history of this famous Chinese martial art. It includes rare pictures of some late masters of taijiquan, and indexes of Chinese names mentioned in the text.

In English, 36 pp., published by BETA in 1991.

 

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THE WAY OF QI

EDITED BY DR. DAN K.J. VERCAMMEN

FOREWORD BY PROF. DR. RIK PINXTEN

INTRODUCING CHINA’S FOREMOST SCHOLAR OF TAOIST ALCHEMY PROF. DR. FUCHEN HU

 

"The book deserves a wide audience. In addition, the tradition presented in the book needs and deserves a large and serious group of practitioners. I hope TASC will be able to realize both of these goals, and I wish that this awe-inspiring tradition may continue to find as respectful scholars as those in this volume."

Prof. Dr. Rik Pinxten, anthropologist, Universiteit Gent/Ghent University

• The first scientific volume in English to discuss the cultural background of qi
• Newly discovered material on the Taoist secrets of taijiquan and qigong
• A collection of anthropological and philosophical articles by international experts in the field of qi-science
• A book full of previously unknown information on Chinese medicine, Taoist practices, and qi
• Written by scientists (who are well versed in the practice) and aimed at the serious practitioner of Chinese medicine, Taoist training, qigong, etc.
• A beautiful publication, bound by hand in traditional Chinese fashion

In English, 82 pp., published by BETA in 2000.