This paper argues that Mandarin Chinese has a fixed syllabic represented by the template CGVX, with one slot in the onset and three slots in the rimeprime (as projection of the rime). It claims that the pre-nucleus glide is obligatory, is an independent constituent, and is adjoined to the rime constituent. Extensive evidence for this template is drawn from an analysis of derived mid vowels, distributional constraints on syllable structure, reduplication in language games, and rhyming in contemporary poetry and folksong. It remains to be shown whether all Chinese dialects share this same template. Contains 21 references. (MDM)