This book examines the history of life in the big cities of China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), including Beijing, Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Kaifeng. The coverage includes information on: the clothing of urban officials and residents * their diet * utensils * ceremonies * festivals * the words and deeds of the residents * commercial activities * the contrasts between life within the royal houses and life within an ordinary house in the city. This period of Chinese urban history is unique because, although it developed from traditions of the Han and Tang dynasties, it also heralded a strong break with tradition. As the world started to modernize, so did China, and this fascinating book shows how and where this first occurred. (Series: Insight on Ancient China) [Subject: History, Chinese Studies, Asian Studies, Urban Studies, Cultural Studies]

This revealing book paints a vivid picture of life in the Tang Dynasty's capital city Chang'an, as well as the key cities of Luoyang and Yangzhou. To understand Chinese history and society, the eye must be focused on the cities, and this book draws a panoramic picture of the urban politics, economy, culture, religion, and customs to help the reader better understand ancient and modern China. The Urban Life of the Tang Dynasty provides an insight into the four fundamental characteristics of Chinese life in this historical period (618-907): openness, knowledge and skills, internationalization, and the bold and unrestrained lifestyles led by certain sections of society within these key urban centers. (Series: Insight on Ancient China)

This book employs textual and archaeological material to reconstruct the various features of daily life in ancient China.

The Song Dynasty (960-1279), which lasted for more than 300 years, straddled two periods in Chinese history: the Northern Song Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty. The capital cities of these Dynasties were Dongjing and Lin'an. Written by leading Chinese historical expert Li Chuntang, this book reveals the importance of these urban centers upon China's overall development and history. The book shows how the collapse of a restricted trade system in the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty led to great social transformation. It examines the critical aspects of the urban economy, culture, customs, and politics within the famous cities of the Song Dynasty. (Series: Insight on Ancient China)

The Ming dynasty was the last great Chinese dynasty before the Manchu conquest in 1644. During that time, China, not Europe, was the center of the world: the European voyages of exploration were searching not just for new lands but also for new trade routes to the Far East. In this book, Timothy Brook eloquently narrates the changing landscape of life over the three centuries of the Ming (1368-1644), when China was transformed from a closely administered agrarian realm into a place of commercial profits and intense competition for status. The Confusions of Pleasure marks a significant departure from the conventional ways in which Chinese history has been written. Rather than recounting the Ming dynasty in a series of political events and philosophical achievements, it narrates this longue durée in terms of the habits and strains of everyday life. Peppered with stories of real people and their negotiations of a rapidly changing world, this book provides a new way of seeing the Ming dynasty that not only contributes to the scholarly understanding of the period but also provides an entertaining and accessible introduction to Chinese history for anyone.

After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty in China (1206), the Yuan rulers moved their capital to Dadu (modern Beijing), where they attempted to retain their traditional nomadic lifestyle. This book reveals the extraordinary changes Dadu - and other key Chinese cities of this era - underwent after the Golden Family of Chinggis Khan and their fellow Mongols settled in Dadu. The book also looks at the impact of their nomadic culture on greater Chinese life and civilization. Cities have played a key role in the history of China and the changes from the Yuan Dynasty period are particularly important. The Urban Life of the Yuan Dynasty highlights the key aspects of urban life between 1206 and 1368, such as dwelling, clothing, diet, transportation, marriage, and customs. Additionally, it reveals exactly how the formally nomadic rulers of this era viewed and judged the cities they discovered and then transformed. (Series: Insight on Ancient China)

Describes the occupations, pleasures, clothes, food, art, and social and civic life of the people in the city of Hangchow.