Suzhou Old News

Author: Wang Jiaju
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-12-01
Features: From the perspective of ideology, in the ninth year of the Guangxu reign (1883), American missionaries established the Boxi Hospital in Suzhou, objectively bringing science and civilization to the city. However, superstitions such as divination, spirit-writing, trial by ordeal, and the practice of healing by incantations remained rampant, and folk customs for all seasons and festivals continued to flourish. Prostitution, gambling, and drug addiction persisted despite repeated prohibitions, while theft and kidnapping became the main criminal offenses. Although the imperial examination system was already at its waning stage, it remained the pursuit of scholars for a better future. Social customs shifted from extravagance to slight frugality, with common people struggling to keep warm and provide for their families just to survive. This was the general picture of Suzhou from the tenth year of the Guangxu reign (1884) to the twenty-fourth year (1898) for fifteen years, and also the temporal and spatial background of this book, Suzhou Old News. This book is selected from Dian Shi Zhai Huabao, sponsored by the Shangbao Press. At that time, photography had already been introduced, but due to the lagging technology of papermaking and printing, photographs could not be published in newspapers. Therefore, Shangbao Press adopted the lithographic technique to deliver news in the form of a richly illustrated newspaper, which was well-loved by readers. In his Reminiscences of Chuangyinglou, the Suzhou native Bao Tianbi wrote: "When I was about twelve or thirteen years old, there was a lithographed Dian Shi Zhai Huabao published in Shanghai that I loved to read." Dian Shi Zhai Huabao existed for fifteen years, publishing over 4,000 entries in total. This book selects 285 entries related to Suzhou's social news, with brief comments and interpretations. It not only reflects the diverse social life of Suzhou at that time but also reveals the spirit and ideas of the era; additionally, it holds historical significance.