Glimpses of Ming and Qing Life

Author: Wang Kaixuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: This book processes some original materials and considers the convenience of readers without marking all the sources. Some chapters also quote strange anecdotes and story plots from the folk histories, notes, and novels of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The use of these documents can supplement the shortcomings of official history. Lu Xun said, "When reading Chinese history, it is easier to understand by looking at folk histories and miscellaneous records, because they do not have to be too formal like official historians. Therefore, if you want to read history, especially the history of the Ming and Qing dynasties, you must read folk histories or miscellaneous discussions." Our understanding of the Ming and Qing life and the writing of this book are also based on this. We believe that the vast picture of Ming and Qing life and the authentic social life largely come from this. This book is one of the series "Muyushi Book House · Life Snippets." The Ming and Qing dynasties were the last two feudal dynasties in China, summarizing the history of previous dynasties and ushering in the dawn of the modern era, with a historical transitional characteristic of connecting the past and the future. Adapting to this specific historical environment, people's lives in the Ming and Qing dynasties both adhered to tradition and underwent changes. These mixed pictures of new and old life intertwined, forming a rich and diverse historical life scroll of the Ming and Qing dynasties. This book describes the social life of the Ming and Qing dynasties, including not only the social life but also the political life, economic life, ideological and cultural life, and so on. By objectively describing the life fragments of the Ming and Qing period, it presents people with a general picture of life in this era and strives to express and elaborate in simple and easy-to-understand language, so that readers can understand at a glance.