Collected Essays on Jiangnan Society and Culture Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Author: Xiong Yuezhi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of History, located in the Jiangnan region, has always prioritized Jiangnan history research since its establishment in 1956. It has organized studies on a series of topics such as Jiangnan culture, Jiangnan gentry, and Songjiang Prefecture, with a particular focus on Shanghai history. Ancient Shanghai was part of Jiangnan, and modern Jiangnan was the heartland of Shanghai. Before modern times, people called Shanghai prosperous "Little Suzhou," while after modern times, they called Suzhou prosperous "Little Shanghai." Modern Shanghai was renowned for its diverse population, with 80% of its residents coming from outside the city, but upon closer examination, more than half of them originated from Jiangnan. Therefore, whether in the past, present, or future, studying Shanghai requires studying Jiangnan. Without Jiangnan, how could there be Shanghai? Without knowing Jiangnan, how can one truly understand Shanghai? This book is a collection of papers from the "Academic Symposium on Jiangnan Society and Culture Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties," featuring 23 essays that cover economic transformation, regional interaction, commercial networks, the gentry and merchant class, cultural production, desire and gender, and consumption and culture. The contributors are mostly scholars who have dedicated years to Jiangnan history research.