Jingqi Family – "Children of Heroism and Chivalry" and Folk Culture

Author: Li Ting
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-22
Features: Since the publication of The Story of the Heroic Son and Daughter over a century ago, it has had a profound impact on society. However, there are very few research papers and books on it, with the scope limited to the author of the work, textual criticism, ideological content, and linguistic artistry. Few have paid attention to its rich folk cultural content. Faced with a novel like The Story of the Heroic Son and Daughter, which reflects the integration of Manchu and Han cultures in the late Qing Dynasty, the author's research focuses on moving from "literature" back to "historical phenomena." With The Story of the Heroic Son and Daughter as the text, the author attempts to take the Han Bannerman An Jia from the book as a case study, combining other historical materials to research the lives, thoughts, and psychological states of late Qing Bannermen from an anthropological perspective, and to interpret the Manchu folk culture embedded within it. The book is divided into nine chapters, analyzing the Manchu culture embedded in the official and gentry families of Beijing during the Jiaqing and Daoguang periods of the Qing Dynasty, covering aspects such as Han Bannerman families, the livelihood of Bannermen, food, clothing, housing, daily etiquette, family language, religious beliefs, cultural personality, and ethnic consciousness.