Ming - The Great Wall guarding the society

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The rise of Neo-Confucianism under imperial authority, the carnival of secular life amidst commercial prosperity, the Ming Dynasty—a society guarded by the Great Wall, an era of strict hierarchy. This book is one of the "Illustrated History of China," providing a detailed introduction to this empire with unprecedented concentration of imperial power. It was a rigid era. Government surveillance over society reached the most stringent level in history; the torment of eunuchs only added to the woes; scholars were ensnared in the imperial examinations, with few independent thoughts. Amidst this atmosphere, the people's pursuit of a rich secular life was diverse. Unable to achieve both literary and martial prowess, scholars focused more on refined cultivation of inner nature. In landscapes and calligraphy, they found tranquility; on the stage and in novels, they portrayed their dreams. It was also an introspective empire. Along the long northern border, the Great Wall, long abandoned, was put back into use, both separating nomadic invasions and revealing the lack of martial spirit in the Zhu dynasty; in the southern seas, there was the magnificent expedition to the Western Oceans seven times, yet it was only a fleeting moment.