Ming - A Picture of the World

Author: Gong Shuduo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: This is a rigidly controlled era. Government surveillance over society has reached the most stringent level in history; the corruption of eunuchs only added to the suffering; scholars were trapped in the imperial examinations, with few independent thoughts. While unable to achieve military or literary glory, the literati devoted themselves to more refined cultivation of inner character. In landscapes, calligraphy, and painting, they found tranquility; on the stage and in novels, they depicted their dreams. This was also an introverted empire. Along the long northern border, the Great Wall, abandoned for years, was reactivated, both isolating nomadic invasions and revealing the lack of martial spirit in the Zhu dynasty. This book, richly illustrated and diverse in style, vividly recreates China's long and splendid history and civilization through over a thousand carefully selected historical stories. The book's historical narrative is clear, details are specific, the text is concise and lively, and the illustrations are abundant and explanatory, making it a high-quality historical reading material.