The Bright and Dark Sides of Chinese Life - Western Portrayals of China

Author: McGovern
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: What kind of life did the Chinese people live at the turn of the last century? What upheavals and changes were they experiencing? What cultural traditions and outdated customs did they uphold? What were the specific conditions in cities, rural areas, and all levels of society? This series of books will answer these questions. The authors of this series were Westerners who lived in China a century ago and had a deep understanding of Chinese culture. With the unique perspective and insight of outsiders, they observed and examined this mysterious land, documenting their observations and amazements in vivid and descriptive language. Each book preserves numerous old photographs, allowing us to more intuitively and clearly look back at the traumatic years of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. The life scenes of the Chinese people presented in this book are based on McGovern's personal experiences. McGovern lived in China for 50 years and had deep interactions with people from almost every social class, finding great joy in these connections. The deeper he delved into the inner lives of the Chinese people, the more he was drawn to them. They were indeed a very lovable nation, proving their qualities as a great people in moments of joy, in times of sorrow, and in moments that inspired a sense of justice. Except for the concluding chapter, each chapter in this book was originally published independently in the North China Daily News in Shanghai, China. Later, they were published in book form in China under the title The Light and Dark Sides of Chinese Life.