Underworld World of Ruffians - A Historical Observation of China's Underclass Society and Ruffian Groups

Author: Wan Yan Shaoyuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Gangster Family: A Historical Observation of the Lower-Class Society and Gangster Groups in China. Street life, witness the myriad manifestations of gangsters; the world of commoners, lament the hardships of the people throughout history. Disciples of Confucius are scholars, disciples of Mozi are knights, if they go astray, they become gangsters. Things always change, gangsters are the same throughout history—a group of noisy minorities who hold the voice of the urban class, what life is like for the common people. A thousand miles have different winds, a hundred miles have different customs. Gangsters speaking local dialects, showing their true faces, the world is full of crows, all black. Fraud, deception, and crime are exposed, meticulously counting the myriad manifestations of gangsters; ghosts and monsters, humans and spirits mixed, pitiable the hardships of the commoners in the streets. This book presents the bizarre and varied behaviors of ancient gangsters with detailed historical records and objective arguments. From official histories, literary notes, and serialized novels, it extensively collects and summarizes the various types of gangsters, how their activities interacted with the history of each dynasty, their behavioral styles, and their ideologies, allowing readers to understand ancient gangsters through storytelling. It is a book that is both historically valuable and easy to read. —Historian Luo Jifu I hold deep respect for Mr. Wan Yan Shaoyuan. The materials cited in the book, whether in terms of scope or depth, are many things I have never heard of before. Such a book would likely take decades to complete. No matter how you look at it, it is extremely admirable, especially in today's generally restless and noisy society. —Freelancer He Zhongzhou
This book is positioned as a popular historical and literary read, extensively drawing from ancient documents to attempt to describe and analyze various aspects of ancient gangsters—such as their types, characteristics, origins, and influences—through numerous examples with narrative elements. To enhance readers' interest and provide a vivid understanding of the social environment and behavioral traits of ancient gangsters, some illustrations are interspersed throughout the text. Most of the illustrations in this book are selected from woodcuts in Ming Dynasty social novels and late Qing Dynasty illustrated newspapers like Dian Shi Zhai Huabao.