Underworld World: 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 in ancient and modern times. A group of noisy minorities, holding the voice of the urban class, what kind of life do the common people live. A thousand miles have different winds, a hundred miles have different customs. Gangsters speaking local dialects, grin and let you see their true faces, the world is as black as crows. Swindling, fraud, and crime are exposed, counting the myriad manifestations of gangsters; ghosts and monsters, humans and demons mix, pity the hardships of the urban commoners. This book presents the bizarre and varied behaviors of ancient gangsters with detailed historical records and objective arguments. From official histories, literary notes, and serial novels, it extensively collects and summarizes 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. A book like this 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 collecting materials from ancient texts 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 characteristics 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-era illustrated newspapers like Dian Shi Zhai Huabao.