Daily Life in Ancient China

by Mu-chou Poo

Overview

In this volume, Mu-chou Poo offers a new overview of daily life in ancient China. Synthesizing a range of textual and archaeological materials, he brings a thematic approach to the topic that enables a multi-faceted understanding of the ideological, economical, legal, social, and emotional aspects of life in ancient China. The volume focuses on the Han period and examines key topics such as government organization and elite ideology, urban and country life, practical technology, leisure and festivity, and death and burial customs. Written in clear and engaging prose, this volume serves as a useful introduction to the culture and society of ancient China. It also enables students to better understand the construction of history and to reflect critically on the nature of historical writing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107605466
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/21/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	7.01(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.51(d)

About the Author

Mu-chou Poo is Chair and Professor of History at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research interests include society and religion in Ancient Egypt and China and comparative ancient history. He is author of and editor of five books, most recently Old Society, New Belief:  Religious Transformation of China and Rome, ca.1st–6th Centuries (2017).

Table of Contents

1. The stage; 2. Government organization and elite ideology; 3. Social structure and law; 4. Country life; 5. Cities and urban life; 6. Production, consumption, and ideological constraints; 7. Practical technology; 8. Leisure and entertainment, games and festivals; 9. Glimpses of emotional life; 10. Death, burial, and the hope of a happy afterlife; Conclusion: continuation and transformation of life experience; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

‘… [those] concerned with China’s early history, be they first year students or veteran scholars, will be grateful for this clear and concise account of the conditions that affected the conduct of life in China’s early empires. Enriched as they have been by the material finds of recent years, thanks to an overview such as this book, they may well be able to place these discoveries in their context, fully conscious of the need to accept both historical and archaeological evidence as aspects of one and the same situation.’ William A. Everett, University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory

From the Publisher