Daily Life in Ancient China

Author:
Mu-chou Poo

Publication Date:
August 2018

Publisher:
Cambridge University Press

Abstract:

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.

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