China: A History of the Laws, Manners and Customs of the People

by John Henry Gray

This highly readable history of the world's most populous country dates from the late nineteenth century, when its author, John Henry Gray, served as the Archdeacon of Hong Kong. His two-volume study, here bound into a single volume, begins with the earliest known legends of China as the "Middle Kingdom," around which all lesser states gathered like satellites, and ranges forward to an intriguing series of portraits of the author's Chinese contemporaries.
Subjects include the functions and powers of government; prisons and forms of punishment; religion, gods, and goddesses, and Confucian philosophy; marriage and divorce; the roles of servants and slaves; festivals, amusements, and sports; funerals; astrology and fortune-telling; and benevolent institutions. Commercial activities — agricultural techniques, tea and silk production, and maritime pursuits — also receive detailed and informative treatments.
Evocative illustrations include images of fireworks and flying kits, opium smokers and Buddhist nuns, traditional fishing techniques, and numerous other scenes from daily life. Of immense value to Sinologists and historians, this insightful volume will appeal to anyone interested in China and Far Eastern cultures.

Genres: China, History

992 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

1828-1890
Husband of Julia Gray.

Reviews

[Oleksandr Golovatyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed exposition of the history of ancient China. The author described many spheres of life such as, for example, the management of the ancient empire, religion (Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Islam), folk gods, family, agriculture and construction, handicrafts. The book is built as a reference book with a step-by-step description on behalf of the author. The book is read for a long time, I will not say that it was super interesting, but the book is useful for general development. I think reading about modern China would be inescapable. But this is my personal point of view.
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Очень подробное изложени истории древнего Китая. Автор описал много сфер жизни такие, например, как: управление древней империей, религии (конфуцианство, даосизм, буддийство, ислам), народные боги, семья, сельское хозяйство и строительство, ремеслиничество. Книга построенная как справочник с поэтапным описанием от имени автора. Книга читается долго, не скажу что было супер интересно, но книга полезная для общего развития. Думаю читать про современный Китай было бы инетерсно. Но это лично моя точка зрения.





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