Lao's review, February 26, 2001

What a wonderful book! It could do with some help in the format and layout, and the sentences tend to get too long and convoluted (was that the way to write in the 1960s???)It was researched to fascinating detail, taken from various sources like artworks and documents, to give a vivid picture of the bustling life of Hangzhou during the Song period. It brilliantly covers the multi-varied life in the cosmopolitan city - food, customs, celebration, beliefs, occupations, housing, architecture, townspeople, royal family etc. An engaging read, despite the convoluted sentences. I find it fairly understandable too, the author explains things quite well, and generally doesn't presume that the readers have a lot of background to Chinese history. Not a dry read at all. I love this book.

Translated from the French by H.M. Wright. The overall theme of the book is to dispel the notion of a China that was immobile, and that this lack of change is what aided in the success of the Mongol invasion. From a plethora of sources, Gernet reconstructs a snapshot of how society functioned during the end of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), only a few years before the invasion. To accomplish this task the book looks at a twenty-six year period (1250-1276), focusing on the Southern Song capital, Hangzhou, and its immediate surrounding areas. Areas of exploration include Hangzhou's social makeup (the upper classes, the merchants which, and the lower classes) to even details on clothing, cooking, festivals, and leisure hours.

This is one of my earliest and most valuable finds, an excellent resource for the study and/or reenactment of the period. The first several chapters detail city life, social classes, housing, cooking and personal grooming. The later chapters cover the broader subjects of life cycle (birth, marriage and death rituals), and the yearly cycle (festivals, religions observances). Detailed and well footnoted.