A Ming Confucian’s World

Selections from Miscellaneous Records from the Bean Garden

Lu Rong author Mark Halperin translator

Format:Hardback

Publisher:University of Washington Press

Published:26th Apr '22

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A Ming Confucian’s World cover

Daily life in fifteenth-century China in rich detail, from the city to the country, palace and frontier

A forgotten century marks the years between the Ming dynasty's (1368–1644) turbulent founding and its sixteenth-century age of exploration and economic transformation. In this period of social stability, retired scholar-official Lu Rong chronicled his observations of Chinese society in Miscellaneous Records from the Bean Garden (Shuyuan zaji). Openly expressing his admirations and frustrations, Lu provides a window into the quotidian that sets Bean Garden apart from other works of the biji genre of "informal notes."

Mark Halperin organizes a translated selection of Lu's records to create a panorama of Ming life. A man of unusual curiosity, Lu describes multiple social classes, ethnicities, and locales in his accounts of political intrigues, farming techniques, religious practices, etiquette, crime, and family life. Centuries after their composition, Lu's words continue to provide a richly textured portrait of China on the cusp of the early modern era.

The open access publication of this book was made possible by a grant from the James P. Geiss and Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation.

"The translation is introduced by a witty and perceptive description of the contemporaneous Ming context as well as a detailed discussion of Lu. What makes this book relevant to the scholar of religion is the many instances Lu the Confucian gazes effectively at his religious lifeworld, which one encounters in many of his depictions of Ming quotidian life. Scholars of Chinese religions and Confucianism will have much to gain from this."

* Religious Studies Review *

"Mark Halperin's translation from Lu Rong's Miscellaneous Records from the Bean Garden is a treasure trove of both subjective and objective gems. It highlights the belief system of Lu Rong himself and provides invaluable information about the mid-Ming period"

* Journal of Chinese History *

"The major contribution of this translation lies, first and foremost, in the rich insight it provides into mid-Ming China, a period that is generally neglected by scholars. . . . Overall, Halperin’s translation of Lu Rong's Shuyuan zaji is an invaluable addition to the corpus of English-language works that enrich our understanding of Ming China. It offers scholars a rare glimpse into the daily life and intellectual milieu of a representative Ming Confucian scholar-official. The book's interdisciplinary appeal makes it a useful resource for historians, literary scholars, and students of Chinese philosophy. The shorter-length entries and kaleidoscopic subject matter also make it an ideal reading material for classical Chinese language and literature courses."

* Chinese Studies International *

"The collection is first and foremost a useful resource for social history, with the themes of gender, religion, and technology especially prominent throughout. . . . [A] wonderful teaching resource at the undergraduate level."

* Ming Studi

ISBN: 9780295749921

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 431g

188 pages