Empress of China: Wu Ze Tian Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Empress of China: Wu Ze Tian? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Empress of China: Wu Ze Tian. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Empress of China: Wu Ze Tian ReviewA children's book in English (bilingual, actually) on a the only Chinese female emperor in history. This book definitely breaks stereotypes of passive Asian females. Great book for young students, especially with the lavish pictures. But I would also love to see an adult version of this book.Empress of China: Wu Ze Tian Overview

Want to learn more information about Empress of China: Wu Ze Tian?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Women in Early Imperial China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Women in Early Imperial China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Women in Early Imperial China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Women in Early Imperial China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives) ReviewI picked up _Women in Imperial China_, expecting a relatively straight forward history and analysis of the role and place of women during the QIn (221 - 206 BCE) and Han (202 BCE - 220 CE) dynasties. What I got was much more complex, nuanced and detailed than I could have possibly imagined. In his introduction, Hinsch explains that even under the Han China was incredibly varied by region: "every hundred li there were different habits; every thousand li there were different customs; Households had different governments; people wore distinguishing clothes." (Mind you, this is a China much smaller than that of the 21st century.) Added to this are "varied and often contradictory" attitudes towards women even in the same region. In spite of these tremendous obstacles, a comprehensible historical narrative has been written that gives a richly detailed and incredibly nuanced perspective of the role of women during this 400 year (221 BCE - 220 CE) time span.
To help non-Asian specialists such as myself make sense of the variety of roles and perspectives of women, the book is organized topically, with chapters on Kinship, Wealth and Work (detailing social class differences), Law, Government, Education, and Ritual. Regardless of topic, Hinsch finds a number of common threads common to women: how Chinese understanding of gender shapes societal roles from the economic interdependence of genders (in work, regardless of social class and marriage) and the social status of women (within households and, by extension, the empire), to the importance of women's participation in the spiritual life of ancient China. Much to my suprise, the place and role of women was much more vibrant, active and highly regarded than I had imagined.
For those interested in womens' studies, ancient Chinese history or the Han dynasty in particular, I strongly recommend this book. For the armchair historian, Hinsch does not presuppose knowledge of Chinese culture and history and goes to great lengths to explain and "break down" many of the terms and concepts alien to a western audience. It is a fascinating read.Women in Early Imperial China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives) Overview

Want to learn more information about Women in Early Imperial China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Daughter of Heaven: The True Story of The Only Woman to Become Emperor of China Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Daughter of Heaven: The True Story of The Only Woman to Become Emperor of China? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Daughter of Heaven: The True Story of The Only Woman to Become Emperor of China. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Daughter of Heaven: The True Story of The Only Woman to Become Emperor of China ReviewAlthough I have never been what you could call a raging feminist, I was offended by the sexism apparent in this novel. In some places, Wu Chao appeared to commit sins in the eyes of the author simply due to her gender, which is what the official Chinese history vilifies her for; after all, she dared to do things no woman had done before. Once, after describing the huge bureaucracy in the Forbidden City, the author then stated that it "would all fall into the hands of just one woman, Wu Chao." As opposed to the hands of just one man, her husband? Furthermore, is any bureaucracy ever really under the control of just one person?
I was also disappointed in that the author in several places, in describing an event, would describe likely alternative reasons or scenarios, and then invariably conclude by laying the most evil and sensational reason at Wu Chao's door. In one place, where he is describing the system of new characters she invents, he says that "chillingly, the character for 'moon' was a swastika." Why was this chilling? This was 660 A.D.! A swastika was used for centuries before the Nazis vilified it forever as the symbol of the Holocaust. It was perfectly innocent in Wu Chao's time. The author does not seem to be able to resist throwing in these sensationalistic touches.
However, when he stays away from Wu Chao's personal character (and a surprising amount of the time he does and it's not actually irritating), his scholarship on ancient China is remarkable. I have never encountered anywhere such detailed information on how the Forbidden City was laid out, how concubines were prepared for the Emperor, and how the Emperor interacted with them. For a scholar of ancient China, this is a worthy read in that right. But I have read other books on Wu Chao, or "Heavenlight", as her given name translates, and I intend to read more. I don't think this book tells the whole story, despite its title. Try "Empress", by Sa Shan.
At the time I wrote this review, I had not read the other books I mentioned. "Empress" by Sa Shan is just as biased as this book, just in the other way. Read "Wu: The Woman Who Schemed, Seduced, and Murdered Her Way to Become a Living God" by Jonathan Clements for a truly balanced view. It is the best of the bunch.Daughter of Heaven: The True Story of The Only Woman to Become Emperor of China Overview

Want to learn more information about Daughter of Heaven: The True Story of The Only Woman to Become Emperor of China?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...