Phony Reformer: Greed, Status, and Patronage in Late Qing China

This translation offers a unique perspective on Chinese life and society during the late Qing period, highlighting the clash between tradition and modernity and the quest for a new, improved China.

Format: Hardback
Length: 180 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2018
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

This captivating translation offers a genuine glimpse into Chinese life and society during a particular era, as observed through the eyes of a contemporary individual. Through the portrayal of a fictitious reformer who capitalized on the post-Boxer reform movements of the Qing court to achieve professional success and personal wealth, the satire conveys the author's aspiration for a revitalized and modernized China that could stand shoulder to shoulder with Western nations and Meiji Japan in the contemporary world. The author's vivid depictions of various scenarios provide valuable insights into the behavior of the late Qing elite and the dynamics of Chinese foreign relations, highlighting the tension between tradition and modernity, the old and the new, as educated Chinese found themselves at a cultural and political crossroads.

Weight: 428g
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538112397