Lifestyle and Entertainment in Yangzhou

edited by Lucie Olivova and Vibeke Bordahl

Yangzhou, once the central place of literati and urban culture, is still one of the most important centers of traditional culture in China today. Over the years particular regional forms of art and entertainment have arisen here, some surviving into the present time. This richly illustrated volume celebrates Yangzhou’s rich cultural tradition through a well-balanced spectrum of topics spanning the period from the late 17th century to modern times. These are grouped into four thematic parts: Yangzhou’s cultural heritage during historic downfalls and revivals; regional literature and book production; local theatre and storytelling; and various artists of the 18th-century Yangzhou School of Painting. Within each thematic part, descriptions and evaluations of cultural phenomena are supplemented with reflections on lifestyle and customs, weaving a virtual dialogue that binds the topical richness of the collection tightly together.

"This handsomely produced, profusely illustrated volume is the result of a long-term, truly international collaboration among scholars whose work focuses on various aspects of Yangzhou from the seventeenth century down to the present day." - Michael Marme, Fordham University, China Review International, Vol. 18, No. 2, 2011

Lucie B. Olivová teaches at Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. Her research is focused on Qing culture. Her publications include A Confucian Story of the Prodigal Son, Tobacco in Chinese Society, 1600 – 1900, Traditional Chinese Architecture, and The Gems of Chinese Literature.

Publication year: 2009
312 pp / 229mm x 152mm
richly illustrated
ISBN: 978-87-7694-035-5, Hardback

NIAS Press