A Ming Confucian's World: Selections from Miscellaneous Records from the Bean Garden

by Lu Rong, Mark Halperin (Translator)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780295749938
Publisher:	University of Washington Press
Publication date:	04/26/2022
Pages:	188
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Lu Rong (1436–1494), a native of Suzhou Prefecture, spent his career in positions at the capital, the northern frontier, and south China. Mark Halperin is associate professor of East Asian languages and cultures at the University of California, Davis. He is author of Out of the Cloister: Literati Perspectives on Buddhism in Sung China, 960–1279.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Translator's Introduction ix

Chronology of Dynasties and Historical Periods xxxii

Ming Reign Periods xxxiii

Selections from Miscellaneous Records from the Bean Garden

Chapter 1 Social Life 1

Chapter 2 Family and Gender 24

Chapter 3 Politics and Government 39

Chapter 4 Deities, Spirits, and Clergy 67

Chapter 5 Knowledge, Technology, and the Natural World 90

Chinese Character Glossary 113

Notes 121

Bibliography 135

Index 141

What People are Saying About This

Timothy Brook

"Entering the Bean Garden, you enter the mental world of someone who, six centuries ago, made sense of his life in ways sometimes uncannily familiar, and sometimes impossible for us to imagine. Halperin's translation brings China's fifteenth century to life in fresh and surprising ways."

Cong Ellen Zhang

"This first English translation of a major Ming biji presents fascinating material and vivid details about every aspect of Ming China."

James M. Hargett

"Reveals glimpses of fifteenth-century China that are not found in more orthodox histories. This is a necessary contribution to the growing corpus of informal Chinese literature available in English translation."

Editorial Reviews

"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 Studies

"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 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