Ancient Shadows of the Government Office
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Summary
Editor's review
For general readers the book may seem somewhat specialized, but its accessible narration and abundant photographs and floor plans greatly lower the threshold. It is not only an architectural history but a miniature political and social history of ancient China. Reading it grants a new perspective: when you next step into a well-preserved ancient yamen, you will see not a static complex of old buildings but a power center that once ran vividly, catching glimpses of officials' daily lives, judicial judgments, and how imperial decrees finally reached the populace. With solid material and rigorous scholarship, the book fills a systematic gap in popular literature on the yamen as an important cultural image and has substantial value for spreading knowledge.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers of history and culture interested in ancient Chinese architecture and political institutions
- Travelers who enjoy visiting ancient towns and villages and wish to understand government buildings more deeply
- Professionals or students in history, cultural relics, and historic preservation
- Writers of historical works who need to research the details of ancient government offices
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking fast-paced, plot-driven mystery or martial arts stories
- Readers hoping for light, entertaining reading
Reading tips
- Read alongside the book's floor plans and compare cases from different dynasties and ranks of yamen to appreciate patterns of evolution
- Reading before or after visiting an ancient yamen in person brings an "aha" experience and a stronger sense of gained knowledge
- Use the book as a reference work alongside local gazetteers and judgment records to build a fuller picture of ancient local society
About the publisher
Founded in 1982, Modern Press is a Chinese publisher that serves general readers across a diverse range of subjects. Judging from its catalog, its publishing focuses on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, psychological research and application, popular science, and modern poetry, along with history, biography, and children's books. The Book of Songs, the illustrated vernacular edition of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, The Complete Poems of Dai Wangshu, and Buddhism in the Vegetable Roots reflect efforts to make traditional culture and poetry accessible; works by Carl Gustav Jung such as The Development of Personality and Understanding Your Psychological Type, together with titles from the Ivy International Education Alliance, show sustained attention to psychology and educational reading; and Stephen Hawking's works and the illustrated two-volume Brief History of Everything and A Brief History of Time indicate a commitment to popular science. Its authors include figures such as Qu Wanli, Xu Ke, Dai Wangshu, and Jung, and its publishing emphasizes retelling classics and accessible, illustrated presentation. Because public information is limited, this summary is based only on the titles in our catalog.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序 言
- 隋代县衙——潞安府衙
- 李隆基发迹后兴修潞安府衙
- 北宋时期战火焚毁了盛唐遗迹
- 明太祖朱元璋重修潞安府衙
- 州级署衙——霍州署衙
- 由尉迟敬德的府邸改建的署衙
- 元成宗将霍州署衙改成离宫
- 大明盛世复建霍州署衙
- 最大府衙——南阳府衙
- 昭襄王始设南阳郡守和府衙
- 清朝南阳府衙的独特之处
- 江苏首衙——淮安府衙
- 淮安府是明清两代的行政建制
- 历经重修府衙焕然一新
- 清代淮安出现两位著名知府
- 历史标本——内乡县衙
- 元明时期威严的内乡县衙
- 清朝县令章炳焘与内乡县衙
- 明代府衙——叶县县衙
- 唯一由五品县令任职的县衙
- 古代唯一设有卷棚的县衙
- 最大县衙——平遥县衙
- 明清时期县衙格局基本定型
- 堪称皇宫缩影的古城衙门
- 最大的大堂及附属建筑
- 清代首衙——直隶总督府
- 李卫走马上任直隶府衙
- 曾国藩就任直隶总督
- 李鸿章重修直隶总督衙门
FAQ
Is this a book of detective stories?
Are there many pictures and examples? Is it dry?
What are the backgrounds of authors Xiao Dongfa and Zhao Yifan?
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About the author
Xiao Dongfa (1949–2016), whose ancestral home was Tianjin and who was born in Shenyang, was a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University, and director of its Institute of Modern Publishing. An important scholar in editing and publishing studies, he focused on the history of Chinese books, publishing history, and yearbook studies. He edited the History of Chinese Editing and Publishing and Chinese Libraries of Book Collecting, and led the National Social Science Fund key project A General History of Chinese Publishing, laying a solid foundation for the organization and narration of Chinese publishing history. Beyond academic writing, he attended to Peking University's institutional history and humanistic traditions, writing works such as Character: From the Imperial University to Old Peking University, Exemplars: Former Residences and Anecdotes of Peking University Notables, and Scenes: Yanyuan Landscapes and Cultural Heritage, which recount campus memories and personal stories with warmth. His works also touch on the four treasures of the study, garden architecture, and academic writing standards. Some 491 of his titles are held in the library, spanning language and culture, biography, and architecture, and combining scholarly rigor with accessible readability.
Zhao Yifan's publicly available information is limited. His writing and editorial work spans several fields, including human geography, regional culture, historical architecture, and communications technology. The library holds ten of his works, among them books introducing famous mountains such as Famous Mountains of the World, works on regional culture such as Colorful Yunnan: Characteristics and Forms of Dian-Yun Culture, and titles on ancient government office architecture such as Ancient Shadows of Government Offices. He has also written in the fields of computing and communications, including Research on the Theory and Simulation of Random Multiple Access Communication Systems, as well as a biography, Thomas Watson Jr. His works appear in categories such as inspirational growth, culture, general computing, and general biography, reflecting a broad range of knowledge and an approach that balances popular readability with professional substance.
