Description
Book SynopsisTens of thousands of epitaphs, or funerary biographies, survive from imperial China. Engraved on stone and placed in a grave, they typically focus on the deceased's biography and exemplary words and deeds, expressing the survivors' longing for the dead. These epitaphs provide glimpses of the lives of women, men who did not leave a mark politically, and childrenpeople who are not well documented in more conventional sources such as dynastic histories and local gazetteers. This anthology of translations makes available funerary biographies covering nearly two thousand years, from the Han dynasty through the nineteenth century, selected for their value as teaching material for courses in Chinese history, literature, and women's studies as well as world history. Because they include revealing details about personal conduct, families, local conditions, and social, cultural, and religious practices, these epitaphs illustrate ways of thinking and the realities of daily life. Most can be rea
Trade Review"[T]his anthology of remembered lives presents fascinating stories that will reveal to any reader how vivid and interesting tomb biographies can be."
* Monumenta Serica *
"[A]n innovative and important publication."
* China Review International *
"[A]n indispensable sourcebook for scholars, students, and general readers of Chinese history and culture."
* Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews *
"[A] fantastic contribution to the resources for teaching premodern Chinese women's history and social history, and it will undoubtedly stimulate additional research and use of funeral biographies."
* Journal of the American Oriental Society *
