From Shenyang’s historic streets to the rural landscapes of Chongming Island, explore five books that reveal China’s diverse regions, cultures and everyday life.
The October edition of China in Pages explores stories rooted in different parts of China. Grounded in the rhythms of local life, these works capture distinctive cultures and social transformations. Each work offers a different perspective, yet all focus on particular places and their people. Together, they reveal the many facets of China through stories rooted in local life.
Rain Falling Upon Me《落在我身上的雨》
Seven years ago, director Lu Qingyi touched audiences with his acclaimed documentary Four Springs. Now, he has put into words the memories his camera could not capture. In the years since the film was made, his elder sister, father and mother have all passed away. The joys and sorrows, love and longing that never made it onto the screen are now gathered in this book.
The book recalls his father playing the violin in their fire-damaged home. It also remembers his mother reading quietly by herself. On the night his father died, she sang an old song from the other side of the wall. The book also features more than 40 family photographs, many of them published for the first time.
This intimate memoir explores loss, growing up, life’s ups and downs and the enduring power of love. Lu reflects on his journey from a reckless young man to a contemplative middle-aged adult. Looking back on the life he once knew, he reminds readers of the value of ordinary moments. They can be as precious as mountains, rivers and seas. Through memories of loved ones who have passed away, he invites readers to find beauty in life, even amid loss.
The Neighborhood: Space, State, and Daily Life in a Manchurian City《西塔》
This book explores Xita, a neighbourhood in central Shenyang. It traces the area’s history from 1644 to the present, spanning nearly four centuries. The Chinese Eastern Railway and the South Manchuria Railway transformed the area. Their construction brought profound changes to the neighbourhood.
Located near Fengtian Railway Station, Xita became a focal point of geopolitical and economic competition in Northeast Asia. It also attracted migrants from the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere, creating a distinctive mix of cultures and urban life.
Drawing on multilingual archives and extensive fieldwork, the author presents a detailed microhistory of the neighbourhood. The book moves beyond traditional grand narratives. It tells the story through local streets and residents’ lives. It shows how wider historical forces have shaped everyday spaces. Xita offers a compelling perspective on China’s transformation from an imperial society to an industrial one, and later to a post-industrial society.
I Live at the Yangtze’s End《我住长江尾》
In the winter of 2021, Duan Zhiqiang, a historian at Fudan University, moved from central Shanghai to Chongming Island. Alongside his teaching, he took to tending a vegetable garden and reading in quiet surroundings. I Live at the Yangtze’s End chronicles five years of seasonal farming and everyday encounters with his island neighbours.
Duan brings his historical knowledge to the rhythms of rural life. He writes with wit and warmth about farming, memories of home and modern industrial civilisation.
This is no idealised portrait of rural life. Instead, It is an honest account of a scholar putting down roots in the land. Duan connects academic learning with lived experience. He follows the seasons, from spring sowing to autumn harvest. His book offers busy urban readers a glimpse of a slower, more self-contained and reflective way of life.
China: The Basics《中国基础读本》
Drawing on more than two decades of fieldwork, as well as academic research from China and abroad, this book offers an overview of key issues in contemporary Chinese society, culture and politics.
Through extensive research and vivid snapshots of everyday life, it examines China’s place in the world while bringing readers closer to the experiences of ordinary people. Moving beyond narratives that present China as a single, uniform entity, it explores the many ways people shape their lives and communities. Its topics include labour, gender equality, online public expression, environmental protection and healthcare.
The chapters are closely linked but can also be read independently. The book is a useful resource for students and scholars in related fields, while offering general readers a deeper understanding of contemporary China.
Chinese Local Elites and Patterns of Dominance《地方精英与治理模式》
At the heart of this book is the concept of “local modes of domination”. It examines local elites from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the Republican era. These groups were diverse actors with considerable influence at the grassroots level. They included traditional gentry, rural leaders, wealthy urban merchants and modern warlords.
Case studies from different periods and regions reveal the sources of their power. They also explore how these elites exercised influence and adapted to survive. The book focuses on the relationship between state power and local society. It shows how elites used wealth, cultural prestige and social networks to respond to change and help maintain order in local communities..
Moving beyond earlier studies that portray local elites in narrow or static terms, the book compares Chinese and Western approaches to elite governance. It also outlines the fluid and diverse patterns of local power in China.
Written by Nancy Zhao, illustrated by Yuma Zhao.
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