Abstract
“Social Life” is a meaningful concept in the study of any society and can be generally understood in both a broad and a narrow sense. In the broad sense, social life includes both the physical and mental activities of a whole society. Alternatively, in the narrow sense, social life can signify simple day-to-day life, that is, focusing on such things as attire, diet, housing, and family life, as well as transportation and general social interests.
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Notes
- 1.
According to ancient Chinese legend, Suiren was the discoverer of fire.
- 2.
Wang Zhenzhong, A Comparative Study of the Origins of Chinese Civilization (Shaanxi People’s Press, 1994), pp. 66–7.
- 3.
Yan Wenming, “An Investigation into the Shape of the Settlements in the Chinese Neolithic Period,” published in A Festschrift Celebrating Su Bingqi’s Fifty-five Years in Archaeology (Cultural Relics Publishing House, 1989).
- 4.
Yang Kuan, The History of the Warring States Period (Shanghai People’s Press, 1980), p. 99.
- 5.
Su Qin (380–284 BC) was an influential political strategist during the Warring States Period.
- 6.
Shi was a social stratum in ancient China, between senior officials and the common people. It became a term for scholars and intellectuals after Spring and Autumn Periods.
- 7.
Donghu, literally meaning “Eastern Foreigners” or “Eastern barbarians,” was the name of a Mongolic nomadic tribal confederation that was first recorded from the seventh century BC and was destroyed by the Xiongnu in 150 BC. The Donghu was later divided into the Wuhuan and Xianbei Confederations, from which the Mongols are derived. Hence, in modern linguistic terminology, they are classified as a proto-Mongolic nomadic ethnic group.
- 8.
The nomadic people who lived in the northern part of China in Warring States Periods were generally called Hu. Linhu and Loufan were two major tribes of Hu which mainly lived in Mongolia those days.
- 9.
Refer to Pu Weizhong, A Brief Account of Social Life as Reflected in Zuo’s Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals and A Festschrift Celebrating Yang Xiangkui’s Sixty Years of Teaching and Research (Hebei Educational Press, 1998), pp. 102–15.
- 10.
Emperor Ping of Han (9 BC–6 AD) was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty from 1 BC to 6 AD. After Emperor Ai died childless, the throne was passed to his cousin Emperor Ping – then a child of 9 years old. Emperor Ping died at the age of 14.
- 11.
Lingnan is a geographic region in southern China. It refers to currently Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan Provinces and part of Hunan and Jiangxi Provinces.
- 12.
For further details of the Three Councilors and Nine Ministers, see Chap. 6 of this book.
- 13.
Mawangdui, literally “King of Ma’s Mound,” is an archaeological site located in Changsha, China. The site consists of two saddle-shaped hills and contained the tombs of three people from the Western Han Dynasty (206–9BC). The tombs belonged to the first Marquis of Dai, his wife, and a male who is believed to be their son. The site was excavated from 1972 to 1974.
- 14.
Han Yangling Mausoleum is the joint tomb of Emperor Jin and his empress. Emperor Jin (188–141BC), named Liu Qi, was the fourth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. For more details of his reign, see Chap. 3 of this book. Yangling Mausoleum is mainly composed of the emperor and empress’ graveyards, southern and northern burial pits, ritual building, the satellite and criminals’ graveyards, and Yangling town.
- 15.
Kuai Ji Shi Ke was a stone tablet carved by Li Si who followed the order from Qin Shihuang when he cruised over China in 210 BC near Kuaiji (current Shaoxing of Zhejiang Province) for worshipping Yu the Great (Da Yu).
- 16.
Cai Lun was a Chinese eunuch. He is traditionally regarded as the inventor of paper and the papermaking process, in forms recognizable in modern times as paper (as opposed to Egyptian papyrus). Although paper existed in China before Cai Lun (since the second century BC), he was responsible for the first significant improvement and standardization of papermaking by adding essential new materials into its composition.
- 17.
Da Yue Zhi were a nomadic people who used to live in northwest China before second century then moved to Central Asia.
- 18.
Su Wu (140–60 BC) was an official in the Western Han Dynasty. He served in an important position in Court when Emperor Wu of Han was on the throne. When Su Wu visited the Xiongnu in the first year of Tian Han as an ambassador, Uwei Chanyu (114–105 BC), the supreme leader of Xiongnu, detained him. Although he suffered from brutal torture and temptation, Su Wu refused to surrender and stated his position firmly that he prefer being killed to betraying his country and his people. Irritated by Su Wu’s words and behavior, Uwei Chanyu decided to send him to a deserted and isolated place to let him run his own course. Su Wu was exiled to the North Sea (Lake Baikal), where he had only the basics of survival and had to survive through his own efforts. Uwei Chanyu gave him a flock of sheep and said he would not be allowed to return to his own country until the male sheep was pregnant. Su Wu was trapped in North Sea as a shepherd for 19 years without surrendering to Uwei Chanyu. When he came back to Chang’an (the capital of Western Han Dynasty), he was an old man with white hair. Emperor Wu of Han bestowed many honors upon him, and he acquired a high reputation aiming the people.
- 19.
Yang Zhen (59–124 AD) had the personal name Boqi. He was born from a noble family whose great grandparent was granted the title of Duke due to the contribution of establishing the Han Dynasty. Yang Zhen has a zest for education; he dedicated most of his life conducting teaching.
- 20.
This was a historical system of land ownership and distribution in China used from the Six Dynasties to the mid-Tang Dynasty. By the time of the Han Dynasty, the well-field system of land distribution had fallen out of use in China, though reformers like Emperor Wang Mang tried to restore it. The equal-field system was introduced into practice around 485 AD by Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, a non-Han kingdom in North China, during the Northern and Southern Dynasty Period. The system was eventually adopted by other kingdoms and its use continued through the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
- 21.
San Zhang zhi.
- 22.
Zhou Jun Zhi was a regional administrative system that was implemented by the end of East Han Dynasty. Zhou (state), Jun (province), and Xian (county) were three-leveled governing units.
- 23.
Shu Xi was the pen name of Guang Wei, a famous writer in Western Jin Dynasty.
- 24.
Wang Meng was prime minister to the former Qin Emperor Fu Jian.
- 25.
Liu Chi, The Marital Relations between the Cui and Lu Families: An Observation drawn from the Changing Social Hierarchy of the Han Shizu from the Northern Dynasty, A Study of Chinese History (1987), Vol. 2.
- 26.
The Chen Dynasty (557–89 AD), also known as the Southern Chen Dynasty, was the fourth and last of the Southern Dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty.
- 27.
This was a book of etiquette and advice written by Yan Zhitui (531–91 AD). Written in old age, it aimed to advise his son about which household matters should be attended to diligently as well as advocated pursuits like calligraphy, which he felt to have a civilizing influence. Among Yan’s work is the first known recorded reference to toilet paper, though he was anxious to point out that those who adopted this practice should avoid paper which featured any writings from the classics or sages.
- 28.
Lu Sidao was a famous poet in the end of Northern Period and early of Sui Dynasty.
- 29.
Wang Rong, style name Junchong, was a politician of the Jin Dynasty Period of Chinese history. Wang Rong served under Jin as the Third East General. Wang Rong participated during the final conquest of Eastern Wu, where he led his army as far as to that of Wuchang (present-day Ezhou). Following this, Wang Rong’s army merged with Wang Jun’s and they advanced towards the Wu capital Jianye. Later, Wang Rong became very well known throughout the Jin Dynasty for being one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.
- 30.
Chisongzi, a legendary figure in ancient China, a god who is in charge of rain.
- 31.
Peng Zu, is a legendary long-lived figure in China. He supposedly lived over 800 years in the Yin Dynasty (1900–1066 BC). Some legends say that one year was 60 days in ancient China; that made him more than 130 years old. Others say he was over 200 years old or slightly over 500 years old. Another say he was accidentally left off of the death list in heaven. Peng Zu was regarded as a saint in Taoism. The pursuit of eternity drugs by supporters of Taoism was highly influenced by Peng Zu. He is well known in Chinese culture as a symbol for long life, nutrition treatments, and sex therapy treatments. Legend maintains that he married more than 100 wives and fathered hundreds of children in his 800 s.
- 32.
Wang Qiao, a Taoist legendary figure who gave up his official titles for practicing Taoism. He eventually obtained his Tao and rode on a crane to the heaven.
- 33.
Kou Qianzhi, a famous Taoist representative and master who practiced the Taoist doctrines in Song Mountain in Northern Periods. He initiated reforms in Taoism in northern China.
- 34.
Lu Xiujing, a master of Taoism in Southern China.
- 35.
Gao Shiyu, Tang Dynasty Women (Sanqin Press, 1988), p. 54.
- 36.
Following the reforms of the Yuan-Feng, the color purple was worn by officers of the fourth rank and above, dark red by officials of the sixth rank and above, and green by officers of the ninth rank and above. The color blue was abandoned entirely.
- 37.
A memoir written by the exiled Kaifeng native Meng Yuanlao (c. 1090–1150 AD), remembering features of the life of the affluent in his home city.
- 38.
A similarly nostalgic work of c. 1290 dealing with Lin’an (now Hangzhou), the old Southern Song capital.
- 39.
Calculation: 1 liang (两) silver ≈ ¥300, and $1 ≈ 6.3 RMN (as of February 15, 2012), hence
70000000 × ¥300÷6.3 ≈ $3.34 billion
80000000 × ¥300÷6.3 ≈ $3.8 billion
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Zhang, Q. (2015). The Rich and Colorful Social Life in Ancient China. In: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture. China Academic Library. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46482-3_9
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