Vermilion Bird: T'ang Images of the South - Hardcover

Schafer, Edward H.

4.42

24 ratings by Goodreads

9780520011458: Vermilion Bird: T'ang Images of the South

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0520011457 ISBN 13: 9780520011458

Publisher: University of California Press, 1967

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In the seventh century the great T'ang nation was obliged to reconquer the southernmost portion of what had been considered Chinese territory for many centuries, a region today corresponding roughly with northern Vietnam and the Chinese provinces of Guangxi and Guangdong. The Vermilion Bird attempts to recover the actual character of the monsoon realms of T'ang-a scattering of palisaded garrisons, isolated monasteries, and commercial towns, all surrounded by dark, haunted woods. Professor Schafer examines the thoughts, emotions, imaginations, and daily lives of the men of that era, through the medium of their literature, for evidence of the changes inspired by this new environment, and especially for signs of the transformation of the ancient symbol of the South, the sacred vermilion bird. The Journal of Asian Studies called this book: A work of immense and devoted scholarship, a mine of fascinating information, a delight to read, and an indispensable work of reference on Medieval China.

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About the Author:

Edward H. Schafer, until his untimely death in 1991, was Agassiz Professor of Oriental Languages at the University of California, Berkeley. His scholarship was devoted to the T’ang dynasty, from the 8th to the 10th centuries, which saw the greatest cultural flowering in Chinese history. Relying on the literature of that period written by the Chinese themselves, Professor Schafer tried to reconstruct how they thought, dreamed, and regarded the world around them. His books, including The Vermilion Bird, Shore of Pearls, The Divine Woman, and Pacing the Void, brought the era to life for scholars, students, and general readers alike. With the reprinting of the titles below, Floating World Editions continues its program of reissuing all the out-of-print works of this great sinologist. When possible, the reprinted works will incorporate the corrigenda compiled by Professor Schafer, and the series will include a complete bibliography of his published work.

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