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Ruan Yuan, 1764-1849
The Life and Work of a Major Scholar-Official in Nineteenth-Century China before the Opium War
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- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Chronology of Ruan Yuan’s Government Appointments
- Notes on Transliteration and Other Matters
- Reign Titles of Qing Emperors
- Introduction
- + PART ONE. The Making of a Scholar-Official
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+
PART TWO. The Provincial Official at Work
- 4. Internal Security and Coastal Control: Piracy Suppression in Zhejiang, 1799–1809
- 5. Internal Security and Local Control: Investigations of Secret Societies in Jiangxi, 1814–6, and Guangxi, 1817–26
- 6. Management of Foreign Relations at Canton, 1817–26
- 7. Management of Ethnic Minorities and Border Security in Yunnan, 1826–35
- 8. Ruan Yuan’s Social Welfare Programmes
- + PART THREE. Ruan Yuan at Leisure
- + PART FOUR. The Private Ruan Yuan
- + PART FIVE. The Senior Statesman
- Conclusions
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+
APPENDICES
- + BIBLIOGRAPHIES
- Glossary and Index
Ruan Ling-yu: The Goddess of Shanghai tells the story of one of the greatest Chinese movie stars of the silent era from humble origins to tragic death at the height of her career.
Shanghai between the two world wars was a city of intrigues, political change, corruption, vice, social disparities, and creativity. It was here in the Yangtze River Delta that Chinese movie-making reached its peak. Feeding off the decay of their ancient civilization, and inspired by the frenzy to build a new one, the Shanghai filmmakers captured a crucial transition in Chinese history. Shanghai films of this period established the basic tones, themes, and techniques that would affect the future of the Chinese film industry. In order to appreciate Chinese cinema and its most famous actress, it is essential to understand this rich, formative period when the industry established its standards for creativity and social commentary. The individual whose films best reflected the turbulent times of the period was Ruan Ling-yu (阮玲玉). Her life and work symbolized the social currents of Shanghai and the tragedy of China during its long downfall.
This book provides context by describing the political and social conditions of life in Shanghai during this period. It covers Ruan's production company Lianhua and her directors as well as touches upon her fellow performers. The conclusion discusses the legacy of one of the most important actresses of the silent screen.
The book contains photographs from Ruan's most creative films that demonstrate the visual sophistication of her work. It also includes a complete filmography of all of Ruan's films, a bibliography, a list of film archives that have her films, information about where to obtain film copies and pertinent websites.
Book Details
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Categories
Social Science > Anthropology > Cultural
Publishers
Publication year : 2006
License: All rights reserved ©
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