"Drawing on evidence from recent archeological finds and currents in scholarship, Valerie Hansen refashions the structure and themes of the field in this new survey of the Chinese past. By enriching the narrative with discussions of everyday life, she charts the broad social changes that overflow the artificial chronological divisions of the dynastic cycle.

By illuminating the many ways in which Chinese society and culture have been influenced by foreign cultures, she shows China to have an open, dynamic history, not one that is isolated and unchanging. Along the way she brings to the page distinct voices from China's deep past - nobles, peasants, women, students, writers, and rebels."--BOOK JACKET.