Arthur Henderson Smith · 1894
Chinese Characteristics
AccessibleChinaSocietyHistory
Why read it
An American missionary's close observation of Chinese village life after twenty-two years in the country. Smith catalogues the habits, values, and social codes of late Qing China with a candour that remains uncomfortable — and illuminating. Whatever its blind spots, no Western account of Chinese society has been more widely read or more debated. Essential context for understanding the civilisation that shaped a quarter of humanity.