Project Gutenberg 2006-03-28 Public domain in the USA. 274 Giles, Herbert Allen 1845 1935 Giles, H. A. (Herbert Allen) Giles, Herbert A. Chinese Sketches Preface -- The death of an Emperor -- The position of women -- Etiquette -- Literature -- Educational literature -- Dentistry -- Medical science -- Loan societies -- Guilds -- Pawnbrokers -- Postal service -- Slang -- Fortune-telling -- Games and gambling -- Jurisprudence -- Buddhist priests -- Respect for the written character -- Superstition -- Natural phenomena -- Celebration of the New Year -- The Feast of Lanterns -- Opium smoking -- Thieving -- Lying -- Suicide -- Torture -- Feng-shui -- Money -- A dinner-party -- Female children -- Travel -- Predestination -- Journalism -- Funerals -- Inquests -- Christianity -- Anti-Christian lyrics -- Conclusion. Produced by John Bickers; Dagny and David Widger "Chinese Sketches" by Herbert Allen Giles is a collection of essays that explores various aspects of Chinese culture, society, and history, written in the late 19th century. The author draws upon his experiences during eight years spent in China, challenging common Western prejudices by presenting nuanced sketches of life in the celestial empire. Throughout the text, Giles aims to provide a fair and balanced view of Chinese society, countering the negative stereotypes often held by foreigners regarding the Chinese people. The opening of "Chinese Sketches" introduces the reader to the death of Emperor Tsai-Shun (T'ung Chih), detailing the events and rituals surrounding his untimely demise at a young age. Through this account, the author elucidates Chinese customs related to mourning and the significance placed on emperors by their subjects. This section is followed by a discussion on the contrasting perceptions of women's positions in Chinese society, illustrating both the hardships faced by lower-class women and the misconceptions held by foreigners. Giles's writing blends narrative storytelling with social commentary, setting the stage for his broader exploration of Chinese life and culture throughout the book. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 56.8 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en China -- Social life and customs DS Text Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: History - Other 345608 2025-08-01T12:22:27.794275 text/html 341256 2012-12-14T13:03:02 text/html; charset=us-ascii 125162 2012-12-14T13:03:46 text/html; charset=us-ascii application/zip 201239 2025-08-01T12:22:34.144250 application/epub+zip 207537 2025-08-01T12:22:29.645261 application/epub+zip 207537 2025-08-01T12:22:28.496275 application/epub+zip 379693 2025-08-01T12:22:37.473721 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 358096 2025-08-01T12:22:33.409230 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 331906 2022-09-01T13:54:45.232914 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 305974 2025-08-01T12:22:27.292266 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 305887 2006-03-28T12:11:10 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 120935 2006-03-28T12:11:26 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 19053 2025-08-01T12:22:37.612711 application/rdf+xml 13584 2025-08-01T12:22:29.006270 image/jpeg 3371 2025-08-01T12:22:28.754240 image/jpeg 194936 2025-08-01T12:22:27.822263 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia