Overview

The port of Tianjin is where the ancient Chinese empire met the sea. The turn of the 20th century was a tumultuous time for the city, with the Qing dynasty on its last legs and the Boxers unleashing their ill-fated rebellion against the European trading concessions that had colonised its streets. For Tianjin’s inhabitants, daily life carried on. These hardy people were shaped by the bitter earth from which they sprang, and every once in a while, there would emerge someone so remarkable that a new name would be inducted into Tianjin’s hall of fame. From a miracle doctor to an ill-mannered mynah bird, they came from every walk of life and in all shapes and sizes. Together, their stories make up the rich tapestry of a city that the modern world has washed away...

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9781838905019

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Reviews

'An extraordinary literary memorial' JULIA LOVELL, Author of The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China 'I don't think anyone in China would be surprised if Feng Jicai won the Nobel Prize for Literature - he's the Chinese Charles Dickens, and his work has influenced at least four generations. This book will draw you into Tianjin city life at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Story by story, you'll smell the Chinese cooking, witness the men fighting, hear the women gossiping, and feel the anger and laughter of the people of Tianjin. It's a book full of miracles, and it's funny too!' XINRAN, author of the bestselling The Good Women of China and The Promise 'Like the drawings by the talented author himself, which add plenty of charm to the book, the stories collected here form a broad stroke but vivid portrait of the port city of Tianjin some one hundred years ago. It may serve as an appetizing teaser to anyone who'd like to get to know Chinese culture.' ZHANG LIJIA, author of Lotus (named one of the best books of 2017 by NPR's Book Concierge) and the bestselling Socialism is Great! : A Worker's Memoir of the New China 'Crisp, energetic and snappy sketches of urban street life in twentieth-century China, with its barmen and boozers, thugs and pickpockets, doctors, dentists and drop-outs, fast-food merchants and arse-licking officials: an energetic scene not unlike the life of any great European city today. A captivating book not to be missed by anyone curious to know more about ordinary Chinese people.' HILARY SPURLING, award-winning author of Burying the Bones: Pearl Buck in China and Matisse the Master: The Conquest of Colour

"'An extraordinary literary memorial' JULIA LOVELL, Author of The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China 'I don't think anyone in China would be surprised if Feng Jicai won the Nobel Prize for Literature - he's the Chinese Charles Dickens, and his work has influenced at least four generations. This book will draw you into Tianjin city life at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Story by story, you'll smell the Chinese cooking, witness the men fighting, hear the women gossiping, and feel the anger and laughter of the people of Tianjin. It's a book full of miracles, and it's funny too!' XINRAN, author of the bestselling The Good Women of China and The Promise 'Like the drawings by the talented author himself, which add plenty of charm to the book, the stories collected here form a broad stroke but vivid portrait of the port city of Tianjin some one hundred years ago. It may serve as an appetizing teaser to anyone who'd like to get to know Chinese culture.' ZHANG LIJIA, author of Lotus (named one of the best books of 2017 by NPR's Book Concierge) and the bestselling ""Socialism is Great!"" A Worker's Memoir of the New China 'Crisp, energetic and snappy sketches of urban street life in twentieth-century China, with its barmen and boozers, thugs and pickpockets, doctors, dentists and drop-outs, fast-food merchants and arse-licking officials: an energetic scene not unlike the life of any great European city today. A captivating book not to be missed by anyone curious to know more about ordinary Chinese people.' HILARY SPURLING, award-winning author of Burying the Bones: Pearl Buck in China and Matisse the Master: The Conquest of Colour"

Author Information

Feng Jicai is a contemporary author, artist and cultural scholar who rose to prominence as a pioneer of China’s Scar Literature movement. He has published almost a hundred literary works in China and over forty internationally, with his artwork exhibited worldwide. His influence on contemporary Chinese society is huge, particularly in the preservation and promotion of Chinese folk culture. Olivia Milburn is professor of Chinese language and literature at Seoul National University. In 2018, Milburn’s translation work was recognised by the Chinese government with a Special Book Award of China, which honours contributions to bridging cultures and fostering understanding.

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