Street criers : a cultural history of Chinese beggars

This is a rich and comprehensive study of beggars’ culture and the institution of mendicancy in China from late imperial times to the mid-twentieth century, with a glance at the resurgence of beggars in China today. Generously illustrated, the book brings to life the concepts and practices of mendicancy including organized begging, state and society relations as reflected in the issues of poverty, public opinions of beggars and various factors that contribute to almsgiving, the role of gender in begging, and street people and Communist politics. Panoramically, the reader will see that the culture and institution of Chinese mendicancy, which had its origins in earlier centuries, remained remarkably consistent through time and space and that there were perennial and lively interactions between the world of beggars and mainstream society. Frontmatter Contents Illustrations and Tables Preface Introduction CHAPTER 1 On the Rivers and Lakes CHAPTER 2 Sympathy Versus Antipathy CHAPTER 3 Legend Has It CHAPTER 4 Coping with Mendicants CHAPTER 5 Ruling the Street CHAPTER 6 The Wisdom of Mendicancy CHAPTER 7 Men's Limbs and Women's Mouths CHAPTER 8 Chairman Mao Picked on a Beggar Conclusion Character List Appendix: The Sound of Mendicity Notes Bibliography Index Hanchao Lu provides a study of beggars' culture and the institution of mendicancy in China from late imperial times to the mid-20th century. He brings to life the concepts and practices of mendicancy including organised begging and the relationship between street people and Communist politics This is a comprehensive study of beggars' culture and the institution of mendicancy in China from late imperial times to the mid-twentieth century, with a reference to the resurgence of beggars in China today.