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Yangzhou, A Place in Literature: The Local in Chinese Cultural History, edited by Roland Altenburger, Margaret B. Wan and Vibeke B0rdhal. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2015. Pp. xvi + 510. $62 (cloth).
Yangzhou, A Place in Literature is the second in a series of publications produced by an international group of scholars interested in making the history and culture of this city more accessible to an English speaking audience. Each chapter consists primarily of an annotated translation of writings about the city, exploring some aspect of life in Yangzhou-whether from the perspective of a local inhabitant or a temporary sojourner-with a short introduction to discuss the authorship, dating, and significance of the text under consideration. The choice made by the scholars concerned in this project is highly eclectic; there are a few chapters which contain translations derived from well-known texts, such as the Yangzhou huafang lu ... (The Pleasure Boats of Yangzhou) by Li Dou (d. 1817), or the Fengyue meng ... (Dream of Romance) by Hanshang Mengren dated to 1848, but many focus on much more obscure writings, which are of interest here not only for their literary quality, but also for the unusual or striking way in which they describe different aspects of life in Yangzhou. The focus of this volume is specifically on the material culture and performing arts tradition of this city from the late Ming dynasty (the earliest text selected dates to 1637) to the year 2000, and the generally excellent choice of texts allows for a fresh appreciation of the opportunities afforded to a wealthy consumer or discriminating audience member in this cosmopolitan and sophisticated city. Each of the texts in presented in strict chronological order by date of composition, and hence there is a strong sense of the passage of time throughout this volume. For example two of the essays focus specifically on the Yingyuan ... or "Garden...