Palace Women in the Northern Sung

Priscilla Ching Chung’s pioneering study of women in ancient China was followed by decades of rapid growth in this area of research, but Palace Women in the Northern Sung continues to be widely cited and included on reading list for students of the subject. The original monograph published by E. J. Brill has long been out of date, with only used copies available at rare book prices. With the permission of the original publisher, the author is making this Kindle edition available to provide greater access. Palace Women provides a great deal of technical detail about the social organization of the women in the Sung palace, which may be of value primarily to scholars in the field. However, chapters on the recruitment and retirement of palace women, and their advancement within the palace hierarchy, will be stimulating reading for to anyone with an interest in Chinese history. And chapters on women’s power and prestige, and their role in politics and society brought a new perspective to the study of social relations in the traditionally male-dominated Chinese culture.