The Imperial Capitals of China: A Dynastic History of the Celestial Empire

The Imperial Capitals of China: A Dynastic History of the Celestial Empire

by Arthur Cotterell
The Imperial Capitals of China: A Dynastic History of the Celestial Empire

The Imperial Capitals of China: A Dynastic History of the Celestial Empire

by Arthur Cotterell

eBook

$13.49  $17.99 Save 25% Current price is $13.49, Original price is $17.99. You Save 25%.

Available on Compatible NOOK Devices and the free NOOK Apps.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers

LEND ME® See Details

Overview

This history of China’s imperial capital cities reveals “a picaresque chronicle of dynastic succession and court intrigue” across millennia (Publishers Weekly).

Throughout the long history of Imperial China, emperors designed their capital cities in ways that reveal the heart of their dynasty. The ley lines of these cities reveal religious preoccupations, while the design of important buildings tells us much about the cultural influences of the period.

The Shang Emperor of the third century B.C. made obsessive—and ultimately fatal—attempts to engage the Immortals with cosmologically pleasing urban planning. Meanwhile, the Tang capital at Chang'an betrays the striking creativity and cultural receptiveness that earmark the era as a literary and artistic golden age. And the Forbidden City of fifteenth century Beijing still stands as testament to Ming dynasty architectural virtuosity.

Arthur Cotterell provides an inside view of the rich array of characters, political and ideological tensions, and technological genius that defined the imperial cities of China, as each in turn is uncovered, explored, and celebrated. The oldest continuous civilization in existence today stands to become the most influential.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781468306057
Publisher: ABRAMS, Inc.
Publication date: 08/16/2022
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 336
Sales rank: 506,508
File size: 5 MB
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Arthur Cotterell combines a career in education with an extensive background in ancient civilizations. His previous books include The Minoan World and The Penguin Encyclopedia of Ancient Civilization.

Table of Contents


Introduction     9
Ancient Origins c. 1650 bc Onwards
The Cosmology of the Chinese Capital     19
The Early Empire 221 bc-ad     589
The First Imperial Capitals: Qin Xianyang and Former Han Chang'an     41
A Restored Dynasty: Later Han Luoyang     65
A Divided China: Nanjing, Pingcheng, and Luoyang     87
The Middle Empire 589-1368
Reunification: Sui and Tang Chang'an     111
Dynastic Decline: Late Tang Chang'an     133
Almost Paradise: Northern Song Kaifeng     153
Holding On: Southern Song Hangzhou     177
The Mongol Conquest: Yuan Beijing     199
The Late Empire 1368-1912
The Chinese Recovery: Ming Nanjing and Beijing     223
The Last Imperial Capital: Qing Beijing     251
Chronologies: The Imperial Dynasties     279
The Emperors and Their Reigns     280
Notes and References     289
Index     293
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews