Clothing, Food, Shelter, and Transportation: Moving from the History of Emperors to Everyday Life

With a broad humanistic vision， detailed historical materials， beautiful and timeless texts， and vivid and exquisite pictures， this book clearly sorts out and vividly presents the daily life of ancient Chinese people and their transmutation in ancient China.

Figures like Emperor Qin Shi Huang， Emperor Wu of Han， the founding emperors of Tang and Song dynasties， and the legendary Genghis Khan have traditionally dominated historical narratives. However， the reformist thinker Liang Qichao offered a compelling critique， stating， “The Twenty-Four Histories are not history; they are merely genealogies of twenty-four surnames.” The Twenty-Four Histories primarily focus on the political histories of emperors and officials， a view widely accepted today.

Dynastic history is indispensable; it provides a framework for reflecting on the past and gives us a sense of the eras—Xia， Shang， Zhou， Qin， Han， Tang， Song， Yuan， Ming， and Qing—when we read or discuss history. However， people are emotional beings. The cold figures of high-ranking officials， such as grand tutors， ministers， and the details of regime changes and institutional reforms can often seem dull and lifeless. But by embedding these figures into specific scenes， they come to life. For instance， during the late Eastern Han Dynasty， the grand tutor Dong Zhuo， his adopted son Lü Bu， and the minister Wang Yun， along with the beauty Diao Chan as depicted in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms， make the titles of grand tutor and minister memorable. In the early Tang Dynasty， the Minister of War， Ren Gui， was gifted two beautiful women， which led to jealousy from his wife. Emperor Taizong gave her wine and warned her that if she was jealous， she should drink the wine and be poisoned to death; if not， she could refrain from drinking， as it was expected for someone of his rank to have such concubines. Even the heroic histories of emperors and ministers need the embellishment of details and emotional depth to make the characters and events rich and engaging， ensuring they are worth reading.

The history of emperors and officials forms the skeletal framework of history， but a panoramic view also needs the flesh and blood of the common people to become full and vibrant. The people are the driving force of history， and this force is more than just a slogan; it is grounded in their everyday lives. The lifestyles and customs of ancient people reveal insights into our past and potential future. Thus， the daily lives of ancient people have become an important research topic globally. Whether it is the rulers or ministers， merchants or farmers， their clothing， food， housing， and transportation have also become important topics of concern.

Setting aside the ivory tower of historical research， the history of daily life is arguably the most relatable form of history. On weekends， one might enjoy a leisurely sleep-in， eventually rising to either go out for brunch or prepare a rich meal at home， like an omelet with toast and a cup of milk tea. This variation in meals is a small pleasure in life. However， during the Warring States Period， when material resources were scarce， brunch was not a luxury but a necessity. Mencius states， “The wise share the fields with the people and eat their yōng and sūn together.” Here， yōng refers to breakfast， and sūn refers to dinner， indicating the two meals that were common at the time.

History is not static yet changes in daily life can be very gradual. Some aspects of ancient lifestyles can still be observed today. For example， in the Gobi Desert， 20 kilometers northeast of Jiayuguan City in Gansu Province， several painted brick tombs from the Wei and Jin periods have been discovered， showcasing the lives of early ancestors. Wealthy families in the northwest at that time raised numerous cattle and sheep and enjoyed a variety of foods， including skewered meats， which were prepared with a sophisticated three-pronged iron fork. The tomb of Madam Dai Hou from the Mawangdui Tombs of the Han Dynasty yielded pickled ginger， a delicacy she enjoyed， which remains popular in parts of Hunan and Guangdong today.