The Confusion of Indulgence: Commerce and Culture in the Ming Dynasty

"The Confusion of Orgy" is the masterpiece of the famous sinologist Bu Zhengmin and a classic work of overseas Sinology. It won the Levinson Award in 2000. In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, China experienced an economic transformation, and the booming development of commerce prompted a series of changes in society and culture. In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang built a communication network for a small country with few people, which became the cornerstone of the growth of the business world. People chase fashion and enjoy material pleasures. Wealthy businessmen exchanged their real money for a pass to the upper class. In this bizarre world of the late Ming Dynasty, money seems to have become the only bargaining chip, and old social identities and even moral boundaries are blurred to the point of confusion. With his superb narrative skills, Bu Zhengmin connects officials, tourists, diplomats, bricklayers, businessmen, textile workers, prostitutes and other characters and their stories into vivid social scenes. At the same time, he retains the rigor and profundity of academic writing. His insights into the culture and society of the Ming Dynasty are still inspiring.