The Yamen: A Guide to China’s Ancient Officialdom

This book covers the entire lives of officials in ancient China. Through detailed accounts of how they entered office, traveled to take up their posts, proved their identities, carried out their duties, received their salaries and benefits, managed their daily expenses, retired, and spent their later years, readers will gain a clear understanding of how officials entered government through the imperial examinations, how they worked and lived once in office, how they retired, what benefits they received afterward, and all aspects of their later lives.

By learning how the ancient bureaucracy operated and following the career paths of its officials, readers can use history as a mirror and understand China's historical changes from the perspective of social history.