Library

This book selects 30 epitaphs from nearly two thousand years from the Han Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Each one has its own topic, connecting the history of China in the entire imperial era, and focusing on the fate of characters in the great history. These epitaphs reveal details about personal behavior, family and local circumstances, and social, cultural, and religious practices, while illuminating the way people thought and the realities of daily life. Most of the texts can be read and analyzed on multiple levels, and they inspire investigation into topics such as the emotional tone of family relationships, rituals associated with birth, aging, illness and death, Confucian values, men's portrayals of women's lives, and the use of sources considered biased. When combined with other, more readily available documents, such as official documents, religious and intellectual discourses, and fictional anecdotes, these epitaphic texts reveal their unique and irreplaceable value and promise to spark challenging discussions about literary genres, the way historians use sources, and how writers shape their narratives.