{"title":"Zhao Ban","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"instructions-for-chinese-women-and-girls-book-zhao-ban-9781910736579","title":"Instructions for Chinese Women and Girls","description":"\u003cp\u003eLittle known today, \u003cem\u003eInstructions for Chinese Women and Girls \u003c\/em\u003ehas a storied place in Chinese history as the first educational text for women and a standard reference for them from the first century AD all the way into the nineteenth. Polymath author Ban Zhao was perhaps China's greatest female scholar. A writer, historian, mathematician, and astronomer, she was also a tutor to the ladies of the imperial court and a close confidant of Empress Deng. Although Ban Zhao completed a monumental historical tome on the Western Han dynasty, she would be best remembered for this slighter work - a short handbook of female etiquette in which she advises submissiveness in order to achieve household harmony. A kind of women's \u003cem\u003eArt of War\u003c\/em\u003e, there is more yielding than winning in the guidebook, but at least Ban Zhao was a pioneer in asserting that girls should be educated.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eInstructions for Chinese Girls and Women\u003c\/em\u003e is an easy, enjoyable read. It contains passages preaching subservience that will make the modern reader cringe and\/or laugh, but there is interesting nuance there for readers with an open mind.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eThe husband commands, the wife obeys;\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eYet let there be mutual grace and love;\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere are timeworn, universal complaints: \u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eThe present generation's children are very bad;\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eThey have learned nothing.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd there are humorous warnings against immoral immodesty: \u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eImitate not those rude women who with confusion eat, drink, and talk;\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eDrinking wine until crazy, they shamefully vomit their food;\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eIn this state going home, before reaching their house, many shameful, rude acts will they do.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis Camphor Press edition has illustrations and a new introduction from Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of the memoir \u003cem\u003eGood Chinese Wife\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51053879361809,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51053881884945,"sku":"NIN9781910736579","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1910736570.jpg?v=1751347307"},{"product_id":"chinese-book-of-etiquette-and-conduct-for-women-and-girls-book-zhao-ban-9781409799030","title":"The Chinese Book Of Etiquette And Conduct For Women And Girls","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51102399037713,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51102402183441,"sku":"NIN9781409799030","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1409799034.jpg?v=1751240620"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/collections\/author-books-by-zhao-ban.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}