The Foreigner in Far Cathay

A wide-ranging account from 1872 of all facets of nineteenth-century Chinese society, from opium-smoking to cuisine.

Walter Henry Medhurst (Author)

9781108014687, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 17 June 2010

208 pages, 1 map
21.6 x 14 x 1.2 cm, 0.27 kg

Walter Medhust's 1872 book traces his personal impressions of nineteenth-century Chinese society. The author is determined to give a picture of the country and its inhabitants that is realistic and free of the tired clichés often found in contemporary Western accounts of the country. Medhurst engages with a wide spectrum of Chinese traditions and habits: looking at the characteristics of advertising and how Chinese newspapers are run; describing opium-smoking and Chinese burial customs; delving into the relationship between men and women; and sampling the delights of Chinese cuisine. He also writes about the position of foreign citizens in China and focuses on the relationship between China and the Western world. Concerned that the West should show China the respect it deserves, he attempts especially to capture the essence of the Chinese character.

1. Introductory
2. Position of foreigners in China
3. Character and habits of foreign residents in China
4. Missionaries in China
5. Consuls and customs authorities, etc.
6. Customs of the Chinese. Shop signs
7. Advertising in China
8. Mandarin Yamens in China
9. Opium smoking
10. Infanticide
11. Eating and drinking in China
12. Chinese social institutions
13. Correspondence and the press
14. Modes of sepulture
15. Use of the written character for decoration
16. Chinese proper names
17. Travelling and porterage in China
18. The character of the Chinese
19. Concluding remarks
Appendix.

Subject Areas: Asian history [HBJF]