The Urban Life of the Yuan Dynasty

After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty in China (1206) the Yuan rulers moved their capital to Dadu (modern Beijing) where they attempted to retain their traditional nomadic lifestyle.

This book reveals the extraordinary changes Dadu (and other key Chinese cities of this era) underwent after the Golden Family of Chinggis Khan and their fellow Mongols settled in Dadu, and the impact of their nomadic culture on greater Chinese life and civilization. Cities have played a key role in the history of China and the changes from the Yuan Dynasty period are particularly important.

This new book highlights the key aspects of urban life between 1206 and 1368, such as dwelling, clothing, diet, transportation, marriage, and customs, plus it reveals exactly how the formally nomadic rulers of this era viewed and judged the cities they discovered and then transformed.

Now available in English outside of China for the very first time, the Insight on Ancient China Series is published by Paths International in association with China’s prestigious Hunan People’s Publishing House.