Street Culture in Chengdu: Public Space, Urban Commoners, and Local Politics, 1870-1930

In traditional Chinese cities, a lively street culture was an important part of popular culture, and street life was central to the daily lives of city dwellers, especially the lower classes. By examining street culture in Chengdu, an under-studied inland city, during the transformative decades between 1870 and 1930, this book explores the relationship between urban commoners and public space, the role that community and neighborhood played in public life, how the reform movement and Republican revolution changed everyday life, and how popular culture and local politics interacted. Drawing on a rich array of Chinese and Western sources - including archives, local newspapers, personal records, folk literature and field investigation - the author argues that life in public spaces was radically transformed in Chengdu in the early 20th century, and that this resulted in the reconstruction of urban public space, the recreation of people’s public roles, and the redefinition of the relations between ordinary people, local elites and the state. The author thus opens a new way of understanding Chinese urban society and culture during these transformative years.