Protest With Chinese Characteristics

Reviewing nearly one thousand instances of protest in China from the eighteenth to the early-nineteenth centuries, Ho-fung Hung charts an evolution of Chinese dissent that stands apart from Western trends. Hung shows how the centralization of political power and an expanding market, coupled with a persistent Confucianist orthodoxy, shaped protesters' strategies and appeals in Qing China. Combining a quest for justice and autonomy with a filial-loyal respect for the imperial center, the form of mid-Qing protest continues to influence popular protest in China today. Hung's work ultimately establishes a framework others can use to compare popular protest across different cultural fabrics.