Author Archives: Li Yutong 李雨桐

[Review] 李立 、史青:《清代雲南「夷人圖說」研究》(Li Li & Shi Qing: Research on Qing Dynasty Ethnographic Albums from Yunnan Province)

Li Li 李立 & Shi Qing 史青, Qingdai Yunnan ‘Yiren tushuo’ yanjiu 清代雲南「夷人圖說」研究 (Research on Qing Dynasty Ethnographic Albums from Yunnan Province), Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 2021. ISBN 9787101153354, 164 pages, 68 RMB.

Reviewed by Li Yutong 李雨桐 (Albert-Ludwig University of Freiburg)

This book provides a comprehensive examination of ethnographic albums in Yunnan during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). The authors Li Li (Yunnan Normal University) and his co-author Shi Qing (Yunnan Forestry Technical College) focus on two central aims. The first is to concentrate on the content depicted and documented in the ethnographic albums. In order to achieve the goal, the authors illustrate the intricate details of the characteristics and customs of diverse ethnic groups in Yunnan during the Qing dynasty. The second aim revolves around the motivations of the illustrators. The book endeavors to uncover the underlying rationales that drove the creation of these ethnographic albums. Whether their motivations stemmed from a scholarly desire to document the diversity of ethnicities or whether they were swayed by political, social, and cultural conditions in frontier regions, the illustrator’s intentions added layers of complexity to the local history of Yunnan.

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