From Peach Leaf Crossing To Shuihui Park

This thesis, titled from Taoyedu Ferry to Shuihuiyuan Garden: the south region of Yangzi River in the seventeenth century and Mao Xiang's art negotiating, aiming to explore the social transformation in late Ming and early Qing dynasty and the social function of scholars art activities around the central character, Mao Xiang, one of the Four Sons of Fushe Committee, whose life was closely related to the three places--Taoyedu Ferry, Yingmeian House and Shuihuiyan Garden--from the perspectives of Fushe Committee, female and adherents of Ming dynasty thoroughly studies the art negotiation between scholars in the southern China in late Ming and early Qing.Consisted by three chapters, this thesis studies a case with detailed and informative historical materials in the methods of sociology and cultural history. Introducing the geographical features and the atmosphere in Nanjing city in the late Ming to explain the environment Mao Xiang living in, sorting out the early life of Mao Xiang to reveal the causes of his social networks, the first chapter attempts to represent the real world of scholars in the late Ming in the southern China connecting with painting, calligraphy and Kunqu opera activities with detailed description the historical background of Fushe Committee as well as Mao Xiang's artistic activities as a core member of Fushe Committee. The second chapter focuses on the artistic tastes of female by introducing the culture of courtesan's quarters in the late Ming in the southern China, studying the important social role of courtesans in the communication of scholars in late Ming in Najing and mainly exploring Mao Xiang's activities with several courtesans, especially his relation with Dong Xiaowan and their tastes of life and literary pursuits. The life of adherents of Ming in the early Qing is what concerns mainly in the chapter three. In this part, what we discuss first is the living condition of adherents in the southern China in early Qing dynasty from Yangzhou, Rugao county and Shuihuiyuan Garden; what followed by is a detailed inspection to Mao Xiang's adherent life in different aspects such as restorationist activities, cultural sponsorship, Yaji and art collection; the last will be revealing Mao Xiang's pursuit and idea of life through a comparative discussion of two books to summarize what discussed in this thesis.