veneer
A veneer is an attractive, decorative layer on a coarser material. In traditional Chinese architecture, a veneer of lacquer is often applied to wooden doors. A veneer can also be a deceptively attractive appearance or affect that a person uses to disguise their true self.
gentry
A person or people of a high social class with a rank equal to or slightly below the nobility. The wealthy Kao family are members of the gentry.
sedan chair
A form of public transport where occupants, seated in a chair, are physically carried to their destination.
feudal
Referring to the social and political class system of pre-modern China where nobility managed land granted to them by the emperor. Feudal can also mean antiquated or old-fashioned.
anarchy
The absence of governmental authority. Ba Jin was influenced by anarchist thinkers.
bondmaid
A female slave, particularly one tasked with domestic duties.
ingot
A piece of pure metal cast into an oblong shape.
sybarite
A person who indulges in luxury.
limpid
Unclouded, clear (referring to a person's eyes)
spirit money (pinyin: jīnzhǐ 金纸; pinyin: yīnsīzhǐ 阴司纸; pinyin: zhǐqián 纸钱; pinyin: míng bì 冥币)
Sheets of paper cut to look like money that are burned, often at funerals, to provide financially for people in the afterlife.
hu chin (pinyin: Gǔqín 古琴)
A seven-stringed Chinese musical instrument noted for its refinement and subtlety. The hu chin (guqin) has been favored by scholars and literati since ancient times.
mahjong (pinyin: Májiàng 麻将)
A tile-based game that was developed in 19th century China.
yamen (pinyin: yámén 衙门)
The headquarters or residence of a Chinese government official or department.
Confucianism (pinyin: Rújiā 儒家)
An ancient Chinese belief system that instructs followers on personal ethics and describes strict social hierarchies. Confucianism influenced all social dynamics from governmental administration to familial relationships.
The May Fourth Movement (Wǔsì yùndòng 五四運動)
An anti-imperialist movement that grew out of Beijing student protests in 1919.
The New Culture Movement (pinyin: Xīn Wénhuà Yùndòng 新文化運動)
A cultural movement in China in the 1910s and 1920s that promoted a new Chinese culture based upon progressive ideals like democracy and science instead of classical Chinese social structures.
The 1911 Revolution (pinyin: Xīnhài gémìng 辛亥革命)
The uprising that ended the Qing Dynasty and established the Republic of China.
Red Lantern Society (pinyin: Hóng Dēng Zhào 红灯照)
Female fighting groups who participated in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900.
Tung-Meng Hui Society (pinyin: Tóngménghuì 同盟会)
A secret society and underground resistance movement formed when multiple Chinese revolutionary groups merged. The group was officially founded on August 20th, 1905, by Sun Yat-sen, Song Jiaoren, and others in Tokyo, Japan.
Kuomingtang (pinyin: Guómíndǎng 中国国民党)
The dominant political party in China during the Republican Era (1928 to 1949).
Lunar New Year (pinyin: Chūnjié 春节)
Literally "Spring Festival," the Lunar New Year is the beginning of the moon cycle-based calendar year. In China, the Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the year.
Lantern Festival (pinyin: Yuánxiāo jié 元宵节)
The festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, during the first full moon.
female impersonators (pinyin: nándàn 男旦)
Male Peking Opera performers who specialized in performing female roles. During the Qing Dynasty, female performers were prohibited from appearing on stage.
