Book Review: China’s Gentry

Fei Xiaotong’s China’s Gentry is a key work about old Chinese society. The book focuses on the gentry, a special social group between farmers and government officials. These educated landowners lived in villages and connected rural people with the imperial court. They solved local conflicts, passed down traditional rules and balanced the power of the state and ordinary villagers. Fei clearly explains the link between cities and countryside in ancient China. The gentry controlled resource exchange between urban officials and rural peasants, keeping the old social order steady. As dynasties fell and modern changes arrived, the gentry class broke down, bringing huge changes to rural China. Short but sharp, this book offers an easy, clear view of traditional Chinese social structure. It is great for anyone wanting to understand ancient Chinese rural life.