Is there anything historical about the time period or place that may affect the judgments of A Daughter of Han

Question

Thanks for your help

Answer 1

The book is set in the period dating from the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th Century. This is a period when China went through the most horrendous turmoil and change. Not only was there the Boxer Rebellion (see second link), but also the Xinhai Revolution (see third link). This period was followed by the outbreak of World War I and Japan's 21 demands being made on China (see fourth link).

A little noticed event (to the rest of the world) in 1919 would have long-term repercussions for the rest of Chinese history in the 20th century. This was the May Fourth Movement. This movement began as a response to the insult imposed on China by the Treaty of Versailles ending World War 1, but became a protest movement about the domestic situation in China. The discrediting of liberal Western philosophy amongst Chinese intellectuals was followed by the adoption of more radical lines of thought. This in turn planted the seeds for the irreconcilable conflict between the left and right in China that would dominate Chinese history for the rest of the century.

There were earlier (shorter) incidents which brought social and economic problems, which you might like to research if you want to cover the period comprehensively. These were the Franco-Chinese War 1884-1885; the first sino-Japanese War 1894-1895; and the 1898 Hundred Days Reform.

This gives you a broad brushstroke of the turmoil which would be the backdrop to this novel.