Challenges the accepted wisdom about women and gender roles in medieval China.In Crossing the Gate, Man Xu examines the lives of women in the Chinese province of Fujian during the Song dynasty. Tracking women's life experience across class lines, outside as well as inside the domestic realm, Xu challenges the accepted wisdom about women and gender roles in medieval China. She contextualizes women in a much broader physical space and social network, investi...

Since the notorious terrorist attack of the World Trade Center in 2001, researchers and engineers have been forced to review the existing research works and standards in resisting the progressive collapse of structures. From then on, the design of structure against progressive collapse has tended toward quantitative design, rather than qualitative design. The collapse of the COVID-19 epidemic isolation hotel in Quanzhou, China, in 2020 and the vertical collapse of a 12-story apartment in F...

‘One of the greatest escape stories I’ve ever read’ Mail on SundayAn ordinary man’s extraordinary escape from Mao’s brutal labour campsXu Hongci was an ordinary medical student when he was incarcerated under Mao’s regime and forced to spend years of his youth in China’s most brutal labour camps.Three times he tried to escape. And three times he failed. But, determined, he eventually broke free, travelling the length of China, across the Gob...

China in the Era of Social Media discusses how social media is changing the world in an unprecedented way through speed, scope, and depth. In the last decade or so, social media in China has witnessed the most explosive growth in the world. Being the most populous nation in the world, it has the most social media users in the world as well. This book examines the current situation and unique characteristics of Chinese social media, the significance of social media in the country’s...

"The gripping and deeply moving account of a man's lifelong struggle to reach freedom, driven by an indomitable will to survive in Mao's China." —Xiaolu Guo, author of Nine ContinentsXu Hongci was a bright young student at the Shanghai No. 1 Medical College, spending his days studying to be a professor and going to the movies with his girlfriend. He was also an idealistic and loyal member of the Communist Party and was generally liked and well respected. Bu...

Reviews the latest advances in understanding tea genetics and genetic diversity and how this has informed advances in conventional, marker-assisted and transgenic breeding techniquesSummarises current best practice in cultivation techniques and the control of pests and diseasesFocuses on assessing the environmental impact of tea cultivation

The real estate industry is undergoing unprecedented transformations driven by emerging technologies and sustainability practices. This textbook explores the intersection of PropTech, blockchain, and sustainability, shaping the future landscape of real estate investment and finance. The book is a straightforward guide to understanding how new technologies are changing the real estate industry. It explains in clear, everyday language the key digital innovations like artificial intelligence,...