I AM MOST GRATEFUL to my colleagues in the Chinese, Sinophone, and Sinological worlds, particularly Professors Zong-qi Cai, Yu-yu Cheng, Suk-hueng Cheung, Susan Daruvala, Leo Ou-fan Lee, Olga Lomová, and Zhang Songjian, for their thoughts and comments throughout the process of writing this book. Above all, I am deeply indebted to Professors Kowk-kau Leonard Chan and Ko Ch’ing-ming, whose insights and encouragement have been an invaluable source of inspiration. I would also like to thank Professors Chen Pingyuan, Li Nan, Huang Ying-che, Ko Chia-cian, Tang Yonghua, William Tay, Wang Wenjuan, Xia Xiaohong, and Xu Qingping; and Dr. Liao Chao-heng, Madame Barbara Ming-yi Fei, Madame Liao Jingwen, Ms. Feng Yeh, Mr. Shen Longzhu, and Mr. Kamloon Woo for their research assistance and advice on earlier drafts of the book.
Professor C. T. Hsia (1921–2013) passed away as I was completing this book. I have the deepest respect for his erudition and for his and Mrs. Della Hsia’s guidance and friendship all these years. I cherish the many good times we shared during my tenure at Columbia University. My colleagues at Harvard—Wai-yee Li, Jie Li, Stephen Owen, Karen Thornber, Xiaofei Tian, and Eugene Wang—have always illuminated me with their thoughts and works. I could not have finished the book without the benefit of their scholarship and dialogue.
Specials thanks go to Professors Michael Berry, Andrew Rodekohr, Carlos Rojas, and Chien-hsin Tsai for reading the manuscript and offering critical suggestions, and to all my students involved in the project over the past years.
Ms. Jennifer Crewe of Columbia University Press has been extremely conscientious and insightful in helping me prepare the book. I thank her and her colleagues, Leslie Kriesel, Jonathan Fiedler, and Kathryn Schell, for their editorial expertise and professionalism. I thank National Taiwan University Press for publishing parts of chapters 4, 5, and 8 in Chinese and for granting the rights to reproduce the illustrations.
I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Richard Kunst, Ms. Bibby Moore, Mr. Jesus Arias, Ms. Hilda Chagua, and my family members, Jennifer, Mike, Vivian, and Jonathan, for their support during a long and challenging period of writing.
This book is dedicated to my mentor, Professor Arthur E. Kunst (1934–2013).