“Duanfang: Manchu Stateman, Reformer and Art Connoisseur,” in Jessica Harrison-Hall and Julia Lovell eds., Creators of Modern China: 100 Lives from Empire to Republic 1796-1912 (London: Thames&Hudson/ The British Museum, 2023), pp. 292-296.

The volume Creators of Modern China: 100 Lives from Empire to Republic 1796–1912 serves as an important supplementary reading for the British Museum exhibition China’s Hidden Century: 1796–1912 in 2023. Written by an international team of curators and scholars, the book presents one hundred biographies—both celebrated and lesser-known figures—that together chart China’s transformation from dynastic empire to modern republic. Organized into eight thematic sections, it features figures such as Empress Dowager Cixi, dancer Yu Rongling, reformist official and art collector Duanfang, and archaeologist Luo Zhenyu. Each life highlights a facet of cultural, political, or social change, making the volume an authoritative yet accessible resource. By combining scholarly rigor with engaging narratives, it offers fresh insight into China’s pivotal 19th century.