Originally published in 1910, this work presents a fascinating insight into the government and administration of the China of the day. The period was one of immense change as China's leaders turned the nation towards modernity. As student-interpreters to the Imperial Russian Legation, the authors had privileged access to the corridors of power and found themselves very much at the heart of the republican ferment that gripped the country. Reprinted by RoutledgeCurzon for the first time, this volume amounts to a handbook of Chinese governance covering such diverse topics as policy on eunuchs, opium and astronomy. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.