{"product_id":"appearance-politics-lex-lu-9781501787447","title":"Appearance Politics: Legitimacy Building in Late Imperial and Modern China","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAppearance Politics\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e, Lex Lu argues that crafting an appealing and powerful outward image has long been a critical political tool in China.\u003c\/b\u003e This strategy is evident in historical records, imperial portraits, physiognomic assessments, photographs, posters, statues, and digital images. Using rare archival materials from Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing, Lu explores how political figures designed their images and examines the shifting standards of male beauty that shaped their choices.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book analyzes five case studies: Ming Prince Zhu Di's usurpation; the rise of Manchu masculinity and blended Han-Manchu beauty standards under Emperor Yongzheng; modern photography and Western beauty ideals in the early 20th century; Sun Yat-sen's crafted image as the Republican founding father; and Mao Zedong's iconic visual legacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough this empirical, nuanced study, \u003ci\u003eAppearance Politics\u003c\/i\u003e challenges stereotypical portrayals of Chinese male leadership in Western media and scholarship, offering a richer understanding of appearance as a deliberate political strategy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Lex Lu\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1501787446\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781501787447\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Cornell University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 324\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback","brand":"Lex Lu","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47425638007039,"sku":"9781501787447","price":42.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_160c506e-c6e3-4326-b326-78a0df8f2bdf.jpg?v=1761540592","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/appearance-politics-lex-lu-9781501787447","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}