An Early Modern Economy in China: The Yangzi Delta in the 1820s

The first English translation of Li Bozhong's pioneering study An Early Modern Economy in China uses sophisticated analysis to reconstruct the GDP of the Yangzi Delta. In this innovative economic history, Li provides a basis for understanding the Delta's economy, an area of unprecedented growth in modern times. Using quantitative research Li carefully reconstructs the economies of the region, combining three methods for estimating GDP: output, income, and expenditure. The result reveals the structure and level of income and production in this highly commercialized and urbanized part of China, establishing a benchmark for future reconstructions of regional economies through GDP. This is a landmark text in the field of economic history which has had a great impact on understanding Chinese economic history in global perspective.