Richard Wang's book on the princely patronage of Daoism during the Ming dynasty is a work of outstanding erudition, the result of prolonged research in a variety of archives. That the Ming court policy promoted Daoism, especially during the Jiajing reign (1522–66), has been well known, but this masterful book is the first to show how this policy was implemented throughout the empire. By demonstrating, with ample evidence, that royal patronage by the principalities supported the activities of local Daoist institutions, Richard Wang has given us a new understanding not only of Ming Daoism, but also of the broader role of religion during the late imperial period. Although I have conducted research on Ming-dynasty Daoism myself, the prominent, complex involvement of Ming princes in the patronage of this religion came as a surprise even to me.
The notoriously large population of Ming princes may not have reached a million, as...
