Researching Ming Dynasty: Modern vs Traditional Methods
When I first started writing An Itinerant Scribe, my sources were easy to explain.
Books.
Classes.
Other scribes.
Stacks of notes and a lot of time in libraries.
Now? Well… things have changed a bit. And I think it’s time I tell you how, because the question I know some of you are asking is
“Where is she getting all this information?”
And it’s a fair question, especially lately, as I’ve been writing more about:
- Ming Dynasty China
- Women’s lives and medical practice
- Qigong and Tai Chi
- Everyday details that don’t always show up in beginner books
Some of you are wonderfully “old school” researchers. (I say that with respect—I am one of you.) So let me walk you through it.
What I Use Now (Yes, Including ChatGPT)
I use a mix of:
- Books (still!)
- My own lived experience (Taiwan, martial arts, acupuncture)
- And yes… ChatGPT
Before anyone panics—let me explain how that actually works.
ChatGPT is not a “source” in the traditional sense. It’s more like:
A very fast research assistant that has read a lot of material and helps connect the dots.
It pulls together patterns from:
- Academic history
- Translations of classical texts
- Museum collections
- Cultural studies
- And modern historians
Then it presents that information in a way that’s readable. That last part is why I like it. I also like it because I can learn along with you.
Why This Works for the Kind of Blog I Write
Let’s be honest, if I wrote this blog like a doctoral thesis, no one would read it. Including me.
What I want to share is:
- What daily life felt like
- How people thought
- What choices did they have to make
That kind of writing requires solid facts plus interpretation. And that’s exactly where this method shines.
The Reality of Historical Research (Then and Now)
Even before AI, research was never as simple as relying on a single perfect source and being done.
Some of the most important material wasn’t seen because:
- It was originally written in classical Chinese
- May have had multiple translations
- Didn’t always translate cleanly into English concepts
For example:
- “Qi” does not have a perfect English equivalent
- Medical ideas don’t line up exactly with Western anatomy
- Social rules are often implied rather than stated
So what you’re reading here is often: A best-fit interpretation across multiple traditions and translations. But that’s not new—that’s how this field has always worked.
A Few Solid, Accessible Sources
If you’d like to explore further (and I encourage it!), here are some excellent starting points:
- Lady Tan’s Circle of Women – A novel, yes, but deeply researched and surprisingly accurate for daily life. It’s fiction based on historic sources, just like many of Morgan LLywelyn’s Irish-focused stories.
- The Analects – For understanding social expectations and behavior
- The Washing Away of Wrongs – Real Ming-era thinking about medicine and the body
- National Palace Museum – Their online collections are a treasure trove of objects and context.
Where I Draw the Line
I am not trying to:
- Rewrite history
- Replace scholars
- Or claim perfect accuracy
I am trying to:
Bring the past to life in a way that is grounded, thoughtful, and approachable
And when something is uncertain or interpretive, I try to write it that way.
Why I’m Still Having Fun
This is the truth. I am learning more now than I ever did by dragging home stacks of books from the Omaha college library. And I get to share it with you in real time. And if you ever read something here and think:
“I wonder where that came from…” Ask me. I mean that.
Because the conversation—that back and forth between people—that’s where the real fun and learning happens.
