This study examines family organization and popular religious practices in "West Town" (喜洲), located about 20 kilometers north of Dali, Yunnan, during 1941–1943. Inhabited by the Bai ethnic minority, the town displayed certain distinctive aspects of family life, as observed by Francis Hsu. However, the fundamental family values remained broadly consistent with those found in other parts of China.

Standford University Press, 2nd printing, 1975, with a new chapter and a new appendix.