The Collapse of Heaven explores a neglected century in Chinese literature through the lens of the Taiping War (1851–1864), one of the most destructive civil wars in human history. With the war as a central axis, Huan Jin examines the numerous literary and cultural transformations that occurred from the 1850s to the 1880s.

The book analyzes a wide range of writings—sacred pamphlets, diaries, poems, a novel, drama, and short stories—with particular emphasis on the materiality of these texts as well as their production and dissemination. By tracing references to political unrest across multiple genres, Jin discusses how China’s final imperial literary and cultural traditions began to dissolve under conditions of extreme violence and tracks the unexpected reinventions of literary conventions that marked the advent of Chinese literary modernity.

In addition to its significant contribution to Chinese studies, the book offers an important comparative perspective on the global nineteenth century and engages with broader scholarly discussions concerning religion, violence, narration, history, gender, theater, and media studies.