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Anthology of modern history literary works published

Author  :       Source  :    Chinese Social Sciences Today     2014-05-14

A Collection of Rare Chinese Modern History (Volume I) was recently published, bringing together rare and valuable works of literature inspired by historical events. The anthology includes diaries, letters, and bamboo and wooden slips.

There is a relatively rich reserve of materials about Chinese modern history, and some related publications in recent years have paid more attention to the official history. Professor Pan Jianguo from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University claims that the collection should focus on sorting and editing rare draft copies, including diaries and letters, to make up shortfalls in previous research. Diaries and other writings present a colorful, personalized account of history, largely reflecting one profile of the era, said Liu Yuejin, Party secretary of the Institute of Literature under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

In addition, the anthology has rich academic value through its inclusion of Mo Youzhi's Diary, which forms a complementary relationship with writings by scholars Neng Jingju, Zhang Wenhu and Zeng Guofan. All of them provide insight into the workings of the imperial office during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The diary of He Baozhen records 64 writers’ stories of the Tongcheng School, one of North China’s most distinguished schools of literature during the mid-Qing Dynasty, and covers the shortage of Liu Shengmu’s book Tongcheng Literary Origin.

The collection is a periodical result of a major project organized by the Institute of Literature under the CASS. More than 10 scholars from CASS, Nanjing University, Sun Yat-Sen University and the National Library of China participated in its compilation. According to Zhang Jian, editor-in-chief of the first volume and research fellow at the Institute of Literature under CASS, the collection includes some famous people’s diaries, including the aforementioned figures and Wen Zenghan, Yang Fu, Wang Rongbao, Deng Huaxi, Wang Jingxi, Xu Bingzhen and Zhang Weilan, as well as scholar Yu Yue’s letters. All give readers insight into this unique period of history.

 

 

The Chinese version appeared in Chinese Social Sciences Today, No. 592, May 7, 2014.

The Chinese link: http://www.csstoday.net/xueshuzixun/jishizixun/89436.html

 

 

  Translated by Chen Meina

  Revised by Tom Fearon

 

Editor: Du Mei

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