"Learn well and serve the country: Education and the Imperial Examination System: Education and the Imperial Examination System

Author: Liu Hefeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The Series of Institutional Civilization and Chinese Society. In September 1888, the authoritative British magazine The Westminster Review published an article titled China: A New Starting Point. The author began by stating, "If there is anything in the Chinese political system that would earn the unconditional praise of Europeans, it is the imperial examination system." Sun Yat-sen, the pioneer of the revolution, also pointed out in The Five Powers Constitution that China's examination system was "the oldest and best system in the world for selecting true talent." This book challenges the traditional view, which has long regarded the imperial examination system as the culprit in stifling talent, by starting from historical realities and re-examining the long-standing Chinese imperial examination system from a dialectical perspective. It reveals the scientific nature of the system in talent selection, and its arguments are novel, unique, and objective. The detailed materials used to introduce the origin and content of the imperial examination system are also rarely found in popular books today.