New Perspectives on Local Gazetteer Studies

Author: Ba Zhaoxiang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Local chronicles studies is an ancient discipline that has long been explored and enriched by scholars across various dynasties. Since the 1980s, China has witnessed a fervent movement to compile local chronicles, leading to unprecedented prosperity in the field. Numerous works on local chronicles studies have been published, greatly enriching the discipline. Ba Zhaoxiang's new book, New Perspectives on Local Chronicles Studies, makes another significant contribution to this field. The History Department of Fudan University is one of the earliest institutions in China to engage in local chronicles studies, boasting a complete academic research team. Over the past two decades, their academic achievements have continuously appeared in newspapers, journals, and books, forming a systematic academic framework known as the "Fudan School" among peers in the field.
Ba Zhaoxiang was among the first batch of graduate students in local chronicles studies in China. Under my guidance, he focused on the research of local chronicles studies and its applications, publishing numerous papers in core academic journals such as Documents, China Local Chronicles, and Historical Studies (Japan). He has also authored several works, including Local Chronicles Studies (co-authored with me as the lead editor) and A Catalog of Chinese Local Chronicles in the Keio University Library, and has led multiple important research projects, such as the National Social Science Fund project "The Dissemination of Chinese Local Chronicles in Japan" (2002–2003) and the Fudan University Three-Year Action Plan Youth Key Project "The History of Chinese Local Chronicles Studies." His research covers fundamental theories, the history of local chronicles, local chronicles bibliography, the organization of local chronicles materials, and the compilation of new local chronicles, making him a new generation of academic leaders in the field at Fudan University.
As his master's advisor, I am deeply pleased with his achievements. This book is another significant contribution by Ba Zhaoxiang to the field of local chronicles studies, following his earlier work Local Chronicles Studies. It does not aim for a comprehensive and exhaustive system but focuses on four key areas: fundamental theories of local chronicles studies, the history of local chronicles, local chronicles bibliography, and the compilation of supplementary chronicles. The issues explored are unconventional and relatively novel, such as the relationship between the Unified Chronicles and local chronicles, the style and innovation of local chronicles, local chronicles of the puppet Manchukuo regime, the evolution of local chronicles in Taiwan, the construction of local chronicles bibliography, and the study of local chronicles scattered in Japan. These are all topics that have been newly proposed and explored in this book. Each chapter is not merely a descriptive narrative but is written as an academic paper, demonstrating depth and quality.
The discussions on the compilation of new supplementary chronicles combine both inheritance and innovation, offering valuable references for current chronicle compilation work. What is particularly commendable and worth promoting is the rigorous academic style of this book, its well-supported arguments, and its extensive use of literature. The wealth of cited materials and adherence to academic norms are rarely seen in local chronicles studies.
In recent years, voices calling for the development of local chronicles studies and the improvement of its academic system have been heard everywhere. I firmly believe that this book will make significant contributions to the field and will be passed down to future generations. This is the preface.
Huang Wei
Autumn 2003, Shanghai