The quality of the Chinese people

Author: Arthur H. Smith
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2001-09-01
Features: How is the perception of oneself by one's own people different from that by outsiders? How is the perception of Chinese people by foreigners different from that by Chinese themselves? This work represents the Chinese view of China during a Western era. The author, Arthur H. Smith, spent 36 years preaching and writing in China, delving deep into the heart of the country and widely interacting with people from all walks of life. The 26 characteristics of the Chinese he summarized and depicted are the earliest and most valuable research in this field. The profound significance and historical status of this book drew great attention from Lu Xun. At the age of 21, he carefully studied the Japanese translation of this book and was inspired to dedicate himself to reforming the Chinese national character. Even 14 days before his death, he solemnly recommended this book to the Chinese people. The book summarizes 26 characteristics of the Chinese, supported by rich references and vivid writing. Whether praising or criticizing, every point is well-founded. Even today, reading it still makes one reflect deeply. The Chinese people depicted in this book are from the late Qing Dynasty, and the book is inevitably biased toward praise with less criticism, making the tone somewhat somber and containing some biased remarks. As a Western missionary, the author's perspective and views are undoubtedly limited by his identity. His perspective and conclusions are always inseparable from Western values. However, we should not be too harsh on the past. Fairly speaking, he indeed had many insightful observations in revealing the deep contradictions between the Chinese national character, the late Qing political system, and China's modernization. Today's readers will have their own judgment. Arthur H. Smith (1845-1942) was an American Congregationalist missionary who came to China in 1872 and lived in Tianjin, Shandong, Hebei, and other places, widely interacting with people from all walks of life, especially familiar with the lives of lower-class farmers and made many friends. He wrote more than ten books in his lifetime, all related to China. The Chinese Characteristic is one of his representative works published in 1894, 22 years after his arrival in China. This book pioneered the study of the Chinese national character and is a work with sociological characteristics that deeply influenced later scholars. At the same time, it represents the Chinese view of a certain era. Therefore, it was long regarded as a must-read for Western missionaries coming to China to understand the country. The book summarizes 26 characteristics of the Chinese, supported by rich references and vivid writing. Whether praising or criticizing, every point is well-founded. Even today, reading it still makes one reflect deeply. Indeed, the Chinese people depicted in this book are from the late Qing Dynasty, and the book is inevitably biased toward praise with less criticism, making the tone somewhat somber and containing some biased remarks. As a Western missionary, the author's perspective and views are undoubtedly limited by his identity. His perspective and conclusions are always inseparable from Western values. However, we should not be too harsh on the past. Fairly speaking, he indeed had many insightful observations in revealing the deep contradictions between the Chinese national character, the late Qing political system, and China's modernization. Today's readers will have their own judgment. The profound significance and historical status of this book drew great attention from Lu Xun. At the age of 21, while in Japan, he carefully studied the Japanese translation of this book and was inspired to dedicate himself to revealing and reforming the Chinese national character. Even 14 days before his death, he solemnly recommended this book to the Chinese people. The translation of this book is based on the illustrated second edition of 1894 held by the Library of Congress (Arthur H. Smith, Chinese Characteristics). The book involves numerous Chinese and foreign figures, allusions, events, and various citations. To cater to modern readers, the translator has meticulously researched and provided detailed annotations, as well as comments from several important figures. Therefore, whether it is the original work or the translation, we have ample reasons to recommend it to a broad readership.