Life and Medical Care

Author: Jianmin Li, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: This series is a compilation of classic works by Taiwanese scholars in the field of Chinese history over the past fifty years, divided into thirteen topics and fourteen volumes, respectively:
(Historiographical Methods and Historical Interpretation);
(Institutions and the State);
(Politics and Power);
(Thought and Scholarship);
(Social Change);
(Economic Fluctuations);
(Cities and Villages);
(Families and Society);
(Women and Society);
(Lifestyle and Culture);
(Rituals and Religion);
(Life and Medicine);
(Art and Archaeology).
Professor Huang Kuan-chong, Professor Xing Yitian, and Professor Deng Xiaonan of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, served as the overall editors. Each topic is edited by a Taiwanese scholar with deep expertise in the field. At the beginning of each volume, there is a preface by the overall editor and an introduction by the volume editor. The purpose of the introductions is to provide an overview of the internal and external contexts and the development trends of Chinese history studies in Taiwan at different stages, as well as to introduce the authors and papers in the volume. Some introductions focus on introducing the included papers and authors or the reasons for their selection, while others highlight global historiographical trends, and some center on the volume editor’s perspectives on a particular field, each with its own.
After each article, there is a brief author bio and the original publication details, facilitating further research for interested readers. The series gathers renowned works by many international scholars. Elderly scholars such as Yan Gengwang, Lao Gan, Fu Lecheng, and Dai Yanhui, contemporary historiographical masters like Yu Yingshi, Xu Zhuoyun, Lu Yaodong, and Mao Han Guang, as well as mid-career scholars with a strong Western academic background such as Chen Ruoshui, Yan Juanying, and Li Zhide are all included. It brings together representative works of several generations of Taiwanese scholars over half a century, truly a gathering of renowned scholars and outstanding works.
The general selection principle for the articles in this series is to prioritize recently published works to showcase the latest trends and achievements. However, each volume has its own distinct characteristics. Some volumes, such as Lifestyle and Culture, include nearly all papers from the past decade, while others like Institutions and the State feature more works from several decades ago. This reflects the shift in research directions and centers of focus in Taiwanese Chinese history studies. Due to various limitations, exchanges between scholars across the Taiwan Strait, access to information, and the availability of relevant papers have faced certain difficulties. Domestic scholars and researchers have long called for timely access to the research of Taiwanese scholars, which has been the primary motivation for the publication of this series.
There are significant differences between Taiwan and mainland China in the study of Chinese history. On one hand, Taiwanese scholars are heavily influenced by Western Sinology, but on the other hand, they are deeply familiar with Chinese culture, bringing more innovation and vitality. In terms of research topics, in addition to traditional subjects, Taiwanese historians have established unique themes such as medical history and body history, which have attracted international attention. The publication of the Studies on Chinese History by Taiwanese Scholars should provide domestic historiography with new materials, information, and points of focus, and will have a very positive impact on academic exchanges and interactions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.