City and country

Author: Liang Gengyao / Liu Shufen (editors)
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, including:
(Methodology of History 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).
The series is edited by Professor Huang Kuan-chong, Professor Xing Yitian of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, and Professor Deng Xiaonan of the Medieval History Center, Peking University, as the chief editors. Each topic is edited by Taiwanese scholars with deep expertise in the field. Each volume includes an introduction by the chief editor and an editorial preface by the sub-volume editor. The purpose of the prefaces is to summarize the internal and external contexts and major developments of Taiwanese Chinese history research at different stages, and to introduce the authors and papers in the current volume. Some prefaces focus on introducing the included papers and authors or the reasons for their selection, while others highlight global trends in historical research, and some center on the sub-volume editor's perspectives on a particular field, each with its own unique features.
After each article, a brief author bio and the original publication data of the article are provided to facilitate 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 eminent historians like Yu Yingshi, Xu Zhuoyun, Lu Yaodong, and Mao Han Guang, as well as middle-aged and young scholars with strong Western academic backgrounds such as Chen Ruoshui, Yan Juanying, and Li Zhende, are all included. The series represents the representative works of several generations of Taiwanese scholars over half a century, truly a gathering of distinguished 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 published in the last decade, while others, like Institutions and the State, feature more works from several decades ago. This reflects the shifting focus and centers of research in Taiwanese Chinese history studies. Due to various constraints, 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. Taiwanese scholars, deeply influenced by Western Sinology while also being highly familiar with Chinese culture, bring more innovation and vitality to their research. 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 Taiwan Scholars’ Studies on Chinese History series should provide domestic historians with new materials, information, and areas of focus, and will have a very positive impact on academic exchanges and interactions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.