1949: Private Records of Chinese Intellectuals

Author: Fu Guoyong
Publisher:
Publish Date: March 1, 2005
Features: 1949 was a year of major turning point in Chinese history. On October 1, the People's Republic of China was proclaimed, marking a new era in the history of China and the world. This book selects 14 prominent intellectuals from different ages, backgrounds, and with different choices, each of whom had significant influence. Through their diaries, letters, and recollections from that year, it authentically records the pulse of the great transformative era 55 years ago. The book features 14 prominent intellectuals of different ages, inclinations, and who made different choices, each with significant influence, including scholars Liang Shuming, Hu Shih, Song Yunbin, Xia Chengtao, Pu Jiangqing, financier Chen Guangfu, scientist Zhu Kezhen, writers Shen Congwen, Hu Feng, Bao Tianxiao, publisher Zhang Yuanji, journalist Xu Zhucheng, and poet-revolutionary Liu Yazi, as well as writer and cultural leader Xia Yan. Through their diaries, letters, and recollections from 1949, which reveal their inner thoughts and reflect history, the book authentically records the pulse of the great transformative era 55 years ago, presenting vivid details, complex processes, and previously undisclosed truths to today's readers. After the 14 individuals, there are two special essays, also through personal records, which vividly recreate the scenes of intellectuals being summoned to the north and participating in the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The history meticulously collected and curated by the author, with the unique warmth of extraordinary individuals, allows us to see the myriad manifestations and popular sentiment brought by the tide of sweeping away the remnants and the hard-won victory, as well as the joy and sorrow, hope and hesitation, and the difficult choices and profound reflections triggered by the great transformation and turbulence. This is a vivid, credible, and thought-provoking book, as well as a journey for scholars of the new century to delve into the time tunnel and gain insight into the true nature of history.
1949 was a year of major turning point in Chinese history. On October 1, the People's Republic of China was proclaimed, marking a new era in the history of China and the world. This book selects 14 prominent intellectuals of different ages, inclinations, and who made different choices, each with significant influence, including scholars Liang Shuming, Hu Shih, Song Yunbin, Xia Chengtao, Pu Jiangqing, financier Chen Guangfu, scientist Zhu Kezhen, writers Shen Congwen, Hu Feng, Bao Tianxiao, publisher Zhang Yuanji, journalist Xu Zhucheng, and poet-revolutionary Liu Yazi, as well as writer and cultural leader Xia Yan. Through their diaries, letters, and recollections from 1949, which reveal their inner thoughts and reflect history, the book authentically records the pulse of the great transformative era 55 years ago, presenting vivid details, complex processes, and previously undisclosed truths to today's readers. After the 14 individuals, there are two special essays, also through personal records, which vividly recreate the scenes of intellectuals being summoned to the north and participating in the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The history meticulously collected and curated by the author, with the unique warmth of extraordinary individuals, allows us to see the myriad manifestations and popular sentiment brought by the tide of sweeping away the remnants and the hard-won victory, as well as the joy and sorrow, hope and hesitation, and the difficult choices and profound reflections triggered by the great transformation and turbulence. This is a vivid, credible, and thought-provoking book, as well as a journey for scholars of the new century to delve into the time tunnel and gain insight into the true nature of history.