Chronicles of Chinese Ethnic Families in the 20th Century, a total of 56 volumes

Author: Gao Fayan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: As is well known, the family is the cell of society. However, it is rare to select one family from each of China's 56 ethnic groups to gain insight into each ethnic group, the entire society, and even to weave together the historical framework of the entire ethnic group. This book is part of a 3 million-word series titled "Record of 20th-Century Chinese Ethnic Families" published by Yunnan University Press, which provides readers with a window into the inner world of ethnic groups by documenting the lives of families. The positioning of this series has two significant meanings: "On the one hand, it is a valuable attempt at anthropological texts, and on the other hand, its straightforward and accessible records make it readable for general audiences." When asked why the family was chosen as the starting point, the series editor, Gao Fayan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Yunnan University, explained to the reporter: "The family is the best reflection of ethnic minority characteristics. Previous research has rarely touched upon the rich and diverse ethical morals of ethnic minorities, which are also one of the main cultural differences among ethnic groups. The family is the most charming and ethically colored part of ethnic minorities, through which one can reflect many aspects of the nation's history, religion, and more." What makes it particularly distinctive is that many of the works in this large-scale project are written by authors from their own ethnic groups, and some even directly write about their own families. "For example, the Naxi scholar and Vice President of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, Yang Fuchuan, wrote about his own family. Additionally, the Han, Manchu, and Korean ethnic groups are the same." In terms of writing style, different authors adopted different approaches. Some organized their work around family members, some focused on the history of ethnic families, and others highlighted the family within the context of the community. "From the perspective of recording family lives, describing real-life stories of ethnic groups, preserving and rescuing ethnic minority cultural resources, allowing readers to understand anthropological knowledge, the essence of life, and social development and changes while enjoying the stories, and thereby promoting mutual understanding and unity among ethnic groups for development—is an obligation we cannot shirk." Editor Gao Fayan said with deep emotion.