In the 1930s, famous scenic spots along the Yangtze River

Author: Shan Zhengping Zhong Nianren
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: What people are willing to remember and cherish, but often easily forget or become vague, is the past history. If people want to navigate a small boat through the long river of history, they need a continuous source of living water. This source of living water is the rich and diverse kinds of documents. China has always been a civilization that highly values documents since ancient times. Although the "He Tu Luo Shu" is heavily mythological, it is the earliest generalization of document classification, indicating that documents mainly include text and images. Without documents or insufficient documents, it would be very difficult to explain history. Even Confucius, the revered sage for over two thousand years, would sigh in helplessness. In the "Analects·Eight Banners" chapter, it records the following passage: "I can speak of the Xia rituals, but there is insufficient evidence. I can speak of the Yin rituals, but there is insufficient evidence from Song. It is because of insufficient documents that I cannot verify them. If there were enough, I could verify them." Since the Qin and Han dynasties, each dynasty, especially during the early stages of seizing power, paid great attention to collecting documents, which were generally referred to as "tu ji," including both images and textual records. Those who destroyed documents would inevitably face severe condemnation, known as "misfortune." Thus, preserving documents has become an excellent cultural tradition in China. In recent years, as people have gradually corrected their attitude toward traditional culture, valuing the collection, organization, and promotion of historical documents, as well as the publication of historical archives and old photographs, has become a trend. In particular, the search for old photographs has been highly valued. As a result, scholars in the fields of literature, publishing, and collection have actively unearthed, organized, and published detailed explanations to delight readers.
Tianjin People's Fine Arts Publishing House, in response to social demand, organized efforts to collect a substantial number of documents from museums, libraries, and collectors, compiling them into ten thematic series and combining them into a set of books named "Old Documents Series." The series is structured around four pillars: celebrities, nostalgia, tradition, and collection, including ten volumes: "Photographs of Modern Figures," "Women of the 1930s," "Swimsuit Human Figures of the 1930s," "Western Women of the 1930s," "Shanghai Skyscrapers and Folk Customs of the 1930s," "Scenic Spots Along the Yangtze River in the 1930s," "Photographs of Centennial Old Bridges in the World," "Illustrations from the Soviet magazine 'Zvezda'," "Ming Dynasty Carved Images of a Hundred Beauties Through the Ages," and "Ming Dynasty Carved Images of Emperors and Sages Through the Ages." In addition to the old carvings from the Ming Dynasty, the main time frame is from the early to mid-20th century, with the 1930s being the most prominent. At that time, China was in an upward period of modern and contemporary historical development, with surging cultural trends and widespread national resistance to invasion. Coastal cities were trending toward becoming metropolises, leaving behind a wealth of photographs and images. Social and historical conditions are vividly presented through these visuals. The value of compiling and publishing this "Old Documents Series" lies in this.
The publication of the "Old Documents Series" can not only provide memories and nostalgia for the elderly who experienced those social conditions, allowing them to compare the past with the present and enhance joy, but also satisfy the younger generation's curiosity about historical events and inspire them to progress. The historical information provided by these photographs and images not only offers valuable reference materials for studying and exploring the social dynamics and landscapes of the early 20th century but also offers vivid visual experiences, especially for those engaged in arts, providing important material for artistic creation. The significance of this work lies in this.
The compilation of the "Old Documents Series" adopts a format with both text and images, featuring fluent and readable arguments, as well as relatively complete images for readers to appreciate, deepening the impression of the text. The combination of text and images is a major feature of this series. The compilation of this series is only a part of the plan by the organizers—Tianjin People's Fine Arts Publishing House. If it is well-received by society and achieves the desired effect, then the second and third sets of similar series will be published in a timely manner.
I was fortunate enough to read the preliminary draft of this series. From the perspectives of preserving materials, passing them down to future generations, providing references, and being beneficial for research, it will be a series of books with dual benefits.