Historical Site: Modern China Through the Eyes of Western Journalists

Author: Zhang Gongchen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: The only thing that never changes is that "great changes" have occurred in every era." — Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time
China has a deeply concealed cultural sense of superiority. Therefore, the sense of humiliation they feel in their modern backward state is particularly intense. To modernize, China had to move slower than most countries, as the time spent stagnating due to change was too long. As a result, there is a powerful inertial restraining force that makes China's revolutionary changes spasmodic, sometimes internally suppressed, and sometimes destructive. — John K. Fairbank, The Great Chinese Revolution
In the first half of the 20th century, many Western journalists came to China, recording in their notes the ancient and unfamiliar country they saw. Based on years of professional research, the author of this book selects representative works of Western journalists into four parts: "People," "Events," "Lifestyle," and "Cities." The historical details and fascinating stories recorded by these Western journalists in their news reports and memoirs can help us better understand modern China in turmoil.