Social Surveys of the Republic of China Era (Volume: Bottom Society, Part 1 and Part 2)

Author: Li Wenhai, Editor-in-Chief, Xia Mingfang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: In the long history of China spanning thousands of years, the first half of the 20th century, marked by the Republic of China, though merely a fleeting moment, was undoubtedly one of the most turbulent and dramatic scenes in terms of social life. During this period, new systems coexisted with old traditions, construction walked hand in hand with destruction, revolution clashed with reaction, internal troubles and external crises pressed hard. Every aspect of Chinese society, whether political institutions, economic foundations, science and technology, or ideology and cultural customs, was undergoing significant changes and transformations, ultimately laying a solid foundation for the victory of the New Democratic Revolution. With the passage of time, especially with the arrival of the 21st century, "History of the Republic of China" has gradually broken free from the framework of the history of the Chinese Revolution and has been recognized and accepted as an important historical period alongside the 26 dynasties in Chinese history. In academic circles both at home and abroad, particularly in China, an increasing number of scholars have begun to study various aspects of this period from the perspective of a specific historical era. It is also worth noting that with the deepening of academic research and in response to the needs of contemporary Chinese society, research interest in the Republican era has gradually shifted from the dramatic historical figures, thrilling political events, and entertaining anecdotes to the deeper levels of economic and social life. As Marx would say, it is "moving from the superficial appearance of political forms to the depths of social life," thereby making the study of the Republican era more closely linked to contemporary society, which is centered on economic development. As a result, the history of the Republic of China has not only presented itself to the modern Chinese people in its original and complete form, becoming a new hot spot and growth point in the study of Chinese history and even in the broader academic field, but it has also inevitably played an increasingly significant historical reference role in the economic construction and social development of contemporary China, thereby attracting ever broader attention from all sectors of society. However, it is regrettable that to date, despite the extensive collection and publication of historical materials related to the Republican era, which include archives, local gazettes, newspapers and magazines, official documents, private writings, and memoirs from the People's Republic period, these materials are extremely valuable, yet few have noticed another unique treasure trove of Republican-era resources—the vast amount of social surveys conducted by major political forces and factions, local governments, academic organizations, schools, and individual scholars, especially rural social surveys. Compared to other already compiled materials, these surveys possess unique and irreplaceable academic and collection value. This is not only because the surveys cover an extremely wide range of topics, including the natural and social life of most provinces and regions, encompassing urban and rural areas, but also because these surveys were largely completed using modern scientific methods such as modern economics, anthropology, and sociology, and were typically presented in the form of survey reports or academic papers. This approach preserved a large amount of survey data and original materials while also consolidating the analyses, insights, and recommendations of relatively advanced Chinese intellectuals of the time on various natural, social, political, and economic issues, offering significant practical reference value. These surveys are invaluable primary sources for in-depth research and understanding of urban and rural social issues in old China, as well as an extremely rare intellectual repository for contemporary socioeconomic construction. In fact, the survey materials from the Republican era have already moved beyond the confines of historical studies and have attracted the attention of scholars in other disciplines. Thanks to the foresight and strong support of Fujian Education Press, we have finally been able to undertake this historical responsibility together. However, given the diverse and vast number of social surveys from this period, as well as their scattered and sometimes even lost overseas storage, it would be impossible and impractical to strive for completeness, which also fails to meet the urgent needs of the current academic community. Therefore, we have decided to adopt the format of an "edited series" and publish the materials in stages. The series includes a total of 193 documents, which are broadly divided into 10 volumes based on their survey content, covering marriage and family, social security, social organizations, religion and folklore, marginalized society, urban labor life, rural society, population, cultural and educational institutions, and ethnic minorities.