Track of cultural exchange (History of Chinese Sugar)

Author: Ji Xianlin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-03-01
Features: This book is another significant work by Ji Xianlin, a renowned predecessor of China's academia. Through the manufacturing, development, and evolution of sugar—a common daily commodity—supported by extensive citations and examples, it reflects the exchange and integration of Chinese and foreign cultures. Taking the part to see the whole, it truly lives up to the reputation of a master! Culture has a very prominent characteristic: once culture emerges, it immediately spreads outward, which is what we commonly call "cultural exchange." If one inherits and preserves it, isolating oneself from the world. The author of this book reveals to the world a very specific and vivid history of Sino-foreign cultural exchange through the development of sugar, a ubiquitous yet seemingly insignificant item in daily life. Over the years, the author delved into the vast and endless works of Sino-foreign literature since the Zhou and Qin dynasties, citing numerous examples from the evolution of the word "sugar" to the development of sugarcane cultivation and the sugar industry. These examples illustrate that cultural exchange fosters technological advancement, and for humanity to continuously progress, mutual learning and drawing on each other's strengths are essential—one of the primary driving forces of societal advancement.