Religious Folklore Volume

Author: Li Wenhai
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-12-01
Features: In the long history of China spanning thousands of years, the first half of the 20th century marked by the Republic of China was merely a fleeting moment, yet undeniably one of the most turbulent and dramatic scenes in terms of social life. During this period, new systems coexisted with old traditions, construction walked alongside destruction, revolution clashed with reaction, internal troubles and external crises pressed in from all sides. Every aspect of Chinese society, whether political institutions, economic foundations, science and technology, or ideology and cultural customs, underwent 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 China's previous 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 dynamic historical figures, thrilling political events, and entertaining anecdotes of the past to, or more accurately, deeper into the realms of economic life and social life. In Marxist terms, this means "moving from the superficial political form 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 its original and complete form to the modern Chinese people, becoming a new hotspot 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 role in providing historical lessons for the economic construction and social development of contemporary China, thereby attracting broader attention from all sectors of society. However, it is regrettable that to date, despite the extensive collection of Republican-era historical materials, including archives, local chronicles, newspapers and magazines, official documents, private writings, and memoirs from the People's Republic era, these materials have remained largely overlooked. There is another unique treasure trove of Republican-era materials—vast social surveys conducted by major political forces and factions at home and abroad, local governments, academic organizations, schools, and individual scholars, particularly rural social surveys. Compared to other materials that have already been compiled, these surveys hold unique and irreplaceable academic and collection value. This is not only because the surveys cover an extremely wide range of topics, including natural environments and social life in urban and rural areas across most provinces, but also because these surveys were largely completed using modern scientific methods such as modern economics, anthropology, sociology, and other approaches, with the results presented in the form of survey reports or academic papers. This approach preserved a large amount of survey data and original materials while also embodying 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 firsthand 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 development. In fact, Republican-era survey materials 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 take on 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, it would be impossible and impractical to aim for completeness, nor would it 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 193 works included in this series are broadly divided into 10 volumes based on their survey content, covering topics such as marriage and family, social security, social organizations, religion and folklore, marginalized societies, urban labor life, rural society, population, cultural and educational institutions, and ethnic minorities. These include books published during the Republican era, as well as papers scattered across various newspapers and magazines, and some manuscripts and mimeographed copies that have yet to be publicly published. Works such as the "Ding County Social Survey," which were republished after the liberation and became widely circulated, are temporarily excluded from this collection.