Historians' Tea House: Issue 6

Author: Wang Zhaocheng, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Reading history is like savoring tea—this phrase depends on how you interpret it. There are two ways I read history. One is to read it with a serious posture, usually within my professional field, focusing on a specific research topic. This kind of reading is pure work, where historians solve lingering problems of the past, discover new things, or offer fresh insights. But over time, it can be exhausting and mentally stifling. At such moments, I switch to a different style—reading more casually, loosening up, and indulging in my interests like a free-spirited exploration. This is the second way of reading. The second way is like sipping tea at a tea house or engaging in lively discussions, surrounded by high-minded companions who may not be colleagues or familiar acquaintances, but rather spiritual connections across time and space in books. From the far east to the far west, from the heavens to the earth, there is no ulterior motive—only boundless enthusiasm. It doesn’t require "wasting oneself for love," yet it brings the unexpected joy of "searching high and low for a thousand times, only to turn around and find her in the dimly lit corners."