Bottom society competition (Volume 1 and 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 alongside destruction, revolution clashed with reaction, internal troubles and external crises pressed in. Every aspect of Chinese society, whether political systems, 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. As time passed, especially with the arrival of the 21st century, "History of the Republic of China" gradually broke free from the framework of the history of the Chinese Revolution and came to be 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 dynastic history. It is also worth noting that as academic research deepens, in response to the needs of contemporary Chinese society, the focus of research on the Republican era has gradually shifted from the dramatic historical figures, thrilling political events, and entertaining anecdotes of the past to, or more accurately, delved into the realms of economic life and social life. In Marx's words, this means "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 with 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 in its original and complete form, 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history and even in the broader academic field, but it has also inevitably played an increasingly significant role as a historical reference for the economic construction and social development of contemporary China, thereby attracting ever broader attention from all sectors of society.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 of historical materials on the Republican era, including archives, local chronicles, newspapers and magazines, official documents, private writings, and memoirs from the People's Republic period, these materials have remained largely unorganized and underutilized. Moreover, these resources are extremely valuable, yet few have noticed another unique treasure trove of materials from the Republican era—massive 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 organized materials, these surveys possess unique and irreplaceable academic and collection value. This is not only because the surveys covered an extremely wide range of topics, encompassing natural environments and social life in nearly all provinces and regions, including urban and rural areas, but also because these surveys were largely completed using modern scientific methods such as modern economics, anthropology, sociology, and other approaches, and were typically presented in the form of survey reports or academic papers. This approach preserved a vast 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 firsthand 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, survey materials from the Republican era have already moved beyond the confines of historical studies and have garnered attention from 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 vast and diverse nature of social surveys from this period, as well as their scattered storage—with some even lost overseas—a comprehensive approach would be impractical and unable to meet the urgent needs of the current academic community. Therefore, we have decided to organize and publish these materials in the form of a series, step by step and in stages. The collection includes 193 works, which are broadly divided into 10 volumes based on their survey content, covering marriage and family, social security, social organizations, religion and folklore, marginalized societies, urban labor life, rural society, population, cultural and educational undertakings, and ethnic minorities.