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This paper aims to develop an integrated analytical framework for revolution, reform, and involution under dictatorship based on China's history. In order to grasp the essence of political and economic interactions in historic China, this paper gets some abstract variables from China's history, on the basis of which a political economy model is built. The autocrat plays an important role in determining authority form and development pattern, which endogenously brings about different outcomes of revolution, reform, and involution. When the economic system is closed, path-dependence plays an important role, however, when the system is open, we should not attach much importance to path-dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seeds of conflict, or even of a revolution, in a society can germinate from policies of a nation-state that are designed to strengthen its power of governance. This paper explores how such seemingly contradictory phenomena emerged within the Qing government and led to the Repiblican Revolution of 1911. The ideas included here have been borrowed from Theda Skocpol, a historical sociologist, who has made a major contribution to research on the revolution. Emphasizing that a state autonomously functions as a governing body, she focuses on the process of how old regimes in the past, pressured by military competition with foreign powers, provoked conflicts within and among different groups of people or along the lines of class while campaigning for the modernization of national institutions. This paper shares her view but differs in that it terms a government's attempt to strengthen its functions as "naturalization," instead of "centralization," in order to more clearly outline how state policies and society influence each other, thereby laying the seeds for a possible revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The making of the official Qingshi (Qing History) during the turbulent years of early Republican China epitomizes the flux and complexities of modern Chinese historiography in an age of transition. It had long been routine practice in China for a newly-established regime, in assuming the mantle of legitimate rule, to authorize an official history of the previous, overthrown dynasty. With twenty-four "orthodox histories" as preceding models and a more or less standardized layout, composing the twenty-fifth one should have been a feasible task. However, the making of the history of the last dynasty was besieged with unprecedented changes and challenges: universal kingship and the mandate of Heaven had collapsed, the continuity of cultural tradition was put into doubt, and, most important of all, the past was no longer fixable in a static picture for the present to capture. In short, along with the fall of the last dynasty, the genre of "orthodox history" itself became history. The making of the Qingshi not only provided the final chapter of Chinese dynastic – orthodox – history but arguably the last chapter of traditional official historiography as well. This paper delves into the making of the Qing History by the Bureau of Qing Historiography established in 1914, its rushed publication in 1928 under the title Qingshi gao (Draft Qing History), and its banning by the Nationalist government in 1930. Special attention is paid to how the leading compilers, many of whom deemed themselves Qing royalists, attempted to preserve or recapitulate a collective memory of Qing China and thus how their narrative was intertwined with their concern for political and cultural identity. As the Qing court had long established the Bureau of State Historiography and precompiled its own dynastic history, the compilers of the Qingshi gao were overwhelmed by the weighty legacies left by their Qing counterparts and were able neither to digest all the archives thoroughly nor to reexamine their preprogrammed memories from different perspectives. The Republican memory of the Qing, as exemplified by the final version of the Qingshi gao, was conditioned by the imperial memories already established by the Qing. The making of the last dynastic history remains an unfinished enterprise. One issue is certain: the Qingshi gao published in 1928 will never be officially authorized as one of the "orthodox histories," if only because there is no longer any agency capable of this act. On the other hand, it is also irreplaceable, for its narratives, its arrangement of themes, and its choice of personalities represent to a certain extent a collective effort by a specific group of intellectuals in the dynasty-republic transition period. The Qingshi gao serves as an ideal lens through which we can examine the perspective of these compilers. Not only will the Qingshi gao live forever, but also Qing history as such will forever remain in draft. Perhaps efforts to compile an "ideal" complete Qing History will never cease, but they are unlikely to be enshrined as the conclusive interpretation of Qing History. Indeed, the earlier Twenty-four Histories also have become incomplete drafts open to further revision. Form the perspective of modern historiography, all of the previous Twenty-five orthodox histories should be redefined as the Twenty-five history Drafts, tentative accounts aiding but not defining our understanding of the past. The Twenty-five Histories can thus be treated as partial collections of historical resources, rather than cherished as (re-)presentation of historical facts. They are deemed either as "raw" or "cooked" materials, which need further digestion. Accordingly, the Qingshi gao belongs in their company and is a fitting orthodox history after all, with or without any arbitrary official authorization. Any history is but a draft to approach the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper an introduction is given to the history, current situation and future plans of China's railway industry. The history of China's railway is divided into four development phases: the phase in Imperial China, the phase in the Republic of China and the phases before and after the economic rejuvenation of the People's Republic of China. An introduction to the current situation and future plans includes the major projects under construction and development trends of China's railways. The environment of China's railways is also presented. This is the first of two papers on the railway scene in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The twenty-eight "lunar stations" (ershiba xiu 二十八宿) are unique in Chinese intellectual history in that they served as functional equivalents for Indian nakṣatras, which are also a type of lunar station (or mansion), but in practice these were quite different from the comparable Chinese system. The native Chinese lore of lunar stations as it was understood in the Sui period was outlined in the Wuxing dayi 五行大義 by Xiao Ji 蕭吉 (c. 530–610), which is a manual of Chinese metaphysics free of any Buddhist influences. We might compare the content in this text to writings by contemporary Buddhists, such as Jizang 吉藏 (549–623) and Zhiyi 智顗 (539–598), to illustrate the extent to which native, rather than foreign, astral lore took precedence in the writings of Buddhists in the Sui and Tang periods. This study will demonstrate that Buddhists in China struggled with understanding the nakṣatras and even when faced with the opportunity to adopt an orthodox Indian model, they shifted toward a kind of hybridized system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article explores how the East Asian monsoon exacerbated social tensions in southeastern China and thereby fostered historical transformations in the region. By placing water at the center of late imperial Chinese social history, it demonstrates how disputes and animosities ebbed and flowed with the shifting of the seasonal winds. It also suggests the ways dynamic environmental events might complicate our notions of historical time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article illustrates the contemporary development of Chinese cricket since the sport was incorporated into the Chinese sport system from the early 2000s. Drawing on existing literature and interview data, this article problematizes the established essentialist perspectives to explicate the contemporary development of Chinese cricket and (re)constructs the process according to five periods. By providing more subtle distinctions between different parts of this most recent period, this study offers the most detailed and up-to-date analysis and reveals that the development of Chinese cricket is both enabled and constrained by its interdependencies with sport mega events, international cricketing bodies, and China's educational sector. These three processes are fundamental to the future development of cricket in mainland China and have important implications for the cross-national development of cricket in the contemporary era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past is continuously reinterpreted to serve the interests of the present. Over the last two centuries of turbulent Chinese history, the past has been redefined through narratives and categorisations. How does the party-state manage the diversity and complexity of China's past, and what implications does this have for state–society relations in China? Based on a case study of China's adoption of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention, this article argues that the Chinese party-state creates "infrastructures of memory," which enable it to actively manage China's diverse past through selective institutionalisation. This process creates a "cognitive map" of tangible and rationalised relations and boundaries between vernacular memories as interpreted by the state. Although this map is to shape and direct Chinese collective memory and identity, it also sparks contestation among members of the populace who seek to preserve vernacular and multiple memories of their socio-cultural past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores some of the strategies used for translating the Old Testament from Hebrew into Chinese and its subsequent reception and interpretation. Special attention will be devoted to the Ten Commandments and important personalities like Abraham or Moses. According to their reception, they were endowed with characteristics valued in Chinese history and culture. The introduction of science seemingly contradicted the questions of Creation. Since Creation and the scientific perceptions of the universe were interconnected, those people dealing with Scriptural translation had to exercise special ingenuity to resolve the contradictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historians of premodern Chinese urbanism have long assumed that the origins of the Chines imperial city plan stem from a passage in the Kaogong Ji (Record of Trades) section of the classical text Rituals of Zhou which describes the city of the King of Zhou. Taking this description as the single source of all Chinese capitals, these historians have gone on to write that any Chinese imperial city constructed during the last 2,000 years not only has much in common with any other one, but that all have been built according to a single scheme. Yet the plans of the two most important Chinese imperial cities, Chang'an in the 7th to 9th century, and Beijing after the 14th century, indicate that a crucial feature of the Chinese imperial urban plan, the position of the imperial palaces, is in the north center at Chang'an and roughly in the exact center at Beijing, thereby dispelling the myth of the direct descent of all Chinese imperial city plans from the King of Zhou's city. Moreover, an examination of excavated cities of the first millennium B.C. shows that the Chang'an plan, the Beijing plan, and a third type, the double city, have their origins in China before the 1st century A.D., when the Kaogong Ji is believed to have been written. Moreover, all three city plan types can be traced through several thousand years of Chinese city building. After stating the hypothesis of three lineages of Chinese imperial city building, the paper illustrates and briefly comments on the key examples of each city type through history. More than 20 cities are involved in understanding the evolution of the imperial Chinese plans. Thus this paper also includes many Chinese capital plans heretofore unpublished in a Western language. The plan of Chang'an is different from that of Beijing because the latter city was built on the ruins of a city designed anew by the Mongol ruler of China, Khubilai Khan, with the intent of adhering to the prescribed design of the Kaogong Ji; whereas Chang'an was built according to a plan used by native and non-Chinese rulers of China only until the advent of Mongolian rule (with one exception.) Finally, this paper examines the assumption that there was little variation in Chinese imperial city building. A main reason for the assumed uniformities in Chinese capitals is because the imperial city is traditionally one of the most potent symbols of imperial rule, such that digression from it might imply less than legitimate rulership. Thus it can be shown that Chinese and non-Chinese dynasties had their actual city schemes amended for the historical record through the publication of fictitious city plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the Pre-Qin Confucian understanding of "ren 人" (human beings), focusing on the tripartite dimensions of "shen 身" (body), "qing 情" (sentiment), and "xin 心" (mind) as viewed through the lens of "li 礼" (ritual). By analyzing the works of Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi, and other significant early texts, we unravel how these early Confucian philosophers reconceptualized human beings within the framework of "li 礼" (ritual). In doing so, they presented a novel perspective on the human experience that emphasized the interconnectedness of these three dimensions, transforming the way people thought about themselves and their place in the world. This research illuminates the unique contributions of Pre-Qin Confucianism to the understanding of human beings and provides valuable insights into the philosophical breakthroughs of this period in Chinese thought. Furthermore, this understanding of human beings persisted throughout the subsequent imperial history of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship of wu (巫) to shamanism is problematic, with virtually all mentions of historical and contemporary Chinese wu ritualists translated into English as shaman. Ethnological research is presented to illustrate cross-cultural patterns of shamans and other ritualists, providing an etic framework for empirical assessments of resemblances of Chinese ritualists to shamans. This etic framework is further validated with assessments of the relationship of the features with biogenetic bases of ritual, altered states of consciousness, innate intelligences and endogenous healing processes. Key characteristics of the various types of wu and other Chinese ritualists are reviewed and compared with ethnological models of the patterns of ritualists found cross-culturally to illustrate their similarities and contrasts. These comparisons illustrate the resemblances of pre-historic and commoner wu to shamans but additionally illustrate the resemblances of most types of wu to other ritualist types, not shamans. Across Chinese history, wu underwent transformative changes into different types of ritualists, including priests, healers, mediums and sorcerers/witches. A review of contemporary reports on alleged shamans in China also illustrates that only some correspond to the characteristics of shamans found in cross-cultural research and foraging societies. The similarities of most types of wu ritualists to other types of ritualists found cross-culturally illustrate the greater accuracy of translating wu as "ritualist" or "religious ritualist." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, three typical and most extreme precipitation events in the history of North China are analyzed and compared in terms of accumulated precipitation and synoptical circulation using surface station observations of China and the ERA5 dataset. The three events happened in August 1963 ("63.8" event, hereafter), August 1975 ("75.8" event), and July 2021 ("21.7" event), respectively, mainly in Hebei and Henan Provinces of North China. The results show that the maximum daily and 4-day accumulated precipitation of all three events exceeded 500 mm and 800 mm, with many stations' daily precipitation ranking Top 1. The "63.8" event persisted for the longest time, affected the largest area, and rained the most in 7 days (over 1000 mm). The "75.8" event was characterized by the most extreme daily precipitation and a concentrated area. All three events characterize a normal northward subtropical high that was located in North China and Northeast China. At 500 hPa, the area from South China to the South China Sea was dominated by a uniform pressure field. In the upper levels, there were troughs and divergence anomalies in all three events. In the low levels, there were anomalous low-level jets and the associated water vapor flux anomalies, which were located at different levels and came from different directions. Stable synoptical circulation and persistent jet and water vapor flux anomalies are the key factors in these extreme events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As examples of what might be termed a "self-denying" fiscal regime, in 1713 the Qing emperor Kangxi froze land tax quotas at 1711 levels; the Qing state halted household registration in 1772; and it came close to privatizing the ever-normal granary system in the 1740s, opting in the end to pare down unachievable storage targets instead (Dunstan, 413-15). 9) focus their conclusions: the Qing court's decisions to forgo key levers of fiscal power - by minimizing its land-tax quotas, rejecting the use of public debt in times of crisis, and allowing population registration to lapse - all left the Qing state "with an immobile fiscal system with diminished capacity to capture or generate new revenues." Concomitantly, because handicraft production remained ensconced within the rural household economy, the urbanization rate of 7.3 percent that Cao calculates for China as a whole in 1776 was less than the roughly 9 percent average for the Ming, and well below an estimated 12 percent for the Southern Song. As they conclude, "In the pre-Industrial Revolution world, no other society managed to deal with the challenges of sustaining a population of several hundred million as well as China did in the late Ming and the Qing periods" (708). [Extracted from the article]

The tale of Korean Sinology is as dramatic as that of Korea itself, which has moved from being a faithful periphery of the Chinese civilization to a newly rising economic power in the modern world. This article begins with a survey of some distinctive features of premodern Korean scholarly works by the end of the Chosŏn dynasty from the perspective of Sinology. Then it moves on to modern scholarship, focusing mostly on the field of Chinese history, which I think is the most active and innovative among the several different fields in today's Korean Sinology. The history of Korean Sinology is a telling case study that illustrates how humanistic learning is deeply connected to fundamental aspects of a society's politics, economics, and culture at a given moment in time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article maps the evolution of the Chinese activities within the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), with a focus on the Chinese standard-setting experience. It analyzes three different moments of the ITU-China standard-setting history: Audio Video Coding Standards (AVS) from 2002 to 2007; TD-SCDMA and TD-LTE standards from 1998 to 2013; and 5G standards from 2012 to 2013. The study contributes to the literature, first, by demonstrating that China-ITU relations have been useful to China to support the shift from norm taker to norm maker into the standard-setting process through techno-nationalism in the case of AVS, techno-globalism in the case of TD-SCDMA and TD-LTE, and neo-techno-globalism in the case of 5G. Second, it highlights how China benefited from its ITU presence to improve its abilities in lobbying for promoting new standards globally. Third, it highlights the ITU's role as actor, arena, and antenna in the field of techno-diplomacy and standards' definition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Huayan school of Chinese Buddhism inherited the legacy of the early transmission of Yogācāra teachings through the Dilun and Shelun schools, signifying a scholarly endeavour to synthetise the Yogācāra and Tathāgatagarbha teachings. In contrast to the Indian Yogācāra tradition, which was subsequently introduced to China by the renowned monk and traveller Xuanzang 玄奘 (602-664), these arly schools emphasised a kind of actual or pure reality behind the phenomenal world and was not satisfied with the worldview that the world can be traced back to a tainted entity, the ālayavijñāna, the source of all phenomena. This distinctive Chinese viewpoint finds explicit expression in the apocryphal Chinese text the Awakening of Faith Mahāyāna (Dasheng Qixin lun 大乘起信論), which has become one of the most important philosophical treatises in the history of Chinese Buddhism. This text proposes the concept of one-mind, which has the tathatā aspect (zhenru men 真如門) and the saṃsāra aspect (shengmie men 生滅門). Huayan exegetes, who authored commentaries on the Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra, the scripture that they regarded as the most perfect teaching of the Buddha, were influenced by the Awakening of Faith and the early Chinese Yogācāra schools in their understanding of this scripture. In this article, we are going to introduce the teachings of Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra that were interpreted as not only the appearance of Yogācāra thought but also as an unequivocal articulation of the concept of one-mind as it was put forward in the Awakening of Faith by Huayan scholars. We will show how this concept was further elaborated in Huayan philosophy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science diplomacy has played an important role in Chinese history, including in the history of science and technology (S&T) development. While we may consider science diplomacy as simply a part of China's Reform and Opening-up policy, the fact is that even in the Kuomintang period (1925–1949) or the Maoist period (1949–1976) it was a key element of Chinese foreign relations. The targets and nature of science diplomacy were shaped by the prevailing politics and economic issues of the times. For example, the Cold War limited the breadth and depth of S&T cooperation between China and the West. Nonetheless, the People's Republic of China pursued cooperation with the Soviet Union and newly independent countries in a very steadfast manner and continues to engage with Russia and developing countries today. This article analyses the nature of science diplomacy as an element of both China's S&T development and its foreign relations. The interactions and practices at the intersection of science and foreign policy in China are manifold. In addition to providing a comprehensive overview, this article also highlights evolving trends, especially in terms of the deepening of China's linkages across the international S&T system. Finally, the article examines the recent impact of the apparent rise of techno-nationalism and how this has affected the nature of China's international S&T activities regarding Beijing's use of science diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the 1990s, environmental degradations received ample attention both in the academic community and the general public in China. However, these issues had appeared before over the past two millennia. Indeed, over the course of Chinese history, there were several "golden periods" such as the Han, the Tang, and the Ming and the Qing. Yet looking closely at their accomplishments, one can see that these glories, often built on marked agricultural expansion, caused serious detriments (loss of water source and forests, etc.) to the Chinese environment. In order for China to achieve a sustainable development into the future, one needs to draw historical lessons from the past and balance between the needs for economic growth and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mark Elvin's The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China is one of the best comprehensive works on the environmental history of China both at home and abroad, and has deservedly garnered much praise. However, the rationality of the sources it cites and the suitability of their application is quite controversial, chiefly centering on how sources in the category of poetry and literature, which are newly drawing attention, can more effectively play a role in the field of environmental history. One of Elvin's objectives was to outline the true history of environmental development, drawing upon traditional sources from the classical Chinese canons as well as previous Chinese findings, and with respect to the interpretation of specific environmental issues, he essentially realized this vision. However, that he relied solely on interpretations of poetic and literary sources in elevating microcosmic events to macroscopic constructs seems like a stretch, and errors and misinterpretations arising from substituting psychological facts for historical facts are present as well; the addition of "overreaching" value judgments causes him to unwittingly succumb to the pitfall of the theory of linear aggravation of environmental decline. He is not the sole example of such tendencies, which are also clearly reflected in environmental histories of China written by Western scholars, as represented by Robert B. Marks, Elizabeth C. Economy, and so on, and which are in urgent need of correction. Appropriate sources are the basis for an accurate understanding of environmental issues, and objective interpretation is the premise for obtaining rational solutions. Avoiding existing malpractices, transforming the historical sources in various disciplines, and clarifying the place of the "environment" in the past, present and future are still focal points in current research on the environmental history of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of environmental history in China has experienced several radically different phases. During a long time period after 1949 the research related to environmental history in China was confined to natural sciences while the phenomena of "lacking environmental perspective" in humanity and social science were serious. Since the 1990s, Chinese scholars have made great advances in the research on environmental history, and many new changes have appeared. The most important among them is that environmental history has been becoming an independent field separated from natural sciences and traditional historical geography, and its theoretical system of discipline has taken shape. During the process of constructing the theory of environmental history, Chinese scholars have had a broad and deep discussion on many issues of the field such as its definition, object, theory, principle, method, aim, and significance, focusing on the central theme——"what is environmental history?". Through the discussion, Chinese scholars have recognized that environmental history has as its particular object, theory, method, and comparatively unique academic aim; thus, it is undoubtedly qualified to be an independent subject and field in history. Furthermore, as an independent field, environmental history applies a method which has typical inter-disciplinary characters, and covers various and comprehensive objects. Thus, all the aspects of the interaction between human beings and natural environment belong to the field of environmental history whose focus is on the continuum between nature and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eurya rubiginosa var. attenuata is a valuable multiuse tree with a long history of use in China. It has great economic and ecological importance and is used for landscape and urban planting, soil improvement, and raw materials for food production. However, genomic studies of E. rubiginosa var. attenuata are limited. Meanwhile, the classification of this taxon is controversial. In this study, the complete plastome of E. rubiginosa var. attenuata was successfully sequenced and assembled. The chloroplast genome is 157,215 bp in length with a 37.3% GC content. The chloroplast genome structure includes a quadripartite structure comprising a pair of inverted repeat (IR) sequences of 25,872 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,216 bp, and a large single-copy (LSC) region of 87,255 bp. The genome contains 128 genes, including 83 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic inference based on complete plastome analysis showed that E. rubiginosa var. attenuata is closely related to E. alata and belongs to the family Pentaphylacaceae, which differs from the results of the traditional Engler system. The chloroplast genome sequence assembly and phylogenetic analysis enrich the genetic resources of Pentaphylacaceae and provide a molecular basis for further studies on the phylogeny of the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western scholars agree that Chinese military history remains understudied, and the history of China's warfare overlooked. Before the 1970s, specialisation in Chinese military history was absent in Western academia and was a relatively new phenomenon. Since the 1980s, the study of Chinese warfare in the West has evolved significantly. Some attribute this to heightened tensions during the Cold War. 'If military history is to help us meet this crisis, surely it must take account of the Chinese experience in conducting warfare and also in avoiding it'.1 In the 2000s, when China rose to world military power status, historians explored untapped sources and addressed important issues such as the Chinese way of war, its strategic culture, military modernisation, and asymmetrical warfare. This essay provides a brief survey of the study of Chinese military history in the West from the last forty years as well as addressing a few current issues in the field. Since it is impossible for this author to recount every aspect of English-language Chinese military historiography from 1982–2023, the essay highlights some changes, a few conceptualisations, recent research foci, source availability, and new efforts in case studies and social components in Chinese military history research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcandra glabra (Thunb.) Nakai is a folk medicine with a long history in China, which has been applied to treat sore throat, abscess, even tumor and so on. Meanwhile, it is also used as tea in some areas. At present, more than 200 chemical compounds have been isolated and identified from it, such as, sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins and so on. Pharmacological studies have already confirmed that the extracts of S. glabra have many effects, such as antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-thrombocytopenia, especially the effects of anti-tumor and anti-thrombocytopenia are confirmed in clinic. Therefore, this paper systematically summarized the traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity of S. glabra , in order to provide a beneficial reference of its further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the context and the process by which culture became integral to revolution in the early years of the Chinese Communist Revolution. It draws attention to the educational program that a group of urban-based Communist intellectuals initiated among urban laborers and other workers after the Nationalist Party's suppression of the Communist labor movement in 1927. Rather than an economic and political revolution, these Communists envisioned a "cultural and thought movement" that would transform laborers' ways of seeing and living everyday life. By guiding workers' literary writings and provoking social scientific and philosophical discussions, they worked to transform workers' consciousness about their everyday experiences. They believed this consciousness would engender resistance to capitalist oppression in incremental and concrete ways and that a political and economic revolution would emerge from these daily actions at an opportune time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a large number of primary and old sources collected from China's local areas, most of which have never been exposed or researched before, this article conducts a basic-level case study dealing with the role that the Communist Youth League (CYL) played in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s propaganda toward young people in the early 1950s. It revisits the CYL's institutionalized foundation among Chinese youth for promoting the work of propaganda, its unparalleled emphasis on and diversified strategies in propagating the CCP's establishment of a socialist regime, and its methods to maximize the extension of generating influences on the young people and beyond. The aim of the research is to reassess the CYL's indispensable contributions in the early 1950s in keeping young people's thoughts accord with the Party's guidelines, which should not have been ignored by researchers when examining the history of Communist China. In addition, revisiting the CYL's effective role of promoting the CCP's propaganda seven decades ago helps understand the propagandistic strategies that the CCP is using toward today's Chinese youngsters. Despite remaining inactive in youth-targeted work for several decades, since the last few years, the CYL has regained its active role as a major force in propagating the Party's latest guidelines to today's youth in China. Despite the considerable gaps over 70 years, like that between the technologies applied as propaganda tools, the essence of how the CYL contributes crucially to the CCP's propaganda remains still and is further facilitated by the most advanced Internet-based techniques. Therefore, this article provides not only valuable evidence-based references for historical studies on Communist China but also a mirror for a better understanding of China today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This survey explains how the field of Cold War studies has been able to survive and even flourish in the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2000 to the present, despite all the practical and political obstacles. It reviews several areas that Chinese scholars have been exploring: the economic Cold War; foreign intelligence operations and psychological warfare; nuclear strategies; the sciences during the Cold War and overseas education projects; and China's policies toward neighboring countries during the Cold War. The article outlines the major practical challenges facing Chinese scholars and the potential for overcoming these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The life cycle pattern is pervasive for both natural and social sciences, from human behaviors to social systems. Based on the life cycle model of collective actions, the man–land relationship governs the rise and fall cycles, namely dynastic cycles. We combine agent-based modeling, systemic dynamics, and numerical simulations, to build the life cycle model of empires. It aims to investigate the rise and fall process of 18 major dynasties (empires) in history of China, from BC 221 to AD 1912. The core aim is to find optimal solutions, which achieve the best matching between simulations and real history. According to our algorithm, the optimal solutions can be obtained, when we have the minimal span differences (gaps) between simulated and real empires. First, we traverse all related parameters, and select simulations with 18 empires. Second, we select the cases with the total ticks between 2122 and 2132 years (ticks). Third, we select cases whose differences (gaps) are within 20 years. Finally, we obtain three optimal solutions (combinations of parameters) whose validity (100 simulations) and robustness (1000 simulations) have been checked. It seems that our life cycle model has achieved the best fitness to real empires in the history of China. For distributive matching of durations (spans), both discrete and continuous forms can be matched. Besides, the simulate and real durations can be matched as well, under counterfactual inferences of 16–17, 18 & 19–20 pairs. Based on our model, the whole history process of China can be back-calculated. Therefore, it seems that the trend of human history (society) may be an automatic process, which cannot be altered by man's will. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmland protection is important for ensuring national food security and promoting sustainable socioeconomic development. China has a far lower amount of farmland area per capita than the global average. To improve farmland productivity, the Chinese government has implemented a basic farmland protection system (BFPS). A comprehensive and systematic analysis of the evolution mechanism of the BFPS, the failures of the BFPS and the key measures of the modern BFPS reform is lacking in the current literature. Based on a systematic review of the history of China's BFPS, this study first summarizes the evolutionary mechanism of the BFPS, then analyzes the current conflicts faced by the BFPS on this basis, proposes several main breakthrough strategies for improving the BFPS and finally provides key ideas for further strengthening the development of the BFPS in the future. The results of this study show that China's BFPS has gone through three development stages since 1963 and that there are differences in the main factors hindering the improvement in basic farmland productivity in the different stages. Correspondingly, the systems adopted to meet the demands for basic farmland protection are also different. The evolution of the BFPS is similar to a "scale" that constantly seeks balance between "system demand" and "system supply". In the present stage, the main conflicts faced by China's BFPS are between basic farmland quality and requirements for supplementary delimitation and production patterns; between basic farmland quantity, urban development and food security; and between basic farmland-use regulation and modern agriculture and the market economy. The Chinese government should further optimize the BFPS through improving the delimitation system, establishing a classified protection system and strengthening the basic farmland protection compensation system. To accelerate the establishment of a territorial spatial planning system in the future, the BFPS should also be fully integrated with the concept of an ecological civilization, be applied to resolve the contradiction between development and protection and be used to help improve the land-space-utilization control system, thus creating a unified development guide for national land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on political and historical sources and on the analysis of Chinese presence within international organizations, this article aims at showing the evolution of the Chinese Internet governance model. Namely, this study highlights the Chinese shift from a status of a norm taker to that of a norm maker. This research argues that China began to be engaged in the global governance discussion of the Internet from the first years of its Internet history. Because of its historical relations with China and its impact on domestic Chinese Internet history, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was considered the ideal international organization to govern the global Internet. The present article confirms this through the analysis of Mr. Zhao Houlin's strategies before and after his election as Secretary General of the ITU. Finally, in line with the rationale of the present special issue, this research argues that the Chinese role in the global Internet governance debate does not reverse its status quo of the global Internet governance. Whereas, given China's engagement in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), engagement suggests a collaborative attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaves of Engelhardia roxburghiana Wall (LERW) has been used as sweet tea in China throughout history. In this study, the ethanol extract of LERW (E-LERW) was prepared and the compositions were identified by HPLC-MS/MS. It indicates that astilbin was the predominant component in E-LERW. In addition, E-LERW was abundant in polyphenols. Compared to astilbin, E-LERW presented much more powerful antioxidant activity. The E-LERW also had stronger affinity with α-glucosidase and exerted more vigorous inhibitory effect on the enzyme. Alloxan-induced diabetic mice had significantly elevated glucose and lipid levels. Treatment with E-LERW at the medium dose (M) of 300 mg/kg could reduce the levels of glucose, TG, TC, and LDL by 16.64%, 12.87%, 32.70%, and 22.99%, respectively. In addition, E-LERW (M) decreased food intake, water intake, and excretion by 27.29%, 36.15%, and 30.93%, respectively. Moreover, E-LERW (M) therapy increased the mouse weight and insulin secretion by 25.30% and 494.52%. With respect to the astilbin control, E-LERW was more efficient in reducing the food and drink consumption and protecting pancreatic islet and body organs from alloxan-induced damage. The study demonstrates that E-LERW may be a promising functional ingredient for the adjuvant therapy of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the introduction of the 16 + 1 cooperation platform in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in 2012, bilateral relations between China and Czechia warmed up in the period 2015–2017, most notably when they became strategic partners in 2016. However, relations declined thereafter due to factors such as China's underwhelming investment programme, the Czech focus on security and human rights, and some Czech politicians' engagement with Taiwan. This article analyses the shortcomings inherent in Chinese and Czech interpretations of their partner's approaches to the relationship. The analysis demonstrates that several factors have undermined China's efforts to build solid bilateral relations. Above all, China's misunderstanding of the ways in which the Czech political system and culture influence the formulation of Czech policy towards China, combined with underwhelming economic results, have undermined China's diplomatic efforts. At the same time, the fragmentation of Czech political power structures means that it is difficult for Czechia to form a stable consensus on China policy. In addition, lack of understanding of China's history and the contemporary context of its foreign policy means that Czech views on China have become politicised and polarised. These problems have seriously affected the mutual trust and development of relations between the two countries, in the same way as they have impacted relations between China and other CEE countries, most notably Lithuania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach - This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings - The mythology of the dragon extends back into the mists of ancient Chinese history. Thought to be one of the primal spirits of the world, the dragon, symbolizing both power and wisdom, had a natural affinity with the lakes and rivers of China where it was believed to reside. The Chinese emperors adopted the dragon as the symbol of their imperial power and today the dragon is understood as a common metaphor for China itself: vast and powerful, beautiful and mysterious. However, the image of the dragon as a benevolent, protective spirit may be giving way to a more European interpretation of dragon mythology, which historically viewed the dragon as a marauding supernatural beast, spitting poisonous fire and leaving devastation in its wake. This can be understood when the cost of China's rapid industrialization is weighed up against the price paid by China's air and water quality, and ultimately by the health of China's greatest asset, the Chinese people. Practical implications - This paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Originality/value - The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of co-fusion was one of the essential topics in the history of metallurgy in China. Simulation experiments were an essential concept in the study of the co-fusion steelmaking process. This paper mainly studied the simulation experiments of co-fusion from two aspects: the replication of co-fusion swords by three different methods and the micro-analysis of the co-fusion samples. The experimental results indicated that several co-fusion swords could be made by different processes, but the carbon content and surface hardness were quite different. During repeated forge welding, the microstructure of the samples transformed from laminated to homogenized; finally, a steel with a uniform carbon content was obtained. It was challenging to determine the characteristics of co-fusion from the homogenized samples. The results prompt a rethinking of the microstructural characteristics of ancient co-fusion artifacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's electricity industry has gone through three decades of market-oriented reform, and this process is often interpreted as a tug of war between marketization and state control. However, this paper argues that a dichotomous conception of the state-market relationship cannot explain the evolution and complexity of China's electricity governance. By systematically analyzing the institutions of China's electricity reform, this paper identifies a sequence of innovations that align well with both the history of China's economic transition and the institutional underpinnings of China's economic governance. Also, by interpreting the respective roles of state and market in China's reformed electricity industry, this paper shows that state control and marketization are complementary rather than contradictory, and that their complementarity is best exercised in addressing issues like market fragmentation and renewable energy curtailment. Moreover, this paper presents two case studies – both on China's most recent electricity market experimentation – to elaborate how state and market jointly serve sectoral functions as well as broader economic and political goals. • State control and marketization are complementary in China's electricity reform. • China's electricity reform delivers a sequence of institutional innovations. • Institutions help explain the evolution of China's electricity governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dragon's blood that is extracted from Dracaena plants has been widely used as traditional medicine in various ancient cultures. The application of dragon's blood has a cherished history in China, even though the original plants were not discovered for some period. Dracaena cochinchinensis and Dracaena cambodiana were successively discovered in southern China during the 1970s–1980s. In the last half of the century, Chinese scientists have extensively investigated the production of dragon's blood from these two Dracaena species, whereas these results have not been previously systematically summarized, as in the present paper. Herein, we present the applied history in ancient China and artificially induced technologies for dragon's blood development based on these two Dracaena species, in particular, using tissue cultures seedlings and tender plants of D. cambodiana. Big data research, including transcriptomic and genomic studies, has suggested that dragon's blood might be a defense substance that is secreted by Dracaena plants in response to (a)biotic stimuli. This review represents an effort to highlight the progress and achievements from applied history as well as induction techniques that are used for the formation of dragon's blood that have taken place in China. Such knowledge might aid in the global conservation of wild Dracaena species and contribute to understanding dragon blood formation mechanisms, eventually assisting in the efficient utilization of limited Dracaena plant resources for the sustainable production of dragon's blood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the application of geographic information systems (GIS) in the evaluation of the accuracy of early maps through a case study of The Map of the Prefectural Capitalof 1261. The evaluation of the accuracy of early maps is an important aspect of the study of the history of cartography, but no standard methodology has been generally accepted. The purpose of this paper is to assess the positional accuracy and the relative relations of the spatial objects on The Map of the Prefectural Capitalusing GIS. The procedure of the study includes identification of locations of the points and features of The Map of the Prefectural Capital on a modern base map, digitization of the early map and the modern base map, overlays of the digitized early map and modern base map, and an analysis of the absolute and relative distortion of the early map. The results of the analysis show that The Map of the Prefectural Capitalof 1261 is reasonably accurate considering the technical ability of the thirteenth century, although it contains a considerable amount of positional displacement. In contrast to the amount of positional displacement, the relative relations among the objects are depicted much more precisely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I advance a recent epigraphic approach to historical study by foregrounding steles as a medium that functions both to communicate information and project authority publicly. Scholars taking this approach have explored distinctive genres of steles to transform our understanding of north China under Mongol rule. Through a case study, I show how a set of steles installed in the fifteenth-century rural world of north China transmitted authority and power not just through the content of their inscriptions but also through other written and unwritten information they stored. I give particular attention to the ways in which the inscriptions were materialized and visualized. In doing so, I argue that emphasizing the public communication function of steles challenges us to think beyond primary sources strictly in terms of their textual value to reflect more broadly on modes of transmission and the power dynamics contained within them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li Zehou is one of the most influential contemporary Chinese thinkers, both in China and abroad. Never easy to pin down, Li's interests range from aesthetics and shamanism, to ontology and ethics. Some of his writings are centered on specific topics, such as Immanuel Kant's philosophy or the Analects, while others look at broader issues, including the history of Chinese thought and Marxism in China. This short essay focuses on Li's least well-known book, What Is Morality?—a collection of dialogues between Li and scholars from around China. We will explore how these conversations, like much of Li's work, express his "super-mundane" approach to philosophical reflection in terms of both his methodology as well as his actual theories. Here "super-mundane" means both "supermundane" or that which transcends the mundane, as well as the "super mundane" or extremely mundane. The virtues of this "super-mundane" approach are numerous, especially when contrasted to today's mainstream Western academic philosophical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kaifeng is a well-known ancient capital in Chinese history. However, existing knowledge of its urban history derives primarily from historical documents rather than archaeology. In the last decade, archaeologists, including several authors of this article, have conducted many systematic excavations in Kaifeng city and unearthed large amounts of cultural material. Based on these materials, this article attempts to reconstruct the history of Kaifeng's urban development beyond text, explores the local depositional features and summarizes experience of urban archaeology. Our investigation suggests that the urban space of Kaifeng has been continuously used for over 1000 years, while its city boundaries, political core zones and central axis have remained relatively unchanged; the flood deposits make it possible to conduct fieldwork under the 'Pompeii premise'. Additionally, our experience suggests that an holistic design, an applied multi-disciplinary approach, and coordination with city administrators, constructors and residents are key to successful urban archaeology programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this interview, the Chinese playwright and drama education pioneer Li Yingning (b. 1942) talks about her life and way into educational drama. Li and her family's life is to a remarkably large extent connected to modern Chinese history. Li's plays focus on women's issues, social problems and historical productions. Her life seems to include much of China's modern history – and drama – in many levels of meaning of this word. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the history of the development of Chinese culture, the Six Dynasties culture occupies an important position. Among them, Qi-Liang culture has achieved prosperous development in the fields of art, literature, science and technology, and is an important organic part of the Six Dynasties culture. The Southern Dynasty is an important historical stage in the development of villages in China. Taking Qi-Liang culture as the background, the scale, economy and organizational form of villages in the Southern Dynasty are studied. It is concluded that Qi-Liang culture has a positive and negative impacts on the development of villages in the Southern Dynasty, with a view to providing reference for the protection and utilization of ancient villages and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of Buddhist monastic reconstruction has long focused on the leading role played by well-connected literati and charismatic monks in periods of fervent Buddhist revival in the late Ming and late Qing respectively. This article seeks to redirect scholarly focus and give voice to clerics and institutions that are so far marginalized in the history of Chinese Buddhism. By using legal archives, this article examines how ordinary clerics, including Daoists, used locally available resources to finance temple reconstruction in nineteenth-century Sichuan. In particular, since Sichuan had rich coal deposits and timber reserves, they routinely tapped into these resources to fund reconstruction projects. However, such efforts tended to aggravate the clergy-laity relationship due to ecological and fengshui concerns. In this regard, reconstruction did not always build upon and lead to community consensus. By foregrounding the experience of less-known Buddhist clerics, the article questions the dominant narrative of monastic reconstruction and deepens our understanding of the complexity of institutional Buddhism in imperial China. 學界關於佛教寺廟重建的研究長期聚焦在明末或清末佛教復興時期士紳和高僧的領導作用。與之相對，本文把目光轉向在佛教研究中被長期邊緣化的底層僧侶。通過利用檔案材料，本文探討十九世紀四川底層佛教和道教僧侶如何利用地方資源來籌措資金進行寺廟重建。尤其值得注意的是，因為四川煤炭和木材資源豐富，當地僧侶充分利用這些資源來為重建提供資金支持。但是，由於生態和風水因素的影響，這種做法有可能導致僧俗關係的惡化。因此，寺廟重加並不一定建立在地方社會共識的基礎上，也不一定必然會促進僧俗關係的改善。通過視角轉移，本文對現有寺廟重建的敘事提出質疑，藉此加深學界對於帝製晚期製度性佛教的認識。 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South Qinling Belt is a key area for understanding the collisional history of the South China and North China blocks during the Lopingian (late Permian) and Triassic. This paper establishes the first integrated timescale based on conodont biostratigraphy and δ13C carb records from a continuous end Permian to the end-Early Triassic succession at Yiwagou, South Qinling Platform (SQP). Ten Early Triassic conodont zones are established. They are, in ascending order, Hindeodus parvus , H. postparvus , Neospathodus dieneri , Eurygnathodus costatus and E. hamadai , Novispathodus waageni - Scythogondolella mosheri , Pachycladina - Parachirognathus assemblage, Triassospathodus hungaricus , Ns. robustispinus and T. clinatus zones. Our record of δ13C carb fluctuations shows close correspondence to known Early Triassic carbon isotope fluctuations and, in combination with the conodont data, helps achieve a high-resolution age model for the region. The use of E. costatus as a good auxiliary marker for the Induan-Olenekian boundary (IOB), within palaeolatitudes of 40°N-40°S, is supported but it can not replace the use of Nv. waageni , because the former is absent in higher-latitude and cooler regions. The conodont faunas from the Palaeo-Tethyan Yiwagou section closely resemble those from the Northern Yangtze Platform (NYP), but they differ somewhat from the contemporaneous Nanpanjiang Basin at species level. Thus, the Qinling Sea was likely well connected with the NYP in the Early Triassic, but was more isolated from the Nanpanjiang Basin. The remarkable reappearance of Hindeodus fauna around the IOB at Yiwagou implies that the shallow-water Qinling Sea was a refuge area for this genus long after its disappearance elsewhere. • Conodont biostratigraphy and δ13C carb records from end Permian to the end-Early Triassic succession at Yiwagou, South Qinling Platform. • Discussion of index conodont for the Induan-Olenekian boundary. • Comparison of the conodont faunas between the eastern Paleo-Tethyan Yiwagou, South China and the western Paleo-Tethyan Europe. • The shallow-water Qinling Sea was a refuge area for Hindeodus fauna after Griesbachian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As documented in several studies, lake sediments in south-western China are important archives to decipher Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) variability through reconstructions of precipitation and temperature changes, based on multi-proxy analysis of lake sediments. However, lacustrine records on glacial–interglacial timescales in south-western China remain limited because of a lack of reliable long chronologies. In this paper, we provide a 53 ka chronology for the Beihai wetland (core TCBH14) deposits in combination with luminescence and radiocarbon dating of sediments for the upper 13.4 m of a 36.6 m long drill core. The reliability of our chronological framework was verified within two independent chronology sequences and validated by correlations with regional chronostratigraphy. Results suggest that luminescence dating is a feasible method that can provide reliable age controls for lake sediments in south-western China. The depositional history of the Beihai wetland was characterised by alternating lake and wetland facies. Lakes existed at 52–47 ka, 41–32 ka, 26–19 ka and 11–7 ka, whereas a wetland system prevailed at 47–41 ka, 32–26 ka, 19–11 ka, and after ~7 ka. The patterns and formation periods of alternate lake–wetland successions are consistent with speleothem δ18O and lake δD wax records in South Asia, indicating that the sedimentary evolution of the Beihai wetland and other lake–wetland systems in this region are closely linked to ISM-dominated hydroclimate changes. Correlation of sedimentation rates (SRs) of the studied core (TCBH14) with the cores from 11 additional lakes in south-western China suggest that higher SRs occurred during the periods 47–34 ka, 26–19 ka,15–3 ka, and the early Holocene (11–7 ka). In contrast, lower SRs existed during the periods 50–47 ka, 34–26 ka, the last deglaciation (19–15 ka and 12–11 ka), and the middle Holocene (7–5 ka). Thus, we infer that such quasi-synchronous variations of the SRs from these different lakes in south-western China were strongly controlled by the suborbital- or millennial-scale regional hydroclimate, keeping pace with the Northern Hemisphere insolation-induced ISM variability since the last glaciation. • Luminescence dating is a useful method to determine ages of lake sediments in south-western China • A chronology sequence spanning 53 ka was established for the Beihai wetland deposits • The depositional history of the Beihai wetland was characterised by alternate lake–wetland successions • The Beihai wetland sedimentary evolution is closely linked to ISM-dominated hydroclimate change • The SRs of the Beihai wetland show comparative trends with others in south-western China lakes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a consideration of the introductions that Yingjin Zhang wrote for the first and final solo-edited volumes of his career, China in a Polycentric World (1998) and A World History of Chinese Literature (2023), this essay examines some of the concerns with the relationship between Chinese and world literature that preoccupied Zhang throughout his career. In particular, he approached the category of Chinese literature and culture as being grounded in a concept of Chineseness understood not as a national but rather as a cultural category. Moreover, he stressed that Chinese and world literature are best understood not as discrete concepts or categories, but rather as dynamic practices, which has allowed them to consistently exceed and transcend political or institutional attempts to limit the literary field's nominal scope or possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]