What areas of China do overseas sinologists focus on?

Beijing, May 5 -- What areas do overseas sinologists pay attention to in China?

Written by Wen Longjie Han Yu

Bibliography of Overseas China Studies Chinese: 1978-2018 is a reference book compiled by Yin Hanchao, Deputy Director and Associate Research Librarian of the Overseas China Studies and Information Center of the National Library of China, and published by Xueyuan Press in December 2022. It extensively collects bibliographic information of overseas Chinese studies Chinese translations and monographs from 12 to 1978, takes time as the outline and research works as the main line, and records the publication information of various works in detail according to the "Chinese Library Classification Law", which comprehensively reflects the research status of Chinese Chinese studies books since 2018, so as to facilitate readers to understand the research and translation of overseas Chinese studies in domestic academic circles. This is the first book on overseas Chinese studies in China, and it is one of the most complete reference books on Chinese studies so far Chinese books.

This book is one of the books in the series "Mutual Learning among Civilizations: China and the World" edited by Zhang Xiping, a professor at Beijing University of Foreign Chinese and an academic advisor to the "East-West Think Tank" of China News Agency. Whether it is "sinology", "China Studies" or "Chinese Studies Chinese", whether it focuses on traditional Chinese culture or contemporary political economy, overseas China studies are all learned born from the collision and exchange of civilizations. From the observation records of missionaries to China, to 1814, when the French Academy began to set up the "Sinology" research chair, and then to the formation of specialized academic institutions and journals around the world in the 20th century, overseas Chinese studies have become more and more prominent, and China as a research topic has become more and more prominent in the world, especially since 1978. Therefore, the information collection and dynamic tracking of overseas Chinese studies have become an important basic literature work of overseas Chinese studies.

"As a product of the collision of Chinese and foreign cultures, overseas China studies more reflects how the 'other' observes, views and understands Chinese culture." Yin Hanchao explained in the preface. "Understanding how overseas scholars view China and understanding foreigners' attitudes towards Chinese culture, whether right or wrong, will stimulate us to think about our own culture, re-examine the relationship between local culture and foreign culture, and use the 'other' to observe our own culture, and we must have new perspectives, new discoveries, and new creations." Yin Hanchao believes that this can truly establish national self-esteem and cultural self-confidence, and then form a sense of recognition and mission for the historical responsibility of revitalizing Chinese civilization.

This book includes Chinese books in overseas China studies published and distributed in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and abroad from 1978 to 2018. Bibliography has a long history in China, with deep accumulation and lofty status. "Purpose" refers to the name of the chapter or volume of the book, and "record" refers to "narrative", that is, a brief introduction to the content of the book, the author's deeds, the evaluation, the proofreading process, etc.; It also includes the classification of the books received. Therefore, catalogs have always been valued as a tool for people to understand books and guide reading introductions. The Qingqianjia school has the saying that "governance must be cured".

From the perspective of the origin of Chinese bibliography, the canonical texts of the Shang and Zhou historians, the "Six Classics" compiled by Confucius, and the compilation of the "Bilu" and "Seven Sketches" compiled by Liu Xiang and Liu Xin of the Western Han Dynasty, the catalogue work has the public nature of recording and sorting and preserving for future generations. As Professor Zhang Xiping, editor-in-chief of the series, wrote in the preface to this book, "Learning is not just a few books produced by individuals, so as to pass them on, learning is a whole, and it requires someone to do literature and compile a catalog." These tasks are time-consuming and laborious, but their value and usefulness are by no means inferior to an academic monograph. Philology and bibliography embody the essence of learning: learning is the public instrument of the world. From this point of view, the significance of this book is much more than a bibliography, it is a brick of public undertakings and a portrait of the history of civilization.