Contents

(No. 3, 2021)

Significance of Chinese Civilization in the World

Henri Maspero’s Study of Early Chinese Civilization ····················································Xie Zeying ( 5 )

The Value of Chinese Civilization: A Study on the Neo-Confucianism of the American Sinologist Wm. Theodore de Bary ·····················································································Deng Lin ( 11 )

The Restoration of Ancient Optimism: On Kojiro Yoshikawa’s Study of Du Fu ····Zhao Ruicai & Pei Suwan ( 16 )

Early Western Sinology

Preliminary Examination of the Literature Sources ofTratados históricos, políticos, éticos y religiosos de la monarquía de China··················································································Wei Jingxiang ( 22 )

On theBiography of Blessed Odorico da Pordenoneby Guo Dongchen ·····························Qiu Zhirong ( 31 )

Chinese Classics Overseas

A Review on the Research on Character Portrayal inShuihu Zhuanin the English-Speaking World ···Li Jinmei ( 40 )

A Study on the Topic of Growth inDream of the Red Chamberin the English-Speaking World ··········Li Li ( 48 )

Interview

Translation and Study of Pre-Qin Literature—Interview with French Sinologist Rémi Mathieu ·················································Lu Mengya ( 57 )

Sinologists’ Specialization

In Memory of the French Sinologist Lionel Vairon ······················································Yan Chunde ( 64 )

The Academic Significance of the Chinese Annotation in a Japanese Text Written in Chinese:The Collected Works of Miyakono Yoshika········································································Wang Xiaoping ( 68 )

A Study on Sarah Allan’s Taigong Wang Research ····························································Guo Li ( 79 )

Sino-Foreign Cultural Exchanges

The Catholics in Jiangnan and the Chinese Rites Controversy during the Kangxi Reign ················Han Qi ( 83 )

Research on the Art in the Cemetery of Chala in Beijing ···············································Chen Xinyu ( 94 )

Geng Sheng and the Study of the History of Sino-Foreign Relations ···································Liu Weiran (102)

The Academic Exchange of the Institute of History and Philology and Its Study of International Sinology(1928—1949) ··························································································Liu Chengjun (109)

Sinological Studies in Different Countries

Reflections on the Research History of American Sinology ·············································Hou Qie’an (116)

French Research on the Historical Geography of the Western Regions of China in the First Half of the 20th Century:T’oung Pao ·················································································································Ding Sigan (125)

The Interpretation and Negation of Mencius’ Concept of Well-Field in Edo Era of Japan ·········Lin Tongwei (133)

Bibliography Studies

Sixteenth Century Chinese Documents in the Vatican Library:Vat. estr.-or. 66 with Nicolas Audebert(Abridged) ······················Yu Dong Clara Trans. Dong Dan & Yu Hanbo Revised by Yu Dong Clara (140)

Pedigree and Circulation: Research on the Spread ofKangxi Dictionaryin East Asia ··············Pei Mengsu (158)

Chinese Art History Overseas

The Relationship Between the “Hispano-Philippine” Ivory Figures and Zhangzhou Ivory Carving··············································································································Zhou Meng (165)

The Porcelain of Meißen City in German and Chinese Culture ········································Gu Nianmao (173)

The Dissemination of the Art of Qi Baishi in Czechoslovakia in the 20th Century ···········Zhang Chuanwei (179)

Book Reviews

Comment on Theirry Meynard’sShengchao zuopi jiaozhu···········································Wang Xiliang (185)

A Review ofStudies of Modern Chinese Literature in the English World··············Geng Jiyong & Liu Yan (189)

Academic Trends

Six Sinologists Who Won the 14th Special Book Award of China ······································Zhao Daxin (195)

Afterword

Craftsman Spirit is Needed in the Field of Sinology Studies ··········································Ren Dayuan (199)

Select Abstracts

Henri Maspero’s Study of Early Chinese Civilization

Xie Zeying

Abstract: At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, early Chinese civilization and related issues were much studied by the researchers in China and abroad. Among them, the French sinologist Henri Maspero, in his series of studies, using traditional Chinese documents and guided by the overall research perspective of French social science, accomplished the triple task of refuting the doctrine of the nation having been derived from the West, identifying the root of the difference between theYi夷and theXia夏, and summarizing the characteristics of early Chinese civilization. Comparing original Chinese and French materials, this paper attempts to present the research results of Henri Maspero’s study of early Chinese civilization, and to analyze how his studies were affected by the delay in translation and bad luck, thus failing to attract the attention of academic circles in the Republic of China.

Key words: Henri Maspero, the Republic of China, Chinese civilization

The Value of Chinese Civilization: A Study on the Neo-Confucianism of the American Sinologist Wm. Theodore de Bary

Deng Lin

Abstract: This article adopts the research methods of comparative literature and overseas sinology to explain in detail three aspects of the Neo-Confucianism research of Wm. Theodore de Bary: the source of its Neo-Confucianism thought, its major characteristics, and its influence on later generations, with the aim to show the value and significance of the Neo-Confucianism research of de Bary for the development of world civilization.

Key words: Wm. Theodore de Bary, Neo-Confucianism, heterogeneous cultures, cultural diversity

The Restoration of Ancient Optimism: On Kojiro Yoshikawa’s Study of Du Fu

Zhao Ruicai & Pei Suwan

Abstract: Kojiro Yoshikawa’s achievements in the study of Du Fu are the most outstanding in Japan after World War II. He studied the artistry and reality of Du’s poems by means of both textual research and historical materials, observing the characteristics of the centrifugal divergence and centripetal cohesion of the relationship between Du’s poetic genre and style. This kind of research is not only a detailed investigation of Du Fu’s poems based on literary or historical materials, but also a study beyond the text, which is an exploration of sensibility and imagination, that is conducive to substantive solutions to research problems related to Du Fu.

Key words: Kojiro Yoshikawa, study on Du Fu, literary history, down-to-earth learning

Preliminary Examination of the Literature Sources ofTratados históricos, políticos, éticos y religiosos de la monarquía de China

Wei Jingxiang

Abstract: In the second half of the 17th century, the Spanish Dominican Domingo Fernández de Navarrete published the seven volumes ofTratados históricos, políticos, éticos y religiosos de la monarquía de China. This paper, based on the original Spanish text of Navarrete and the first-hand documents of other missionaries in China,systematically dissects and studies the Chinese and Spanish documents used in order to trace the original sources ofTratados.

Key words:Tratados históricos, políticos, éticos y religiosos de la monarquía de China, Domingo Fernández de Navarrete, Spanish sinology

On theBiography of Blessed Odorico da Pordenoneby Guo Dongchen

Qiu Zhirong

Abstract: This article, based on investigations of the available copies ofZhenfu Hedeli Zhuan(Biography of Blessed Odorico da Pordenone), analyzes the composition of the book, its structure, characteristics, and influence.As the first Chinese translation with notes and an in-depth introduction to theItinerarium, which was based on the dictation ofOdorico da Pordenone, it is not only the first Chinese translation of European travels to China,but also the most comprehensive study ofOdorico da Pordenonein China, whose academic value cannot be underestimated.

Keywords: Odorico da Pordenone, Guo Dongchen,Itinerarium, history of Sino-foreign contacts, sinology in Italy

A Review on the Research on Character Portrayal inShuihu Zhuanin the English-Speaking World

Li Jinmei

Abstract: This article mainly sorts out three representative viewpoints on the character portrayal inShuihu Zhuanin the English-speaking world: characters portrayed by “action and words”, the lack of psychological description of characters, and the comparison and pairing in the characterization of characters. This study also summarizes the comments on characters and analyzes the literary criticism of taking the inner description of the characters in the Western novels as the standard, and explains the influence of Jin Shengtan’s commentary on the study of character portrayal inShuihu Zhuanin the English-speaking world.

Key words:Shuihu Zhuan, English-speaking world, character portrayal, Jin Shengtan’s commentary

A Study on the Topic of Growth inDream of the Red Chamberin the English-Speaking World

Li Li

Abstract: This paper examines in chronological order from the 1970s till the present the study of the topic of growth in the classic Chinese novelDream of the Red Chamber. By analyzing the important viewpoints and theoretical frameworks of the research achievements in each decade, this examination presents a glimpse of the development and characteristics ofDream of the Red Chamberstudy in the English-speaking world.

Key words:Dream of the Red Chamber, research in the English-speaking world, the topic of growth

The Academic Significance of the Chinese Annotation in a Japanese Text Written in Chinese:The Collected Works of Miyakono Yoshika

Wang Xiaoping

Abstract: In addition to drawing upon the essence of the Japanese-annotated Chinese literature, Chineseannotated Japanese literature can also draw upon the research achievements of Chinese scholars related to Dunhuang scrolls, stone inscriptions and the novels of the Ming and Qing dynasties, thus providing new basic research materials for the literary exchanges between China and foreign countries. Taking the annotated edition ofThe Collected Works of Miyakono Yoshikafrom the Heian period as an example, this study expounds the multiple meanings of Chinese annotations in promoting Chinese literature.

Key words: Japanese sinology, Chinese-annotated Japanese literature, Chinese annotation, Chinese Literature,The Collected Works of Miyakono Yoshika

A Study on Sarah Allan’s Taigong Wang Research

Guo Li

Abstract: On the basis of documents of the Pre-Qin and the Han dynasties, Sarah Allan examined the contribution, political status and social identity of Taigong Wang in history and analyzes the chronology of the literature, the reasons for the legend and the cultural connotations of the identities of Taigong Wang as a fisherman, a hermit, a lobbyist, a butcher and a boatman. Professor Allan’s research on Taigong Wang attached great importance to both bronze inscriptions and classical books, fully bringing together the research achievements of modern and contemporary scholars in both the East and the West. Moreover, she enhanced various research contents and methods, which can be used as a reference for Chinese scholars.

Key words: Sarah Allan, North American sinology, Taigong Wang, history and legend, cultural connotations

The Catholics in Jiangnan and the Chinese Rites Controversy during the Kangxi Reign

Han Qi

Abstract: The Chinese Rites Controversy was an important event in the history of Sino-Western relation in the Qing dynasty, in which Chinese Christians played an important role. Based on the new historical documents found in the Jesuit Archive in Rome, this article discusses in detail the religious activities of Chinese Catholics in Jiangnan, their views on the worship of Confucius and ancestors, and their relationship with the Jesuit missionaries, thus revealing the network of Catholic communication in the Kangxi reign.

Key words: Chinese Rites Controversy, Jesuits, Chinese Christians, Kangxi reign

Research on the Art in the Cemetery of Chala in Beijing

Chen Xinyu

Abstract: This study mainly discusses the stone-carving art in the cemetery of Chala in Beijing using Western beliefs from traditional burial regulations and the integration of Chinese and Western cultures. On the one hand, the art reflects the localization process of the Catholic mission in China; and on the other hand, it shows the cultural concept of the careful pursuit of the future in Chinese burial culture.

Key words: the cemetery of Chala in Beijing, Catholicism in China, Christian cross, Matteo Ricci

Geng Sheng and the Study of the History of Sino-Foreign Relations

Liu Weiran

Abstract: Geng Sheng devoted his life to the study of the history of Sino-foreign relations which covers the history of French sinology, the history of Chinese and Western cultural exchanges, the history of Western Regions,etc.. He made great achievements in the above fields. Geng Sheng was diligent in writing, not only translated a large number of academic masterpieces, but also published a series of papers from the fields such as development of French sinology, the missionaries in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the influence of Chinese culture on Europe, etc.. It has had an important influence in the academic world, promoted Sino-French academic exchanges and made significant contributions to the study of the history of Sino-foreign relations in China.

Key words: Geng Sheng, History of Sino-foreign relations, French sinology, Silk Road, History of Western Region, Tunhuangology

The Academic Exchange of the Institute of History and Philology and Its Study of International Sinology (1928—1949)

Liu Chengjun

Abstract: Through a multi-system construction, the Institute of History and Philology has, on one hand,introduced the research methods and achievements of international sinology by employing foreign researchers and sending students overseas; and, on the other hand, it has exported its academic publications to foreign academic circles by exchanging publications with foreign academic institutions, and participated in international academic organizations. With the excellent scholars and good promotion of its organization, the Institute promoted dialogues, exchanges and interactions among Chinese and the international academics, thus earned an international reputation for the Chinese academics.

Key words: Institute of History and Philology, international sinology, system constructions, academic exchanges

Reflections on the Research History of American Sinology

Hou Qie’an

Abstract:Based on the author’s understanding of sinology, this paper reflects on the research history of sinology in the United States, demonstrates the evolution of American sinology, and analyzes the changes of its main characteristics. Meanwhile, combined with the author’s academic research experience and the cross-cultural perspective, this paper makes a comparative study on the research paradigms, the exchanges between Chinese and American scholars, then puts that attention should be paid to case studies and epistemological studies, so as to inject vitality into the study of American sinology in the future.

Key words: history of American sinology, academic reflections, academic history

French Research on the Historical Geography of the Western Regions of China in the First Half of the 20th Century:T’oung Pao

Ding Sigan

Abstract: Founded in 1890 and coedited by French and Dutch sinologists,T’oung Paohas maintained about 10% of its space from its inception to the first half of the 20th century, for publishing papers, book reviews and investigation reports on the historical and geological research on the western regions of China. By sorting out the articles in the special column ofT’oung Pao, we can find that in the first half of the 20th century, French research on the western regions of China entered a prosperous period under the leadership of Édouard Chavannes and Paul Pelliot.

Key words:T’oung Pao, Édouard Chavannes, Paul Pelliot, research on the western regions of China

The Interpretation and Negation of Mencius’ Concept of Well-Field in Edo Era of Japan

Lin Tongwei

Abstract: As a traditional resource of economic thought in East Asia, Mencius’ conception of Well-Field was mentioned again and again. It led to new discussions in the context of thriving Confucian studies and increasingly prominent land contradictions in early modern Japan. From the perspectives of the Japanese scholars at that time,the Well-Field system was believed to be an effective way for a benevolent government. Public land should not be traded and the idea of equal distribution was also emphasized. But, on the other hand, these Japanese scholars were against the implementation of reconstructing the Well-Field system as an actual reform plan. In a sense, these discussions had swept away some ideological barriers for the subsequent, capitalist land-system reform in Japan.

Key words: Mencius, Well-Field system, Edo Era, Confucianism, land policy

Pedigree and Circulation: Research on the Spread ofKangxi Dictionaryin East Asia

Pei Mengsu

Abstract: Since its publication in 1716, theKangxi Dictionary, as the most extensive and complete official book of its time, has been popular in China. This masterpiece soon spread overseas. The influence ofKangxi Dictionaryon overseas sinology, especially in the East Asian countries that have been influenced by Chinese culture for a long time, should not be underestimated. The influence of theKangxi Dictionaryis not only reflected in the establishment of a new lexicography-compilation mode, but also reflects the circulation of the development of East Asian lexicography through theKangxi Dictionary.

Key words:Kangxi Dictionary, East Asia, pedigree dictionaries, influence and circulation

The Relationship Between “Hispano-Philippine” Ivory Figures and Zhangzhou Ivory Carving

Zhou Meng

Abstract: The Hispano-Philippine Cristian ivory figures, made by Chinese craftsmen for overseas markets during the 16th and 17th centuries, have been integrated with many Chinese elements and were closely related to the ivory carving objects emerging in Zhangzhou in the same period of the late Ming dynasty. From the perspective of the history of art exchanges between China and foreign countries, this article uses multiple materials from China and abroad to explore the Chinese elements of the Hispano-Philippine ivories as well as their relationship with the Zhangzhou ivory carving. It also briefly analyzes the craft creations of the craftsmen from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou. This essay also contends that popular Chinese artistic images such as Songzi Guanyin and nude female figures from the Ming and Qing dynasties, may have been influenced by these European religious figures which were the product of the blending of the style of the East and West.

Key words: Hispano-Philippine style, Zhangzhou ivory carving, art and religion, East-West cultural exchanges

The Porcelain of Meißen City in German and Chinese Culture

Gu Nianmao

Abstract: After the great navigation era, the global flow of materials not only moved from one place to another, but they were also exchanged purposefully across cultural and political boundaries. Chinese porcelain quickly became popular among Europeans for its excellent quality and exquisite decoration. And Europeans rushed to buy and imitate Chinese porcelain. The city of Meißen in Germany took the lead in becoming the birthplace of European porcelain. Meißen porcelain imitated Chinese cultural elements and porcelain painting style in its early stage and continued to merge Europe elements with Chinese culture. Meißen porcelain soon gained reputation in Europe. Porcelain thus made an important contribution to the construction of the image of China and the spread of Chinese culture in Europe.

Key words: the age of globalization, Meißen porcelain, Chinese culture

The Dissemination of the Art of Qi Baishi in Czechoslovakia in the 20th Century

Zhang Chuanwei

Abstract: This article reviews and assesses the dissemination of Qi Baishi’s art in Czechoslovakia since the 1920s. It also discusses its reception and influence as well as the reasons why his artistic achievements were highly respected in Czechoslovakia. Furthermore, there is an analysis of the historical factors that affected sinological studies in Czechoslovakia. On this basis, this study summarizes the main characteristics of the dissemination of Qi Baishi’s art in Czechoslovakia, that is, the process as affected by the specific political environment, the motivation for its dissemination that is changed from commercial interests to academic research, and the mode of change goes from interpersonal communication to institutional cooperation.

Key words: Qi Baishi, Czechoslovak sinology, Vojtech Chytil, Josef Hejzlar