This Is China: The First 5,000 Years

by Haiwang Yuan (Editor), Ronald G. Knapp (Editor), Margot E. Landman (Editor)

This Is China contains, in brief, everything we need to know about 5,000 years of history, 30 years of opening, and a future that promises to shape the 21st century for all of us. Drawn from the vast resources of the Berkshire Encyclopedia of China, this concise 120-page book is recommended for classroom use, curriculum development, and student review. Visit product bit.ly/thisischina

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction, Asia

134 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2010

Reviews

[Tish · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for concise coverage of the dynasties. 3 stars for coverage of modern China.

Shang Dynasty: Ancestor Worship and Oracle Bones

"Someone would write a question on a bone, or ask for a prediction about the future––would the next military campaign be a success, what were the prospects for the upcoming royal hunt, is the king in good health––and then the diviner (oracle) would place a burning-hot bronze tool against the bone until little cracks appeared. The oracle would then interpret the cracks to answer the question. . .through their interpretations, scholars themselves have divined much about Shang daily life––the farming methods and techniques for domesticating animals, the treatment of medical conditions, the sophisticated legal system, and the mastery of textile production, for instance."

"At the royal residence in Anyang, enormous tombs have been uncovered that reveal such practices as human and animal sacrifice, the ritual burial of chariots, and the ceremonial use of vessels and oracle bones. In order to have enough materials for these ceremonies, the central court of the Shang had to take control of the region's natural resources. Mining was a particularly important industry, and Chinese metalcasting techniques were the most highly developed in the world at the time. . .Evidence shows that agricultural lands were referred to as the "Shang's land," which implies that a large portion of the crops were intended to be collected by the state."

Zhou Dynasty: Bronze, Jade and Confucius

"Under the Shang, succession to the throne had passed from brother to brother, but the Zhou established the principle that successors should come from the next generation."

Han Dynasty 206BC - 220CE (p32)
* “Religious Daoism” flourished, alchemical explorations led to invention of the compass and discovery of sulphur and saltpeter for gunpowder


Sui Dynasty 581 - 618 (p40)
* Sui Wendi introduced civil service examinations 科举


Tang Dynasty 618 - 907 (p43)
* Rise of Buddhism: Xuanzang (602-664CE) made pilgrimage to India contributed significantly to Chinese understanding of Indian Buddhist doctrines
* 843-845CE: pro-Daoist emperor Wuzong persecuted Buddhists, destroying monasteries shrines temples. Buddhism began to be seen by native reactionaries as “foreign” as backlash to the Tang’s cosmopolitan openness
[Probably alluded to in 西游记 episodes about killing Buddhist monks]


Song Dynasty 960-1279 (p50)
* Paper money
* Foot binding became widespread for women, ended 20th century
* Great literary projects 太平御览, 资治通览 by 司马光 told history of China 400BC to 959CE. Began archaeology to discover their ancient history


Jurchen Jin Dynasty 1125-1234 (p54)
* Chieftain Aguda 阿骨打 succeeded by Wu Qimai 吴乞买


Yuan Dynasty 1279-1368 (p55)
* Many educated Chinese, blocked from govt service as scholar-officials, turned to the arts—popular drama, song dramas, painters. Freedom from censorship
Watch Mongol, 2007 Academy Award winning three-part film
* Inflation + military defeat led to fall of Yuan dynasty


Ming Dynasty 1368 - 1644 (p58)
* Rebel leader 朱元璋 was second commoner to become Emperor. Hongwu 洪武 reinstated Confucian values, frequent vicious purges. “Ming despotism”
* Yongle 永乐, one of Hongwu’s sons, renamed capital Beijing. Reconstruction and built 天安门 and 故宫. Ordered 7 maritime expeditions, 6 with 郑和
* Long novels from the period: 水浒传、三国演义、西游记、金瓶梅. Short story collection 拍案惊奇 and hundreds of genres of opera
* Encyclopaedic work 永乐大典
* 1449 Emperor Yingzong captured by Mongols, leading to construction of much of the Great Wall
* Fall of Ming: peasant rebellions and Manchu invasions. Manchurians were invited in to help suppress rebels, but Manchus seized the throne for Qing dynasty


Qing Dynasty 1644 - 1911 (p64)
* Descendants of Jurchen tribes. Changed name from Jurchen to Manchu in 1635
* Emperors 康熙 and 乾隆
* Critical studies of Chinese history, philosophy. 聊斋志异、儒林外史、红楼梦
* Opium War, Treaty of Nanjing, Taiping Rebellion 1851-64
* Empress Dowager Cixi held great power over Qing politics especially over nephew Emperor Guangxu
* Qing supported Boxers, but failure led to Han Chinese revolutions. Nationalists led by 孙逸仙. In 1911, accidental explosion and police discovery led to spontaneous mutiny


China as a Republic 1911/12 - 1949 (p74)
* May 4th Movement 五四运动 by intellectuals. Young professor 胡适 believed literature was at heart of China’s cultural problems. Discard stale literary phrases, avoid classical allusions, stop imitating the ancients

[Nathan Hatch · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked

It's concise. In 150 pages one can only scratch the surface of Chinese history, but this book is a very efficient scratch. It's basically perfect if you (like me) find yourself already on the plane to China without having done your homework. You can read it easily on the flight, and the foundation it provides is solid. Many museum exhibits in China use labels like "Shang Dynasty" or "Warring States Period", and this book will help put those labels in context.

The book includes pinyin (with tones) and 汉字 for all of the important terms (dynasty names, cities, influential people, cultural concepts).

The version of historical events given in this book seems accurate (that is to say, uncensored). Nonetheless, I think I can sense some influence from the Communist party. Much of the book is sympathetic towards their point of view, especially regarding the challenges they face trying to lead such a large and populous country. It's an interesting perspective, especially for a Westerner like me.

At the end of the book, there is a section on "uniquely Chinese concepts" that tries to explain certain cultural ideas that the editors consider important and especially confusing to Westerners. Examples include harmony (和), home (老家), face (脸面), and relationships (关系). I'm sure I still don't fully understand the significance of these concepts, but it's useful to know what to pay attention to.

What I did not like

In the e-book edition that I read, it seems there was some kind of bug when digitizing the Chinese characters. The characters are sometimes "offset" by key term from the one that they are intended to translate. That is, if a section discusses concepts A, B, and C, then the given translations for B and C might actually be the translations for A and B respectively. The upshot is, you can't trust the accuracy of the translations.

[Abigail Vernier · Rating 4 out of 5]

China in a nutshell. It's not the easiest read but interesting nonetheless. Definitely a must have if you study Chinese culture/ history

[Mohammad Al Refaei · Rating 3 out of 5]

الصين، ذاك البلد القاصي الذي يضرب به المثل في البعد، فهو ليس غريباً جغرافياً فقط، بل ومختلفاً عما نألفه -نحن العرب وغيرنا على حد السواء- فلا نعرف عنه سوى عن طريق الأفلام، وتقتصر معرفتنا على بعض النقاط التي تصلح للتندر (كأن وجوههم وأسمائهم متشابهةٌ جداً، وأن البضاعة الصينية للاستعمال مرة واحدة لشدة ردائتها).
أما عندما تتحدث عن التاريخ، فإن الأمور تصبح أكثر إشكالاً، فالمرء من أي بلدٍ كان، قد يعيا من أسماء رجالاته فما بالك إن كان التاريخ عن الصين، عن يانغول وشي هوانغ دي، وما هي، وغوانز هونغ، ويانغدي، وغيرها؛ وعن سلالات مينغ وتانغ وسوونغ وما إلى ذلك من أسماءً يصعب لفظها فضلاً عن حفظها ناهيك عن دراسة إنجازات أصحابها!

ومن، هنا، فإنني ذهلت من كتابٍ يحاول أن يعرّف باقي العالم (وعلى رأسهم الأمريكيون كما سيكتشف القارئ) عن منطقةٍ شاسعة الاتساع، ضاربةٍ في التاريخ كالصين؛ فما هو هذا الكتاب؟
في هذا الكتاب الممتع، يأخذنا المؤلف في رحلةٍ قصيرةٍ لا تتجاوز الـ 130 صفحة، يسبر فيها تاريخ الصين وأحوال شعبها وعاداتهم ومعتقداتهم وتطلعاتهم بشكلٍ رشيقٍ وسلسٍ يُحسد عليه؛ وعليه يُقسم الكتاب إلى هذه الأقسام الرئيسة:
1- جغرافية الصين وتركيبة شعبها
2- تاريخ الصين منذ وصول البشر إليها -أي في مرحلة ما قبل التاريخ- إلى نهاية آخر إمبراطوريةٍ في بداية القرن الماضي
3- الصين الحديثة، وقسمٌ كبيرٌ من هذا الكتاب عن الشيوعيين والوطنيين
4- الصين اليوم

ورغم أن كل قسمٍ دسمٌ بحد ذاته، إلا أن الكاتب نجح بأن يعطي كلاً منها حقه، وفقط في 130 صفحة! مذهل..
لقد انسجمت مع الكاتب عندما كان يحدثني عن صعود وسقوط سلالات الصين الحاكمة، حتى في الجغرافية نجح الكاتب في إيصال المعلومات بذكاء، فعندما تحدث عن عدد سكان الصين قال أنهم عدد سكان الولايات المتحدة مضافاً إليهم مليار!

وأعطى الكاتب سرداً تاريخياً مفيداً ومنصفاًَ -حسب معرفتي واطلاعي-لتاريخ الصين بعد الحرب العالمية الأولى ومروراً بالثانية وانتقالاً إلى صراع الوطنيين والشيوعيين ، وانتصار الأخيرين وحكمهم، وتجديد حزبهم وسياساتهم الاقتصادية وما جروه على البلاد من ويلات، وما فعلوه لكي يصححوا أخطاءهم وينهضوا بها لجعلها ثاني أضخم اقتصاد في المعمورة.

وقد يُستغرب إذاً بعد هذا الثناء والتقريظ تقييمي للكتاب بـ 3 نجمات!
حسناً السبب كتالي:
أولاً: الكتاب مفتقر للصور التوضيحية والخرائط، فعندما تحدث عن التاريخ كان غالباً ما يذكر اسم منطقةٍ دون ذكر اسمها المعاصر، وقد تمنيت لو أرفق الكتاب بخرائط تبين امتداد حكم كل سلالة في ذروة مجدها مع عاصمتها.

ثانياً: وهو الأهم، فقد لمست أن الكتاب قد تمحور حول الهانيين (القومية الصينية) وعن الساحلين الشرقي والجنوبي للبلاد؛ لكن ذلك مقبول فهم يشكلون 91% من مجمل السكان وبهم صعدت الصين؛ لكنك تلمس أثناء القراءة في معظم فصول الكتاب بأن التبتيين وسكان إقليم زيانجينغ (تركستان الشرقية) وباقي الأقليات وتايون معادون للصين أو يسببون لها المشاكل ويعرقلون نهضتها، وينظر لهم بطريقة أو بأخرى على أنهم "آخرون".

ثالثاً: هناك الكثير من الأمور التي لم يتطرق لها الكاتب رغم أهميتها حسب ما أرى، كتاريخ الصين العلمي وأصل اللغة الصينية وبعض الرموز الثقافية الهامة كالتنين وغيرها.

رابعاً: في قسم تاريخ سلالات الصين، ورغم أن الكاتب حدثنا عن "ماذا حصل" و "لماذا حصل"، فإنه لم يوفِ الثانية حقها (ومجال الثانية هو دراسة القوانين التي تحكم المجتمعات الإنسانية، ورغم أنه لم يغفل هذا الجانب إلا أنه لم يوفه حقه حسب رأي).
لكن، ورغم كل ذلك، فإنني لا أعرف أفضل كتاباً أفضل لأوجه من لا يعرف ويريد أن يعرف عن تاريخ الصين وثقافتها، فهو شاملٌ ومختصرٌ وسلس.
أنصح به لمن يريد أن يتثقف أو لمن يدرس التاريخ ويريد شيئاً خفيفاً لطيفاً لطلابه.

[Lmsk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ambitious to condense “China” into 150 pages. An admirable effort but limited by its length and depth. Incitements to do further reading and links to additional resources are welcome; author also attempts to be even-handed on controversial issues (whether he succeeds is another matter)

[Paula Fleck · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Harald G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful but somewhat boring textbook on Chinese history and some important aspects of Chinese culture. The style is more like an encyclopedia article than popular history. 3/4 is about key events and figures from China's dynasties and epochs. The book contains Hànzì characters and Pīnyīn (with tone marks) for chapter names and most important terms, which is really helpful for learners of Chinese and useless for everyone else.

[AskHistorians]

This should be the standard text in every introductory class to Chinese history. It is an incredibly short, brief book that is a crash course on Chinese history to the uninitiated as well as a solid quick reference for the more experienced. It is a work that runs over the surface of almost everything Chinese history has to offer and dips its head under the water at select places to try to give the reader a real taste of what lies before them. More than cover Chinese history, it is a great book to illustrate the fact that trying to understand all of Chinese history at once is impossible and is as much art and dynamic dialogue as it is inexact science and lively academia. Another must have.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the manner of all introductory-level books to any subject, "This is China: The First 5,000 Years" offers a general overview of China, its history, and its culture without offering any sort of substantial depth to the material. 800-year dynasties are glossed over in a matter of three pages, but there are certainly things to be learned here. A good intro, and nothing more.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read it because I was traveling to China - recommended to me by a knowledgeable "china-watcher" working in an NGO. It is not going to be a terribly thrilling read, but it will give you the Sparknotes to catch you up to speed if you are traveling or interested in knowing more about China.

TL;DR: If you need to know about China, it gets the job done.

[James Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good, easy to read history of China, and it's emperors. The latter part of the book deals with China in the 20th century, especially after the 1949 Communist takeover. It's a total of 120 pages. A good primer on traveling to China, and understanding how China today resembles imperial China of the past.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful overview of Chinese history, but definitely an overview--don't expect in-depth coverage of any topic, but if you're on your way over to China and want to know about the big moments in the history of a very big country, this is an excellent read for a 12-hour plane journey.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tidy, efficient introduction to my forthcoming obsession.