"五德终始"说之终结——兼论宋代以降传统政治文化的嬗变

The Five Virtues theory, designed to legitimate rules, was based on the belief in a cosmological system. The theory of the Five Virtues was replaced by the theory of Confucian orthodoxy based on moral critics during the renaissance of Confucianism in the Song Dynasty. The intellectual elites in the Song Dynasty launched a campaign against the Five Phases theory and the Apocryphal Texts, Fengshan, and Chuanguoxi, which constituted the main body of traditional political culture. They sought to eliminate the theoretical value of these traditions and eradicate their influence on people’s thoughts. Their high keyed and advanced political and ethical notions during the Song period became universal values in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The changes in the traditional political culture reveal the intellectual trends from the Song Dynasty throughout the Qing Dynasty. Translated by Luo Hui from Zhongguo Shehui Kexue 中国社会科学 (Social Sciences in China), 2006, (2): 177–191     

唐宋民间医疗活动中灸疗法的浮沉——一项技术抉择的时代背景分析

The changing status of moxibustion therapy in folk medicine from the Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty is a reflection of the distribution situation of popular medical resources during these periods. As a feasible therapy with a large popularity, moxibustion played a crucial role in the Tang Dynasty. The Song Dynasty saw some social development as well, because it was an active state power and social force in medical activities. Therefore, people at the lower class gradually benefited from decoction and acupuncture treatments, and the status of the moxibustion therapy began to decline. The changing status of moxibustion therapy in different dynasties embodies the changes in technology and the quality of life. Translated by Chen Cheng from Tsinghua daxue xuebao 清华大学学报 (Journal of Tsinghua University), 2006, (1): 62–74     

宗族社会与地域文明——以安徽贵池南山刘氏宗族为例

明清民国时期,安徽贵池南山刘氏宗族是一个典型的聚族而居、族有祠、宗有谱的宗族社会,宗族建设所馈留的文化遗存较为丰富,体现在古墟落、祠堂、民居及文化建设的典籍和艺术珍品等方面,反映出中国传统宗族社会聚落一方、营建一方的一般态势,也折射出宗族社会与地域文明的内在关联。     

南宋杭州的开封宫观——宗教文化转移之实例研究

The central government of the empire moved south from Kaifeng to Hangzhou after the collapse of the Northern Song Dynasty, resulting in some of the Daoist temples that were originally in Kaifeng to be re-established in Hangzhou. These reestablished temples were, for the most part, intimately related to the imperial politics. They were a manifestation of the continuation and legitimacy of the imperial regime and were a psychological confirmation of the safety of the regime and the imperial household. From this we can see, in the midst of religious cultural changes, how the basic cultural factors were interrelated with particular believers. Translated from Sichuan Daxue Xuebao 四川大学学报 (the Journal of Sichuan University), 2006, (3): 33–39     

宋明以来宗族制形成理论辨析

The discussion of the formation of patriarchal lineage system since the Song and Ming dynasties can be divided by the turn of 1980s and 1990s. The earlier period research is rationalized by four theories under the perspective of feudal society: the theory of village commune, the theory of lineage authority, the theory of patriarchal thought, and the theory of the restriction of land relations. The theoretical breakthroughs of the latter focused on the lineage's popularization, “three changes” of the kinship organization and the social vicissitude, the national identity, the lineage's community-compactization, and the generalized analysis on the reason of patriarchal lineage's formation. __________ Translated by Xiong Ting from Anhui Shixue 安徽史学 (Historical Research in Auhui), 2007, (1): 75–87     

少数民族史学的发展与多民族统一国家观念的形成

Chinese culture is established by bringing together many nationalities. Chinese historiography has recorded the development of this great culture. Among these records, ethnic minority historiography reflects one important aspect for identifying the historic trend of the formation of a united multiethnic nation. A comprehensive study on the development of Chinese ethnic minority historiography shows that it can be divided into six phases: the Pre-Qin period to the Qin and Han dynasties; the Wei, Jin, Southern-Northern and Sui-Tang dynasties; the Liao, Song, Xia, Jin and Yuan dynasties; the Ming and Qing dynasties (before 1840); the modern times (1840–1949); and the contemporary times. Deep analysis of these phases would inevitably improve the study of the history of Chinese historiography. Translated by Ding Haiyan from Hebei Xuekan 河北学刊 (Hebei Academic Journal), 2007, (6): 91–94     

On the ‘Meishan Phenomenon’ in Song culture

The Song Dynasty enjoyed a splendid culture. Meishan, a small county in Southwest Sichuan, was one of the most developed cultural areas. This is closely related to a large-scale immigration after the collapse of the Tang Dynasty and the ‘Jingkang defeat’ in the Song Dynasty. Meishan was an area receiving more immigrants than other regions. A great number of distinguished families from North China brought with them the advanced culture of the Yellow River areas to Meishan, which combined with native culture, and produced many “cultural clans” from this “clan culture.” Some of these people became elites in various areas through education and the Civil Service Examinations. The so-called “Meishan Phenomenon” was a result of cultural melting. Translated by Li He and Zhang Hai from the Journal of Sichuan University, 2004: 3     

Behind the form: A historical analysis of the agriculture encouragement system in the Song dynasty

Using the political culture analysis method, this paper discusses the origin, contents and functions of the agriculture encouragement system of the Song dynasty, which originated from the pre-Qin period (221–207 BC). The main content of this system in its early stage is that in the early Spring days, the king symbolically ploughed a piece of land near the suburbs of his capital in order to send to his subjects a clear message of the importance he attached to agriculture. It was expected that peasants would be encouraged by his majesty’s guidance, and thus agricultural production of the countryside would be promoted. With the rationalization of the political system since the Qin period, agricultural encouragement gradually became a routine work of the Chinese governments at different levels. Under the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127), “agricultural encouragement envoy” was added to the official rank of heads of counties and prefectures. They each were required to take the responsibility of persuading peasants in their jurisdiction to work harder in the field. The actual work as an “agricultural encouragement envoy” in the Song dynasty was to go to the countryside to reward peasants with food and wine in early February, and to write an essay to express his encouragement, and to distribute it to the peasants. Formalistic as it is, the agricultural encouragement system is a typical manifestation of the traditional Chinese political culture. As one of its social impacts on the Song society, it helped the spread of advanced agricultural technology with its institutional basis. __________ Translated from: Zhejiang Daxue Xuebao, Renwen Shehui Kexue Ban 浙江大学学报: 人文社会科学版 (Journal of Zhejiang University, Humanities and Social Science), No. 1, 2004     

清代寡妇立嗣问题探析

In the Qing Dynasty, widows who did not remarry could become the right subject of adopting an heir. There were two main types, adoption by order and adoption by affection. Sometimes an heir with a different surname could also be adopted. Some relatively economic compensation actions were taken in the adoption. The widows’ right of adoption was restricted by such factors as patriarchy, clan, feudal ethical codes and conventions. However, the widows could appropriately use law to protect their rights and interests. Meanwhile, when the magistrates judged cases about adoption, they were usually apt to support the widows’ requests so as to protect the rights and interests of social vulnerable group with fully applying the right of discretion. Translated by Chen Cheng from Shixue Yuekan 史学月刊 (Journal of Historical Science), 2007, (6): 34–42     

晚明华北宗族与族谱的再造——以山东青州《重修邢氏宗谱》为例

山东青州邢氏原是务农的家族,在邢玠科举成功为官之后,转型为官宦之家,成为地方望族。从万历时的邢玠开始,到崇祯时的邢彤庭,邢氏从事宗族建设,制定并实践各种宗族制度,宗族乡约化、组织化。邢氏受到宋代程颐、程灏的宗会思想很大影响,通过"宗会"复兴"宗法"。这是宋以后宗族组织化的一种重要模式,以往的宗族研究重视不够。邢氏也编修了族谱,有家庙或者家堂,将御赐的祭田作为族田,还设置了宗学、义仓,族长实际上就是宗正。邢玠受到苏洵苏氏谱法以及睦族主张的影响较大,邢氏族谱着眼于睦族,收录大量宗族制度的文献,内容非常丰富,面貌大为改观,成为重要的民间文献。晚明不仅再造宗族,也再造了族谱,完成了中国近世宗族与族谱的基本形式。