Republic in early modern China: The cross-cultural dissemination of a political concept

ABSTRACT

The English term republic and the Chinese term Gonghe (共和, “joint harmony”; i.e., “republic” in modern Chinese) stem from different conceptual origins and carry different connotations. When they first encountered the term republic, the intellectuals of China and Japan could only understand it by drawing on the political knowledge of Chinese antiquity. But soon after, two different concepts corresponding to the term republic emerged in the form of Chinese characters within the Chinese and Japanese linguistic environments—minzhu (民主, “people's rule”) and gonghe, which gradually shed their ancient Chinese significations. After its coining as an early modern political concept in the Japanese language, the term gonghe sporadically filtered into the Chinese linguistic context during the 1880s and 1890s. In 1898–1902, the concept of gonghe rapidly gained popularity in China, primarily due to its introduction by Liang Qichao (梁启超, 1873–1929) and other figures, with a clearly demarcated line separating the term from its ancient Chinese significance. As the concept of gonghe spread in China, it became embroiled in the contemporary tide of political reform, both influencing and being influenced by this trend. In the first decade of the 20th century, two competing interpretations of the term gonghe appeared. The moderates, represented by Liang Qichao, maintained that the evolution of the political system had a natural order; that their contemporary China did not yet have the conditions to adopt a republican system; and that it was necessary to first improve the citizens’ character, and cultivate the habits of self-governance among the people. The radicals, represented by Sun Yat-sen (孙中山, 1866–1925), held that China should overleap a constitutional monarchy, overthrow the Manchu emperor through violent revolution, and directly establish a republican form of government. The views of the radical party won discursive power, but their discussions and deliberations on the implications of a republic were clearly inadequate. Following the outbreak of the 1911 Revolution, a republican form of government was quickly established, but its functional results fell far short of people's expectations, causing the concept of a republic to be distrusted, criticized, and even shelved.     

Demolition of Chengzhongcun and social mobility of Migrant youth: a case study in Beijing

ABSTRACT

Since the late 1980s, millions of poor and low-income rural migrant workers migrating to Chinese metropolises with their children have congregated in chengzhongcun (villages in the city) for low-cost housing. Drawing on data from a 14-month participant observation in one chengzhongcun in Beijing, we critically explore the potential impact of urban expansion on social mobility of migrant youth. We argue that the uncertainty and chaos connected with looming demolition result in substandard schooling and business closures for migrant parents, leading to the stagnant mobility of migrant youth. Expanding the social hierarchy pyramids, we argue that eliminating chengzhongcun, a space that creates the possibility of climbing the social ladder, hampers the social mobility of migrant youth in the context of the rigid class structure in the late-socialist China. This research re-examines the goals of the demolition of chengzhongcun and advances our understanding by analyzing the prospects of disadvantaged migrant youth during and after the demolition process.     

A NOTE ON BILATERAL MONOPOLY AND THE OPTIMUM LOCATION OF VERTICALLY RELATED FIRMS*

This note considers Blair, Kaserman, and Romano's conclusion (1989) that the only optimal solution in the case of bilateral monopoly is the joint profit maximization solution and examines the pattern of industrial location under joint profit maximization.     

Maximizing Accessibility on Congested Networks

The problem of locating facilities to maximize their accessibility on networks where costs are functions of flow volume is considered. In particular, an accessibility model developed by Leonardi is extended to bipartite and tree networks whose arc costs are determined by a flow-dependent congestion function. The resultant nonseparable equilibrium problem is solved heuristically, and numerical simulations are used to explore the model's behavior under varying conditions.     

Lead isotopic analyses of copper ores in the Early Bronze Age central Hexi Corridor,north-west China

This paper explores the possible provenance of ores employed for metallurgical production during the Early Bronze Age in the central Hexi Corridor of north-west China. In total, 78 pieces of copper (Cu) ore samples were collected from five Early Bronze Age sites and one Cu deposit site (the Beishantang Cu deposit) in the Heihe River region of the central corridor. These sites were dated to the late Machang (4100–4000 bp ), Xichengyi (4000–3700 bp ), Qijia (4000–3600 bp ) and Siba (3700–3400 bp ) cultures. After comparing with published lead (Pb) isotopic data from other possible Cu deposits in north-west China, the results show that the Cu ores collected from the Early Bronze Age sites were most likely derived from the adjacent Beishan Cu deposit. More intriguingly, for the first time in Hexi Corridor, a dozen Cu ores were discovered containing highly radiogenic Pb. Though fundamentally different from those in the Central Plains, they illustrate a possible new type of Cu used in Bronze Age western China, and the first-hand materials are significant for further understanding the provenance of raw metals for metallurgical production in the prehistoric Hexi Corridor.     

康乾时期玻璃窗和玻璃制品探究

17—18世纪,中西双方展开大规模平等双向式文化交流,促进了双方社会的发展。本文主要研究康乾时期西方先进玻璃制造技术对中国玻璃制造业的影响、玻璃窗的使用和普及以及玻璃制品的广泛应用。研究表明,西方玻璃制造技术的传入促进了中国传统玻璃制造业的发展;玻璃窗和玻璃制品的使用对建筑外立面和室内装饰风格产生了较大影响。     

西梁文化初论

20世纪50年代的考古调查中,在赤峰市克什克腾旗经棚镇盆瓦窑遗址发现过三段式纹饰布局筒形罐,口沿下为平行细条附加堆纹,其下是半重环附加堆纹,主体纹饰     

《清代野记》作者考辨——兼述清末强学会熊亦奇其人

世传《清代野记》一书,最早为民国四年(1915)上海文明书局铅印本,题"梁溪坐观老人编述".分上中下三卷,共列目128则,每则一篇.该书所记为有清一代,尤其是咸丰、同治、光绪、宣统四朝间朝野轶闻.