搔癢：重讀征服王朝

近讀兩篇有關征服王朝的文章（見下），作者都是資深學人，一是蕭啟慶，一是葉高樹。蕭啟慶是我十分敬仰的蒙元史學人和中研院院士。猶記本科生時初讀其一篇蒙元史的文章（應是討論蒙元帝國在中國歷史上的意義和重要性），其立論高贍，史識深遽，令人歎為觀止；用字精鍊，文筆流暢，讀來趣味盎然。由是對蕭氏留下深刻的印象，雖非習蒙元史，但每逢偶遇蕭氏的文章和論著，都難忍翻一翻的搔癢，又總能讀到新意來。久違蕭氏的文章，好一段日子沒有細讀之。此篇雖非石破天驚，但對於不太熟悉南宋金元史研究的我而言，仍然覺得獲益良多，最少知道了當前學界的爭議論點和研究成果。

蕭啟慶：〈近世前期南北發展的歧異與統合：以南宋金元時期的經濟社會文化為中心〉，載氏著：《元代的族群文化與科舉》（台北： 聯經, 2008），頁1-22。（台灣師範大學歷史系主辦「近世中國的社會與文化國際學術研討會」主題演講，2005年12月16日。先收入《臺灣師大歷史學報》，第36期（2006年12月），頁1-30）

葉高樹：〈“參漢酌金”：清朝統治中國成功原因的再思考〉，《臺灣師大歷史學報》，第36期（2006年12月），頁153-192。

Western origin of the early Chinese civilisation?!

From the mid-nineteenth century, during the heyday of British imperialism, a group of orientalists argued the alleged western origin of the early Chinese civilisation, such as Babylon and Assyria. Among them, Terrien de Lacouperie (1845-1894), Professor of Indo-Chinese Philology at University College, London, was a prominent and prolific figure who spent more than a decade of hard work in developing this notorious claim. Below is quoted from his Early History of the Chinese Civilisation (1880)

"The discovery of a foreign origin in the rudiments of their civilisation, oddly enough, confirms the opinion asserted so many times that want of originality and of imagination is one of the characteristics of the Yellow race. We mean in no way to reproach them with their want of imagination. This, in our own opinion, contributes but little towards real happiness. By their conservative spirit, their respect for old customs, their parental love, their life cast in that of their forefathers, the Chinese have resolved the long-sought-for problem of a life without cares, without want of comfort, which would be relative happiness to the majoiity of the human race. But the best of things have an end, and, even in China, a change must come." (p. 34)

Quick bites

1. Cultural bias / diversity on foods of different traditions

From Dan Waters:

"How can you expect the Chinese who cannot, usually, stand the smell of cheese, be able to understand the complex English. But you can argue too, how can the British, who cannot enjoy a succulent chicken's foot for breakfast, understand the Chinese?" (from Eve Lam's "The Royal Asiatic Society (Hong Kong Branch): The Faces, The Stories and the Memories", Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. 42, 2002, p. 142)

This humorous remark reminds me of my favourite (but not quite sometimes) Discovery travel channel's Anthony Bourdain No Reservations and Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. I think the way we Hongkongers / Chinese see bizarre Latin-American / African (less known anyhow) foods is just nothing different from how Europeans see Chinese foods.

2. HK historical photos lost

Tim Ko had done some researches at the Housing Authority office. He accidentally found 20,000 negatives dating to 1962 in a back room of the office. As a semi-professional and well-known HK photographer who has been snapping HK history in the past few decades, he then proposed to catalogue the entire collection to the HA but, not surprisingly, ended with disappointment because of short-sighted bureaucratic practices. A staff of the Government Information Service even told him that a lot of photos had been discarded in the past decade, "because the less they possess, the less they will need to do". (also from from Eve Lam's "The Royal Asiatic Society (Hong Kong Branch): The Faces, The Stories and the Memories", Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. 42, 2002, p.151-2.)