New edition makes Chinese history easy for foreign scholars

A new English book reveals the achievements and changes in the country's history studies.[Photo provided to China Daily]

As interest in China grows around the world, especially in the West, scholars at home are trying to help their foreign counterparts better understand Chinese history.

The first step in that direction is to overcome the language barrier, says Zhang Haipeng, head of the Association of Chinese Historians.

Thirty Years of Chinese History Studies-a book that covers imperial and modern China, up to the initial stages of the economic reforms－has been translated in English.

It was unveiled by the publisher, China Social Science Press, at last week's 22nd International Congress of Historical Sciences held in Shandong province's capital, Jinan.

Written by 22 authoritative voices on different periods of Chinese history, the book reflects the achievements of the country and the rapid changes in its societies.

The Chinese edition of the book was published in 2008.

Zhang, the book's lead author, considers the English version "a milestone in Sino-foreign academic communication of historiography".

In 2005, when the same congress was held in Sydney, scholars from different countries felt it was urgent to have more academic writing on Chinese history in foreign languages to promote conversations between Chinese and overseas academia, Zhang says.

"When we held academic meetings in Beijing, we also found overseas scholars knew little about our research methodologies."

Zhang explains the book also extends to some interdisciplinary studies. It, for instance, provides an overview of Chinese historical geography, and religious and scientific history.