The Centre for English Local History

English Local History in China

The study of British history has been long established in Chinese universities, and it is taught in particular in the University of Nanjing and a number of universities in and near Beijing. The interests of Chinese historians range widely, and there is an understandable concern with imperialism and British policy towards the Far East. There is a particular focus on social and economic development, partly as a legacy from the period when Marxism had a dominant influence, but also because it is believed that Britain led the way in industrialisation and modernisation, and that China can learn from British experiences.

The historian Qian Chengdan of Peking University (PKU) invited the Institute of Historical Research in the University of London to a joint conference in Beijing, and a dozen British historians led by Miles Taylor of the IHR set out in late April 2009 to participate in a remarkable event. Each theme was the subject of a pair of  papers, one given by a British scholar and the other by a Chinese counterpart. Everyone spoke in English, and the best linguists were the postgraduate students, a number of them from PKU.

Chris Dyer from the Centre for English Local History spoke about the rural social structure of England between 700 and 1700 (broad sweeps were encouraged), and Hou Jianxin of Tianjing Normal University responded with a paper about wage labour in the English countryside. This was one of a dozen pairings which dealt with the broad sweep of British history – political, religious, social, economic – over all periods since 700AD

The conference had a busy schedule, but time was found for lunch with the Chinese foreign minister, who demonstrated his command of English in a question and answer session, visits to a neighbouring bar, and cultural excursions, including tours of the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. The photograph shows a group from the conference in the Forbidden City.   

The work of the Centre for English Local History is known in China; Chris Dyer is on the editorial board of the Chinese journal, Economic and Social History Review and his most recent book is being translated into Chinese.

Chris Dyer

 

11/06/09	English Local History in China