Author Meets Critics
Professor Ge Zhaoguang （葛兆光）introduced his new books 《何为中国？》（”What is China?”） and 《历史中国的内与外》（The “interior” and the “exterior” in historical China） and answered questions at the Author Meets Critics session of the 16th Biennial Conference of the Chinese Studies Association of Australia. The session was chaired by Prof John Makeham (La Trobe University), and the two “critics” were Dr Kuo Mei-fen (University of Queensland) and Dr Kevin Carrico (Monash University).
Ge Zhaoguang argues that from Qin-Han dynasties onward, while China’s core remained stable, its peripheries were in constant change. In certain historical periods, some regions became parts of China whereas in other times, they were “foreign”. As such, it is unwise to view and write about China’s past from the present’s perspective. While its borders were constantly changing, the “China” established from the Qin-Han periods showed its continuity and stability in areas of political institution, cultural memory and societal construction. While dynasties rose and fell, “China” as a political and cultural entity persisted through the ages.
Podcast of the “Author Meets Critics” session of the 16th CSAA Biennial Conference