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Historical Narrows
By Wang Jun
Published by China CITIC Press， July 2015
This collection of nine stories written since 2010 by Wang Jun， a journalist at Xinhua News Agency， recounts China’s unprecedented social transformation over the last 150 years. The stories， ranging from memories of Yuanmingyuan （Old Summer Palace）， the “capital plan” of the national government during the Republic of China （1912-1949）， and the significant status of Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin in the history of Chinese architecture to the development of cities such as Chengdu in Sichuan Province， Foshan in Guangdong Province， and Beijing. These are placed against the backdrop of contemporary Chinese history to help readers better understand Chinese civilization and the issues involved in the country’s transformation， including urbanization and reform.
Wang Jun holds that China is undergoing the largest-ever social transformation in human history， which touches so many facets of life and living， including urban planning， conservation of old urban districts， distribution of urban and rural interests， urban architecture， and rural traditions. Vital issues， such as re-establishment of the relationship between the public and private sectors in the economy and recasting of land ownership， are viewed from a historical perspective.
When it comes to stories， it’s all about the obstacles that the country encountered on its path of reform， yesterday and today. Wang asserts that “We should redefine the term ‘progress’. China will never tread the path taken by any Western country.”
As a senior journalist working with China’s biggest and most influential media organization， Wang has always paid particular attention to issues of urban planning. He spent 10 years on his City’s Diary， which has been translated into English and Japanese. Some， including China’s Dushu （Reading） magazine， the UNESCO， and the University of Tokyo， held seminars on his book in 2003， 2005 and 2009 respectively. In June 2011， The New York Review of Books observed the City’s Diary to be as classic as The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs， and a book that could help people think differently about their environment. It is influential to the emerging urban conservation campaign in China.
Wang Jun has also conceived and planned a number of exhibitions devoted to Chinese architecture， city planning and urban construction. These include Liang Sicheng Biennial Architectural Design Exhibition （2001）， Exhibition of Digital Images of the Memories of Beijing （2003）， Beijing Architectural Cultural Week （2004）， “EastWest / North-South” art exhibition in Bordeaux （2004）， Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture （2005）， and “Contemporary China” exhibition in the Netherlands （2006）. In summer 2011， on Line 1 of Beijing metro， I was standing and reading The International Development of China written by Sun Yat-sen （1866-1925）， founding father of the Republic of China. A senior sitting in front of me stood up， with a wide-eyed look of surprise， said “Are you reading Mr. Sun’s book？ Yes， this is Mr. Sun’s book！ You mainlanders are still reading his book； how unbelievable！”
His accent revealed him to be a Taiwanese. “Yep， I am reading his book； it’s great，” I replied.
“Yes， it is！ His ideas are still helpful today.” So excited was he that he pointed to a woman sitting beside him， introducing， “We travel here from Taiwan， and this is my wife. We have read Mr. Sun’s books since we were young. He was a great writer but the young generation now in Taiwan does not read his books any more. So how surprised I am to see a mainlander still reading his book！”
The metro stopped； they got off； but I went on staring at their backs and was filled with mixed feelings.
What is the destination？
The metro rumbled under the square in front of the Tian’anmen Gate （Gate of Heavenly Peace）. During the Labor’s Day and National Day holidays， a large portrait of Mr. Sun would be exhibited on Tian’anmen Square， facing that of Chairman Mao on the gate.
In 1980， Deng Xiaoping （1904-1997） gave an interview to Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci （1904-1997）， whose first question was “Will China keep the portrait of Chairman Mao on Tian’anmen Gate forever？”
“Forever，” answered Deng. “The portrait was too pervasive in the past， and people could see it everywhere. But this played down its importance and did not properly show our respect for Chairman Mao. Indeed， I have to admit， he made some mistakes， but he was one of the founders of Chinese Communist Party and of the People’s Republic of China. So， compared with his mistakes， his feats are more influential， and we cannot deny what he did for Chinese people. In our hearts， we will always commemorate him as the founding father of our Party and country.”
Behind the gate is the Forbidden City， the power center of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
In 1860， the Anglo-French Allied Force burned down the Old Summer Palace， and， for the first time in history， China’s capital fell into foreign hands. This miserable collision of Occidental and Oriental cultures in modern history caused many upheavals in China， “the country of countries” with 5，000 years of history. Before the First Opium War in 1840， China accounted for about a third of the global economy and ranked first among all countries but was collapsing afterward. In 1900， when the Eight- Nation Alliance invaded Beijing， the capital fell a second time to the hands of the then world’s greatest countries， and China’s share of world output declined to 6 percent. In the same year， a French pictorial published a lithographic color painting “The World’s Powers in China” which depicted the lingering nightmare of the Chinese over the centuries.
The Western powers had expanded their markets all over the world since the First Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. But their expansion failed to draw the attention of Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong （1711-1799）， who said in a letter to George III（1738-1820）， “Our country has rich products—all things needed—and needs not to trade with foreign countries for goods unavailable.” Obviously， he took no interest in integrating into the Western world， which， however， was actually out of his control because foreign invaders came soon with guns and cannons.
After the wars， China had to struggle desperately for survival. Confronted with domestic upheavals and foreign invasions， however， institutional reforms failed one after another， and this great country and its monarchy， which were rooted in its agricultural civilization， collapsed all of a sudden. Meanwhile， in 1911， the Hsinhai Revolution toppled the Qing Dynasty， giving birth to the first republic in Asia， and the leader of the revolution was Sun Yat-sen who earnestly appealed to his people， “We civilians can be emperors； all our 400 million people can！”
China， such a magnificent country， like a giant ship， rushed through a gorge on the turbulent river of history， with a traditional China residing on one side and the “advanced” West on the other. Over one hundred years， driven by winds and waves， the nation was tiding over various difficulties.
The nation couldn’t go back to monarchy， then where should it head？ Some said， only the West could be the destination.
Therefore， the idea of eliminating all Chinese traditions took the nation by storm. Its history and culture—language， character， religion， art and architecture—were all considered less “developed” and blamed for the catastrophes and humiliation that China had endured in modern times.
The West was deified； blindly， people believed that the Western countries were leaders of the world since ancient times. The problem， however， was whether the 250-yearold Western culture which had been built through industrial revolutions since James Hargreaves （1721-1778） invented Spinning Jenny could live another 250 years.
In the West， on the noisy assembly lines， production and consumption joined hands and expanded together， with the latter of which increasing proportionately the trash， growing the world economy， increasing the employment rate and supplying enough food and clothing. For the first time in history， human beings entrusted their fate to industry， and the culture based on self-sufficient and sustainable agriculture faded into history.
In 2007， more than half of the world’s population lived in cities， signifying an unprecedented era of urban life and a new chapter in human history. But this does not mean a safer world， with ecological crises gathering on an unprecedented scale.
The atmosphere is heating up， so spring flowers bloom even in winter. Indeed， a chariot driven by capital has sent human beings onto an endless highway which consumes huge resources. Human desires have ignited financial crises and profoundly changed the long lasting operation of the Earth.
By Wang Jun
Published by China CITIC Press， July 2015
This collection of nine stories written since 2010 by Wang Jun， a journalist at Xinhua News Agency， recounts China’s unprecedented social transformation over the last 150 years. The stories， ranging from memories of Yuanmingyuan （Old Summer Palace）， the “capital plan” of the national government during the Republic of China （1912-1949）， and the significant status of Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin in the history of Chinese architecture to the development of cities such as Chengdu in Sichuan Province， Foshan in Guangdong Province， and Beijing. These are placed against the backdrop of contemporary Chinese history to help readers better understand Chinese civilization and the issues involved in the country’s transformation， including urbanization and reform.
Wang Jun holds that China is undergoing the largest-ever social transformation in human history， which touches so many facets of life and living， including urban planning， conservation of old urban districts， distribution of urban and rural interests， urban architecture， and rural traditions. Vital issues， such as re-establishment of the relationship between the public and private sectors in the economy and recasting of land ownership， are viewed from a historical perspective.
When it comes to stories， it’s all about the obstacles that the country encountered on its path of reform， yesterday and today. Wang asserts that “We should redefine the term ‘progress’. China will never tread the path taken by any Western country.”
As a senior journalist working with China’s biggest and most influential media organization， Wang has always paid particular attention to issues of urban planning. He spent 10 years on his City’s Diary， which has been translated into English and Japanese. Some， including China’s Dushu （Reading） magazine， the UNESCO， and the University of Tokyo， held seminars on his book in 2003， 2005 and 2009 respectively. In June 2011， The New York Review of Books observed the City’s Diary to be as classic as The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs， and a book that could help people think differently about their environment. It is influential to the emerging urban conservation campaign in China.
Wang Jun has also conceived and planned a number of exhibitions devoted to Chinese architecture， city planning and urban construction. These include Liang Sicheng Biennial Architectural Design Exhibition （2001）， Exhibition of Digital Images of the Memories of Beijing （2003）， Beijing Architectural Cultural Week （2004）， “EastWest / North-South” art exhibition in Bordeaux （2004）， Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture （2005）， and “Contemporary China” exhibition in the Netherlands （2006）. In summer 2011， on Line 1 of Beijing metro， I was standing and reading The International Development of China written by Sun Yat-sen （1866-1925）， founding father of the Republic of China. A senior sitting in front of me stood up， with a wide-eyed look of surprise， said “Are you reading Mr. Sun’s book？ Yes， this is Mr. Sun’s book！ You mainlanders are still reading his book； how unbelievable！”
His accent revealed him to be a Taiwanese. “Yep， I am reading his book； it’s great，” I replied.
“Yes， it is！ His ideas are still helpful today.” So excited was he that he pointed to a woman sitting beside him， introducing， “We travel here from Taiwan， and this is my wife. We have read Mr. Sun’s books since we were young. He was a great writer but the young generation now in Taiwan does not read his books any more. So how surprised I am to see a mainlander still reading his book！”
The metro stopped； they got off； but I went on staring at their backs and was filled with mixed feelings.
What is the destination？
The metro rumbled under the square in front of the Tian’anmen Gate （Gate of Heavenly Peace）. During the Labor’s Day and National Day holidays， a large portrait of Mr. Sun would be exhibited on Tian’anmen Square， facing that of Chairman Mao on the gate.
In 1980， Deng Xiaoping （1904-1997） gave an interview to Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci （1904-1997）， whose first question was “Will China keep the portrait of Chairman Mao on Tian’anmen Gate forever？”
“Forever，” answered Deng. “The portrait was too pervasive in the past， and people could see it everywhere. But this played down its importance and did not properly show our respect for Chairman Mao. Indeed， I have to admit， he made some mistakes， but he was one of the founders of Chinese Communist Party and of the People’s Republic of China. So， compared with his mistakes， his feats are more influential， and we cannot deny what he did for Chinese people. In our hearts， we will always commemorate him as the founding father of our Party and country.”
Behind the gate is the Forbidden City， the power center of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
In 1860， the Anglo-French Allied Force burned down the Old Summer Palace， and， for the first time in history， China’s capital fell into foreign hands. This miserable collision of Occidental and Oriental cultures in modern history caused many upheavals in China， “the country of countries” with 5，000 years of history. Before the First Opium War in 1840， China accounted for about a third of the global economy and ranked first among all countries but was collapsing afterward. In 1900， when the Eight- Nation Alliance invaded Beijing， the capital fell a second time to the hands of the then world’s greatest countries， and China’s share of world output declined to 6 percent. In the same year， a French pictorial published a lithographic color painting “The World’s Powers in China” which depicted the lingering nightmare of the Chinese over the centuries.
The Western powers had expanded their markets all over the world since the First Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. But their expansion failed to draw the attention of Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong （1711-1799）， who said in a letter to George III（1738-1820）， “Our country has rich products—all things needed—and needs not to trade with foreign countries for goods unavailable.” Obviously， he took no interest in integrating into the Western world， which， however， was actually out of his control because foreign invaders came soon with guns and cannons.
After the wars， China had to struggle desperately for survival. Confronted with domestic upheavals and foreign invasions， however， institutional reforms failed one after another， and this great country and its monarchy， which were rooted in its agricultural civilization， collapsed all of a sudden. Meanwhile， in 1911， the Hsinhai Revolution toppled the Qing Dynasty， giving birth to the first republic in Asia， and the leader of the revolution was Sun Yat-sen who earnestly appealed to his people， “We civilians can be emperors； all our 400 million people can！”
China， such a magnificent country， like a giant ship， rushed through a gorge on the turbulent river of history， with a traditional China residing on one side and the “advanced” West on the other. Over one hundred years， driven by winds and waves， the nation was tiding over various difficulties.
The nation couldn’t go back to monarchy， then where should it head？ Some said， only the West could be the destination.
Therefore， the idea of eliminating all Chinese traditions took the nation by storm. Its history and culture—language， character， religion， art and architecture—were all considered less “developed” and blamed for the catastrophes and humiliation that China had endured in modern times.
The West was deified； blindly， people believed that the Western countries were leaders of the world since ancient times. The problem， however， was whether the 250-yearold Western culture which had been built through industrial revolutions since James Hargreaves （1721-1778） invented Spinning Jenny could live another 250 years.
In the West， on the noisy assembly lines， production and consumption joined hands and expanded together， with the latter of which increasing proportionately the trash， growing the world economy， increasing the employment rate and supplying enough food and clothing. For the first time in history， human beings entrusted their fate to industry， and the culture based on self-sufficient and sustainable agriculture faded into history.
In 2007， more than half of the world’s population lived in cities， signifying an unprecedented era of urban life and a new chapter in human history. But this does not mean a safer world， with ecological crises gathering on an unprecedented scale.
The atmosphere is heating up， so spring flowers bloom even in winter. Indeed， a chariot driven by capital has sent human beings onto an endless highway which consumes huge resources. Human desires have ignited financial crises and profoundly changed the long lasting operation of the Earth.