Royal Asiatic Society North China Branch Of Study

The theme of this doctoral dissertation focused on the North-China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (1857-1952). Patronized by imperial Chinese Western, one of the cynosural cultural organizations, NCBRAS definitely targeted on probing details and accidents of China all-encompassing and advanced mutual understanding between the Occident and the Orient. Possessing with wholesome mechanism, i.e. the library, the museum, journals, and 3200 members all over the world, which formed multi-channel media and provided abundant literatures for Western sinological study. Based on the reinstatement of the development process of NCBRAS, one of the super academic fortifications in the Far East, this dissertation meticulously explored its status and influence in modern cultural exchange between imperial China and the West.Chapter I recounted the background and developing process of NCBRAS. During the historical backdrop, the author recollected the Western recognitory horizon of imperial China before 19 century and analyzed the gap between the Western and the Chinese, the thirst for Chinese culture from the foreigners after the Opium War, and the creation of Fast East Societies by foreigners in modern time. From these the author concluded that the inherent, external and direct foundations of constructing NCBRAS were listed as follows respectively: the thirst for knowledge and Christianity preachment of China, the advance of Orientalism, and the survival need. On the course of its growth, this section reconstructed the goals and targets, mechanical construction and metabolism of NCBRAS, from one amateur cultural group to the cynosure one of Shanghai.Chapter II explored the council's responsibilities and obligations, the status of all previous presidents" the amount, status, and stratums of its numbers, the extent of participation among all stratums, cultural dissemination from China to West triggering by the flow of its numbers.Chapter III recounted the two paramount aspects: library and museum. The section of library described the amount of collected books, its constitution, priceless treasures of sinology, including the study, cooperation and intercommunication among libraries and other similar organizations all over the world, which manifested that the libraries were not only one cultural center of foreigners in Shanghai, but also the headquarter of sionlogical study and cultural exchange between the West and the East. The section of museum restored the antiques, specimens of flora, fauna and core in the museum of NCBRAS, including other events and activities, which indicated that museum afforded one kind of academic and educational location and contributed to the association with outer world.Chapter V analyzed the investigations and researches of imperial China by NCBRAS. With the inquiry on the content of lectures and publications, this section revealed the attitude transition of Chinese Western, from engrossing into domestic politics to distracting, and advance of its activities, from investigation to research. During the 19th century these Western mainly focused on commerce information and mineral resources of China, however, in the next century they converted to history, culture and folk custom. With analyzing works of numbers from England, America, France, Russian, Germany and Japan, the author found a high correlation between the sphere of its influence and its parish in China, between the achievement of members and sinological foundations of their motherlands. Concrete issues selected by these members were also influenced by their cultural backgrounds, academic tradition, and domestic politics, however, individual interests overweigh others.Chapter VI explored Royal Asiatic Society and cultural exchange between imperial China and the West. Firstly, this section discussed achievements and shortcomings of NCBRAS under the advance of international sinology in modern time. From the six new aspects, i.e. organization, materials, appliance, talent, method, this dissertation claimed that NCBRAS afforded a favorable...