Research On Sun Baotian

As an important scholar in the late Qing dynasty, Sun Baotian had a deep relation with Tongcheng School. He had ever learned writing prose from teachers Zhang Yuzhao and Shan Weizong. In close association with Sun Yiyan, Fang Zongcheng, Ma Qichang, Yao Yonggai and so forth, Sun Baotian exchanged the writing experiences and explored the gains and losses with them, which greatly enhanced the cohesion and influence of Tongcheng School. At the same time, he communicated with Shandong scholars such as Zheng Gao, Song Shusheng, Wang Yirong, Fa Weitang. Following after Hao Yixing and Wang Yun, they founded Dongfu School, which was an important Pu School in Shandong of Qing dynasty. They promoted the research upsurge of Jinshi and had a large influence on academic development of Shandong or even that of the whole nation.The academic achievements of Sun Baotian mainly involved Confucian classics and local chronicles. He had some unique methods for classics learning, such as being good at dredging the chapters and meanings of Confucian classics, focusing on both textual criticism and argumentation, and meanwhile taking scholium and image-numerology like a number and so on. Sun Baotian had made great achievements in local chronicles, and General Annals of Shandong in the Xuantong period should be the representative. Not only that, Sun Baotian had formed a set of theories of local chronicles, such as compilation of facts and literary, the equal emphasis laid upon facts and upon literary grace. All of these were useful for establishing the criteria of good local chronicles and providing a reference for the theoretical construction of the local chronicles. Until now paying attention to the practice is still important for scholars.Therefore, the study on Sun Baotian’s friends and academic exchanges, the exploration of Sun Baotian’s scholarly research fields and methods, and the summary of Sun Baotian’s academic achievements, will be great help for richening academic research of Shandong and even the whole country during the late Qing dynasty.