A Study Of Shandong Local Chronicles In The Late Qing Dynasty And The Republic Of China

Local Chronicles was outcome in the Late Qing Dynasty.It was the outcome of reforming the education system when the government faced an unprecedented crisis.The compilation of Local Chronicles can be divided into two stages: Some Chorographies had compiled which named after Local Chronicle before the Local Chronicle Illustration was published in 1905.It moved into high gear after the Local Chronicle Illustration was published,a large number of Local Chronicles were compiled all over the country at the time.The compilation of Local Chronicles continued and was institutionalized in the form of files by the Ministry of Education in the Republic of China.It was never been ignored to compile the local Chronicles and popularize local education,although the number of the Local Chronicles compiled in this period was less than that of the previous generation.The largest number of Local Chronicle which was compiled at the end of the Qing Dynasty is Shandong Province,statistics shows that it compiled 70 Local Chronicles in total.There is much difference in the situation of compilation because of the different cases.The Local Chronicles are unbalanced distribution in geographically,it has the characteristics of intensive in west and dispersive in east in general.The closer to west,the states and countries which compiled Local Chronicles are more and intensive.The closer to east,the sataes and countries which compiled Local Chronicles are less and dispersive.The Local Chronicles in the west and north of Shandong Province compiled more,but in the east and middle were less.There is much difference in the words of Local Chronicles judging from space,but most of them are between 10-50 thousand words.Local officials and scholars had a positive attitude on compiling Local Chronicles at that time in order to accumulate political achievement and express devotion for their hometown.It formed a compiling method which responsible for officials and compiling by scholars,they could make sure that the content of the Local Chronicles they compiled both conformed to the requirement of authority and had local characteristics.A small number of Local officials understanding of compiling Local Chronicles was incomprehensive and insufficiency for various reasons,leading to the Local Chronicles they compiled were more like traditional Chorography.Most of the Local Chronicles were listed in the horizontal line and compiled according to the Local Chronicle Illustration on the style.It was compiled according to three major content of history,geography and polytechnic including fifteen subjects which the Local Chronicle Illustration stated in content.It was formalistic and inflexible in form lacking of local features,but it contained a lot of content about local nature and social situation.These content implied the thought expression of inspiring children to love their hometown and loyal to the sovereign.It also has consultative value to have better knowledge and understanding the local history at that time today.On the other hand,the Local Chronicles are innovative in compiling methods and setting of subjects.There are also some advantages on stressing the key point and providing reliable information compared with traditional Chorography.Although the number of the Local Chronicles which compiled during the Republic of China were less than the previous dynasty,because the compilers turned into the people who received higher education and even studying abroad,moreover,most of them work directly or indirectly on education,so the Local Chronicles which compiled by them are more professional and targeted.The Local Chronicles during this period abandoned listing subjects in the horizontal line which widely used in the previous dynasty on the style,changing into the chapters and lessons style which is more reasonable.The Local Chronicles in this period is more reasonable in setting the subjects,abandoning some subjects which reflect the feudal and untimely ideological,adding to many subjects which reflect the social change in setting subjects compared with Late Qing Dynasty.It is also noticed the internal logical connection between the subjects when designed and arranged at the same time..The important content of compiling has shifted to narrate social with economic situation and focus on the national economy and the people's livelihood besides retaining to narrate the basic situation about natural and society in terms of content.Furthermore,it also added some subjects flexibly which can reflect local characteristics according to local characteristics,in order to enrich the content of the Local Chronicles.The meaning of "loyal the country" is further sublimated to "love the country" in the Local Chronicles of this period,in compiling ideas and compiling methods.It also pay attention to use and absorb the research results and theoretical methods of modern natural science and social science.The Local Chronicles compiled in Shandong Province were written in vernacular,in terms of language style.Some of them had pictures,not only vividness but also making it a lot easier for children to learn and understand.It is aimed to educate children to love hometown and country by describing beautiful scenery and expressing social improvement thought.We should adopt and discard with a critical eye when treating with the value and insufficient of the Local Chronicles in Shandong Province.Taking the essence and discarding the dregs,criticizing the inheritance and using it for the present.We should give full play to the value of historical data of the Local Chronicles,going deep into understanding and excavating local culture and making it serve the local social history study,absorbing and learning the experience of compiling old Local Chronicles in order to provide strong support for compiling new regional textbook and educating adolescent students to form good ideological quality of "loving homeland and loving motherland".