The Age of Openness


Cover of the book The Age of Openness by Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Hong Kong University Press ISBN: 9789888268719
Publisher: Hong Kong University Press Publication: December 15, 2009
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Hong Kong University Press
ISBN: 9789888268719
Publisher: Hong Kong University Press
Publication: December 15, 2009
Imprint:
Language: English

The era between empire and communism is routinely portrayed as a catastrophic interlude in China’s modern history, but this engagingly written book shows instead that the first half of the twentieth century witnessed a qualitatively unprecedented trend towards openness. Frank Dikötter argues that the years from 1900 to 1949 were characterised at all levels of society by engagement with the world, and that the pursuit of openness was particularly evident in four areas: in governance and the advance of the rule of law and of newly acquired liberties; in freedom of movement in and out of the country; in open minds thriving on ideas from the humanities and sciences; and in open markets and sustained growth in the economy. Freedom of association, freedom to travel, freedom of religion, freedom to trade and relative freedom of speech wrought profound changes in the texture of everyday life. While globalisation itself was a vector of cultural diversification, pre-existing constellations of ideas, practices and institutions did not simply vanish on contact with the rest of the world, but on the contrary expanded even further, just as much as local industries diversified thanks to their inclusion into a much larger global market. Arguably the country was at its most diverse in its entire history on the eve of World War II in terms of politics, society, culture and the economy. Accessible to general readers, while providing an integration of ideas that will be valuable for specialists, this book presents a fresh way of approaching the history of modern China.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The era between empire and communism is routinely portrayed as a catastrophic interlude in China’s modern history, but this engagingly written book shows instead that the first half of the twentieth century witnessed a qualitatively unprecedented trend towards openness. Frank Dikötter argues that the years from 1900 to 1949 were characterised at all levels of society by engagement with the world, and that the pursuit of openness was particularly evident in four areas: in governance and the advance of the rule of law and of newly acquired liberties; in freedom of movement in and out of the country; in open minds thriving on ideas from the humanities and sciences; and in open markets and sustained growth in the economy. Freedom of association, freedom to travel, freedom of religion, freedom to trade and relative freedom of speech wrought profound changes in the texture of everyday life. While globalisation itself was a vector of cultural diversification, pre-existing constellations of ideas, practices and institutions did not simply vanish on contact with the rest of the world, but on the contrary expanded even further, just as much as local industries diversified thanks to their inclusion into a much larger global market. Arguably the country was at its most diverse in its entire history on the eve of World War II in terms of politics, society, culture and the economy. Accessible to general readers, while providing an integration of ideas that will be valuable for specialists, this book presents a fresh way of approaching the history of modern China.

More books from Hong Kong University Press

Cover of the book The Public Sector in Hong Kong by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book East River Column by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book Hong Kong Cantopop by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book China - A Religious State by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book The Pusan International Film Festival, South Korean Cinema and Globalization by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book Protecting Free Trade by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book No Man an Island by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book Collaborative Colonial Power by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book Hong Kong Internment, 1942-1945 by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book Dialogue by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book East Sails West by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book Martial Arts Cinema and Hong Kong Modernity by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book The Dragon and the Crown by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book Europe and China by Hong Kong University Press
Cover of the book Making Icons by Hong Kong University Press
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy