Historiography of Traditional Chinese Astronomy in Early 20th Century China and in the Early PRC: Different Origins and Influences
Abstrakt
This paper focuses on how social, political and foreign influences on historiography of traditional Chinese astronomy differed in the two periods of early 20th century China and the early People's Republic of China, taking into account relevant historiographical articles in the magazines Yuzhou (Universe, till 1949) and Kexue Dazhong (Popular Science, in the 1950s) and also the published works of Zhu Wenxin (1883-1939) and Xi Zezong (1927-2008). The paper also discusses what was the motivation for the new systematic interest in history of traditional astronomy based on scientific approach and also on the needs of modern astrophysics during the 1920s and 1930s in contrast with the later period in the early People's Republic of China.