Research on modern Chinese history in the past 30 years can be equally divided into two parts, which are different in terms of attended issues, observed objects, and investigated topics, and also employ different perspectives to explore “problems,” utilize different materials, and resort to different formats for narration. To understand this “thirty-year” (post-1978) historiography, it is necessary to go back to the “seventeen-year” (1949–1966) research before the Cultural Revolution and examine and analyze these studies for trends of continuity and fracture in the accumulation of scholarship. On the other hand, future research should be cautious about even an unconscious tendency of self-isolation, keep an open mind, and fully consider the numerous foreign elements “present in China” in the modern period, their consequences, and impact.

With a dramatic expansion in quantity and variety, the amount of recent history source materials has surpassed the sum total of those available for all earlier dynasties. At the same time, compared with the case in ancient history study, the obscure boundary of source materials has made it difficult for historians to locate and obtain what they need for their research. Since it is impossible to exhaust or to ascertain the boundary of relevant sources, scholars either retreat into narrower fields or make arbitrary interpretations of materials, both contributing to the loss of orientation in historical study, and, for that matter, eroding the integrity of historiography. Historians must, first and foremost, acquire a comprehensive understanding of the discipline before they can undertake studies on any particular subject, which is the proper way to conduct historical study and to avoid short-sightedness or a tunnel vision of the scene. The author of this paper believes that it is urgent to resolve the dilemma in preserving and utilizing source materials by publishing as many materials as possible efficiently so that scholars on recent Chinese history can stand on an equal footing as far as materials are concerned. Only in this way will they be able to undertake deeper investigations, to uncover the complex correlation between source materials and historical study, and ultimately, to contribute to recent history study as a whole.

The temple community is an important concept in Suzhou and Songjiang folk religion since the Ming and Qing dynasties. The two major types of temple communities were those surrounding a Tudi Temple (Temple of the god of land), those encircling a Chenghuang Temple (Temple of the City God), and a Mount Tai Temple. Their existence has different meanings. The organizational systems and varying kinds of religious activities were distinct to the different temple communities. However, the division of temple communities is closely related to local administrative divisions. It is worth noticing that temple communities compete and conflict with each other for regional development resources and the benefits of relevant groups. This study of temple communities contributes to our overall understanding of communities of faith in villages.

During early Qing Dynasty, with the gradual spread of Catholicism among local society, the role of the Catholic Church in treating peoples’ disease became increasingly important. To fulfill the goal of converting Chinese, missionaries not only tried to make a favorable impression by distributing medicine, but also competed with Buddhism, Taoism and other folk religions by constructing a series of romantic images concerning illness in society in order to more successfully disseminate Catholic ideology. The “exorcising” ability of Holy-water, the Cross, the Rosary and other items used in Catholic worship, and the sacramental rituals were exaggerated by missionaries and Chinese Catholics when preaching the Catholic faith in grassroots communities. The dialogue between Catholicism and Buddhism, Taoism, and folk beliefs found in Catholic medical stories from early Qing Dynasty is an important part of Catholic medical culture.

There were numerous books of physiology and hygiene published in the cultural market of the late Qing Dynasty. Their writing and translating purposes, hygienic concepts and hygienic identification in these books displayed the intellectual elites’ efforts in constructing “hygienic modernity” and establishing a national state. Books of physiology and hygiene published in the late Qing Dynasty were firstly translated and edited by missionaries and it was not until 1894 that many Chinese began to edit, translate, and write books of this kind. About one hundred and thirty varieties of books of physiology and hygiene were published in the late Qing Dynasty, most of them were textbooks widely read by people and commonly accepted as books of “hygiene” or “medical science” together with the then published books of Western medical science and books on how to keep a good health. At that time, hygiene was not only a guideline for people’s life and consumption, but also became an ideology to distinguish civilization and savageness with its significance gradually connected with race and nation.

Shanghai and Hankou are located at separate ends of the most prosperous watercourse of Yangtze River. The transshipment in foreign trade between the two ports shows the limitation of Hankou as an inland port. Though the port grew due to independent direct imports and exports, Hankou was never completely independent from Shanghai. In contrast, Shanghai is of great importance to the inland ports of Yangtze River which is different to its effect on the ports of coastal areas of Northern China. Also, the region along Yangtze River is very important to Shanghai as its hinterland. The trading and transshipment between Shanghai and Hankou is critical to the whole region of Yangtze River and the development of Chinese economy. Related topics worth studying are commerce, finance, population mobility and urbanization, etc.