Peking University shudaizi versus Japanese reporter smackdown, and critical thinking in history is the loser

The always fun ChinaSMACK blog has a recent translation between a clever student from PKU and a Japanese reporter interviewing students on the Bei Da campus.  Readers interested in what passes for witty repartee in the eyes of Chinese netizens can check out the whole post here, but there was this little bit that caught my attention:

A: Please watch your wording! I don’t agree with how you’ve put the question. The question implicitly casts China in an unfavourable light. From ancient times to now, China has never had any “heavy burden”. The Chinese people are a open-minded, forward-looking exemplary race, who patiently deal with people, and remaining on friendly terms with their neighbours is China’s virtue. For this reason we acknowledge history without bias, but would never repay unkindness with unkindness. We tolerate reconciliation, including with Japan. Please tell me, what is China and the Chinese people’s “heavy burden”? Have the Chinese people ever done something unforgivable to Japan? The issue is precisely the invasion of China, the heinous crimes of the Japanese who don’t acknowledge history, burning, killing, and plundering in China, madly exterminating the Chinese people. The criminal Japanese don’t acknowledge their crimes or make reparations to

NYT: China’s forgotten fortresses

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Edward Wong’s fascinating article on a little-known (at least on my part) set of architectural anomalies in the Guangdong countryside.  These towers — “part Chinese mansion, part European fortress” — were apparently built in the early 20th century by returning overseas Chinese.  Flush with wealth gained abroad, but fearful of being robbed in the lawless countryside of early 20th century China, the owners of these mansions built towers which featured a rather baroque mixture of Chinese and Western architectural style. The article also discusses restoration efforts (or lack thereof) of other Republican era structures in the area. Check it out. Good pictures too.

The Historical Record for December 4: Happy Birthday, Feng Youlan

Philosopher and author Feng Youlan was born on this date in 1895.  Feng is perhaps best known for his much assigned tome A History of Chinese Philosophy, first published in 1934.  Despite its flaws, the book still appears on reading lists in Chinese philosophy classes around the world.  (I’ve never assigned it myself, but I admit that when I’m teaching philosophy and preparing lectures, a copy is never far away from my desk.)  Feng himself revised his work many times in an (ultimately unsuccessful) attempt to stay ahead of the political curve during the 1950s and 1960s.  Later in life, he resumed his academic career and died in Beijing in 1990.

Like Hu Shi, Feng Youlan studied philosophy under John Dewey at Columbia on a Boxer Indemnity Scholarship.  Upon his return to China, Feng took a number of teaching positions and was dean of the wartime Southwest Asscoiated University based in Kunming.  He was actually teaching in the US on a visiting professorship as the CCP consolidated their control over China in 1948-1949, and chose to return to China rather than stay abroad.

Feng not only produced the first systematic overview of Chinese philosophy, but was a philosopher in

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