Record of the Cession of Taiwan

Luo DunrongNanhai Publication Company · ChinaSep 2023

3.5

Word count: 2.4K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Luo was a leading Qing-dynasty writer on unofficial history and anecdotes, and The Cession of Taiwan is one of his many works in that vein. In the Republican era it was included in the Collected Unofficial Histories of the Manchu Qing, and the present edition is a punctuated text based on that version.

Editor's review

The Cession of Taiwan is one of Luo Dunrong's works of unofficial history and anecdote, recording events before and after the cession of Taiwan in the late Qing. Luo devoted much effort to unofficial history and anecdotes of the Qing period, and this book was included in the Republican-era Collected Unofficial Histories of the Manchu Qing; the present edition, punctuated and collated by Nanhai Press from that text, lets readers approach the original directly. Its value lies in preserving, in notebook form, firsthand impressions and the words and deeds of figures at the time of the cession; it is brief but information-dense, and can be read alongside the relevant treaties, memorials, and official histories to see how court and country reacted and how literati felt. Readers should bear in mind its nature as unofficial history: the narrative carries personal stance and hearsay and should not be taken as settled fact, yet it is precisely this that lets us observe how people of the time understood and recorded this major upheaval. It suits readers with a basic grasp of late Qing and Taiwan history who want an additional documentary perspective; those seeking only a general overview or light storytelling may not find it suitable.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in late Qing history and the period around the cession of Taiwan
Enthusiasts and researchers of historical notebooks from the Ming-Qing to the Republican era
History students who need an unofficial-history perspective and are willing to read it against official histories
Readers in literature and history concerned with narratives of modern territorial change and literati reactions

Not a good fit for

Readers with no grounding in late Qing history who want a general history primer first
Readers expecting systematic argument and rigorous textual criticism, with reliable conclusions
Casual readers who prefer light narrative and have no patience for classical-language notebook style

Reading tips

First learn the basic facts of the Treaty of Shimonoseki and the cession of Taiwan, then read this book to judge the weight of its account.
While reading, compare it with the relevant treaty text or general histories, marking similarities and differences for analysis.
It is short enough to read in one sitting; then go back and sort out the people and events it touches on.
Note the author's narrative stance and hearsay elements, and treat the book as one historical source rather than the sole basis.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
割台记

FAQ

Is The Cession of Taiwan a rigorous historical work?

It belongs to the genre of unofficial history and anecdote, not strict textual scholarship. It preserves impressions and the words and deeds of figures around the time of the cession and has documentary value, but it also mixes in hearsay and personal stance. Read it alongside treaties, memorials, and official histories, and treat it as one documentary perspective rather than a final verdict.

What background knowledge should I have before reading this book?

At minimum you should know the basic facts of the cession of Taiwan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki after the First Sino-Japanese War, and the contemporary debate at the Qing court between war and peace. With that background, the people and events in the book will not seem isolated and baffling. If you know nothing of the late Qing situation, read a general history of the late Qing first.

What is the relationship between this edition and the Republican-era Collected Unofficial Histories of the Manchu Qing?

According to the publisher's note, this book is a punctuated and collated text based on the version included in the Republican-era Collected Unofficial Histories of the Manchu Qing. That is, the body text derives from the version collected in that series; the main work was adding punctuation for modern readers, not re-collating or adding new historical material.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Luo Dunrong Author · Chinese · 1872–1924

Luo Dunrong (1872–1924), courtesy name Xiaoyu and style names Yandong and Yinggong, was a native of Shunde, Guangdong, and a modern poet, calligrapher and playwright. A disciple of Kang Youwei, he rose to a post as a director in the Ministry of Posts and Communications and in the Republican era served as a secretary in the Presidential Office and a councillor in the State Council. He was counted, together with Liang Dingfen and others, among the Four Masters of Modern Lingnan. His writings span historical reading, prose and miscellaneous notes, folk literature and literary appreciation. Fifty of his works are held in the collection, including The Taiping Rebellion, Three Records of the Cession of Taiwan, Remaining Tales of the Boxer Upheaval, The Empress Dowager's Remarriage and A Private Record of Emperor Dezong's Succession, most of which draw on late Qing and early Republican historical events and court lore; Bintui Suibi is noted for its miscellaneous sketches. He also wrote several plays for Cheng Yanqiu, contributing to opera creation.