China from a Transcultural Perspective in the May-Fourth Era: in Comparison with Japan

Title

China from a Transcultural Perspective in the May-Fourth Era: in Comparison with Japan

Author

Yu-ting LEE

Page

77-114

DOI

10.6163/TJEAS.201906_16(1).0003

Abstract

The May-Fourth Movement marked a turning point in the political, social, cultural, and intellectual history of modern China. It has been receiving academic attention for nearly a century since its inception. This article focuses on the 1920s, widely known as the “May-Fourth era” in China, and analyzes some international intellectual discourses on China. This is an attempt to explore the image of post-WWI China that was considered backward but hopeful for its potential to imbue world civilization with a new spirit. In the meantime, Japan had become one of the world powers and drawn worldwide interest in the early twentieth century. While examining China’s image in the eyes of international observers, this article also touches upon their views on Japan. The purpose is not only to reveal the different international images of China and Japan, but also to embark on discussions about “Eastern and Western cultures”, “modernization”, and “world history”. Hopefully, this article can break a new path in the already fruitful fields of May-Fourth studies.

Keyword

May-Fourth, Culture, China, Japan, the East, the West, World history, Modernization

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