Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 February 2009
Since the establishment of the People's Republic ofChina in 1949, most of the topics associated withthe study of urban history have languished largelyunstudied beneath a pall of ideologically basedneglect. The list of understudied subjects includesurban population, physical structure, socialstructure, economic activity, urban politics, urbanplanning and the environment, and urban culture.This lack of interest in urban history directlyreflects the emphasis on the role of the peasantryas a creative force in Chinese history. The historyof Chinese peasant uprisings and wars became thefocus of attention and left little interest for whatchanges might have taken place in urban settings.Today, a combination of forces has generatedconsiderable changes in the institutional structureof historical studies in China, as well ascompelling historians to reconsider establishedresearch preferences. In this atmosphere it appearsthat for the first time since 1949 topics thatconcern urban historians in the West and Japan arereceiving serious attention in the People's Republicof China. While it is still too early to speak ofurban history in China, continuation of currenttrends in historical research over the next five toten years will almost certainly bring thisspecialization into existence.
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