The Background, Development and Problems of Public History in China

Abstract

Abstract This article traces the origins and development of public history in China, from its roots in historical memory in pre-modern times, through its role in shaping the nation in the period of modernization, to the emergence of histories of everyday life and popular histories in China today. It raises questions about what is public history in contemporary China, particularly the relationship between popular and academic history and the formalization of the field as seen in new institutions and a new journal.