The falling of a leaf tells the coming of autumn: historical events and figures in late Qing and early Republican China, by ZHANG Zhongmin, Shanghai, Shanghai People’s Publishing House, 2020, 331 pp., ISBN 978-7-208-16380-5

Abstract

Zhang Hairong’s book offers just such an account. In the end, what has to be pointed out is that this book, which is both a general characterization and in-depth exploration, is relatively short, namely 410 pages. This is attributed to the author’s excellent writing skills. But needless to say, there are some defects. For example, after the Wuxu Coup, the conservative forces fiercely counterattacked, and the Qing court’s ruling strategy shifted greatly from that of 1895, when the Reform had been launched. The officials evaded any new matters related to reform. However, in terms of this watershed, the book does not give much sustained discussion. Thus, in sum this work reveals the continuity between the Wuxu Reform and the New Policies Reform (1901–1910), but it cannot uncover how the Boxer Uprising, an anti-reform movement, emerged in the time between these.