What is Sinology and what does it include?

Sinology refers to the cultural heritage and academic records of China in past dynasties.

Include China's ancient history, philosophy, geography, politics, economy, calligraphy and painting, music, Yi-ology, martial arts, medicine, astrology, architecture and so on.

Sinology, based on the pre-Qin classics and a hundred schools of thought, covers a whole set of cultural and academic systems, such as Confucian Classics in Han Dynasty, Metaphysics in Wei and Jin Dynasties, Buddhism in Sui and Tang Dynasties, Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties, practical learning in Ming and Qing Dynasties, pre-Qin poetry in Han Dynasty, parallel prose in Six Dynasties, poetry in Tang and Song Dynasties, novels in Yuan Dynasty in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and historiography in past dynasties.

The significance of Chinese studies

Nowadays, Sinology refers to all kinds of cultural studies based on pre-Qin classics and hundred schools of thought, covering later generations. Therefore, in a broad sense, China's ancient and modern culture and scholarship include China's ancient history, thought, philosophy, geography, politics, economy, painting and calligraphy, music, Yi-ology, martial arts, medicine, astrology, architecture and so on. They are all involved in Chinese studies.

The name of "Sinology" began in the late Qing Dynasty. At that time, European and American academics entered China under the names of "New Learning" and "Western Learning". In contrast, people call China's inherent knowledge "old learning", "middle school" or "national studies". Sinology can also refer to China's ancient theory. Among them, the pre-Qin philosophers are the representatives, and their thoughts and theories have far-reaching influence on the traditional culture of China.

They formed the thoughts of military strategists, legalists, Mohists, Confucianists and Taoists. These thoughts discuss how to govern the country from different aspects. It had a far-reaching influence on the rulers of past dynasties, and gradually formed China's traditional cultural concept.