Contemporary Review (Chinese magazine)

*Contemporary Review*
Editor-in-chief	Wang Shijie (王世杰)
Frequency	Weekly
Publisher	Contemporary Review Publisher
First issue	December 13, 1924
Final issue	December 1928
Country	China
Language	Chinese

Contemporary Review (traditional Chinese: 現代評論; simplified Chinese: 现代评论; pinyin: Xiàndài Pínglùn) was a weekly Chinese literary magazine that ran from December 1924 to December 1928.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Publication history

Established in Beijing, Contemporary Review began printing weekly editions on December 13, 1924. The publication promoted individualism and freedom of style through the work of new literature writers, as well as topics such as politics, economics, law, philosophy, education, science, and the arts. Many scholars who were affiliated with the magazine had studied in Europe or the United States, including Hu Shih (胡適), Gao Yihan (高一涵), Tang Youren (唐有壬), Chen Yuan (陳源), Xu Zhimo (徐志摩). After 209 issues, the magazine ceased operations in December 1928. During its run, it had produced 3 extra issues and a series of specials.

In the 1925 issues released on January 24 and January 31, Zhang Dinghuang (張定璜) published "Mr. Lu Xun" (魯迅先生), a comprehensive two part review of all of Lu Xun's (鲁迅) writings. Zhang's essay defined Lu Xun's historic significance in the transition of modern Chinese literature.^{[citation needed]}

Early Republic of China journals such as Contemporary Review, Fiction Monthly (founded in 1910), New Youth (Xin Qingnian) (founded in 1915), Creative Quarterly (founded in 1921), and Tattler (founded in 1924) played a critical role in modernising written Chinese. These intersecting circles of writers and scholars had all witnessed the 1911 Xinhai revolution, which marked the end of the Chinese monarchy and the establishment of the Republic of China. Their goal was to revolutionise the written language, transforming it from classical to vernacular. Many of these scholars worked with successive education ministries to establish the education system. Hu Shih (胡適) served as Education Minister for the Republic of China and Cheng Fangwu (成仿吾) of Creative Quarterly set up the Red Army education system for the long march and beyond. The reviews gave theoretical foundation for these works. By the end of the 20th century, the Chinese general population achieved a level of literacy.^{[citation needed]}

Representative issues

First Issue Table of Contents of Contemporary Review

First Issue Table of Contents

Editorial—Current Events
Government by Law and Revolution, by Yan Shutang
The Critical Moment, by Wang Shijie
Generous Settlement Terms for the Qing Imperial Family
"Beggar", a novella, by Xi Lin
"November 3rd" a novel, by You Dafu
"Difficulties of Translation", by Hu Shih
"Philistines", by Xi Gu

References

^ Hockx, Michel (1999). The literary field of twentieth-century China. University of Hawaiʻi. ISBN 9780824822026. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
^ Hockx, Michel (2003). Questions of Style: Literary Societies and Literary Journals in Modern China, 1911-1937. Brill Publishers. ISBN 9789004129153. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
^ Shiao Ling (2010). "Culture, Commerce and Connections: The Inner Dynamics of New Culture Publishing in the Post-May Fourth Period". In Cynthia Brokaw, Christopher A. Reed (ed.). From Woodblocks to the Internet: Chinese Publishing and Print Culture in Transition, Circa 1800 to 2008. Brill Publishers. ISBN 9789004185272. Retrieved 17 March 2013.

[Hockx20th-1] Hockx, Michel (1999). The literary field of twentieth-century China. University of Hawaiʻi. ISBN 9780824822026. Retrieved 17 March 2013.

[HockxQuestions-2] Hockx, Michel (2003). Questions of Style: Literary Societies and Literary Journals in Modern China, 1911-1937. Brill Publishers. ISBN 9789004129153. Retrieved 17 March 2013.

[ShiaoLing-3] Shiao Ling (2010). "Culture, Commerce and Connections: The Inner Dynamics of New Culture Publishing in the Post-May Fourth Period". In Cynthia Brokaw, Christopher A. Reed (ed.). From Woodblocks to the Internet: Chinese Publishing and Print Culture in Transition, Circa 1800 to 2008. Brill Publishers. ISBN 9789004185272. Retrieved 17 March 2013.

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