In the 1930s and 1940s, the Japanese Shintaro Okuno went to Beijing to study and teach, experiencing pure Beijing life and sensing the sentiment of Chinese culture. "Chinese Thoughts" is a selected translation of the essays written by Shintaro Okuno at that time. It tells what Mr. Okuno saw, heard, thought and felt when he lived in Beijing. It describes the humanities and customs of the ancient capital of Beijing, and involves anecdotes and comments about contemporary social and literary celebrities such as Zhou Zuoren, Ding Ling, Mei Lanfang, Bing Xin and others. The Beijing in Mr. Okuno's mind is China, and the cultural phenomenon in Beijing represents the cultural phenomenon in China as a whole. From a foreigner's perspective, he observed the Chinese national psychology, civilization process and cultural differences with Japan that have been formed over thousands of years, and recorded the Chinese society that is undergoing historic changes.
Reader comments
He compared books to living animals, and said that the treatment of books will change according to the owner's situation. This metaphor is so apt! I especially like his analysis of Chinese people's thoughts, which is very profound. However, I was a little surprised by his comments about the lack of imagination of the Meiji generation. Overall, this book allowed me to see the collision and exchange between different cultures. It is worth reading!
He compared books to living animals, and said that the treatment of books will change according to the owner's situation. This metaphor is so apt! I especially like his analysis of Chinese people's thoughts, which is very profound. However, I was a little surprised by his comments about the lack of imagination of the Meiji generation. Overall, this book allowed me to see the collision and exchange between different cultures. It is worth reading!