A History of Ancient Chinese Geoscience (Understanding China)

This book studies the history of geoscience in ancient China. Building on a comprehensive review of the historical development of Chinese geoscience, the authors map out the trends and patterns in the development of geoscience, thereby filling a research gap in this field and laying the groundwork for a systematic study of the history of Chinese geoscience. The Chinese version of this book was selected as a key national book planning project under China’s 12th Five-Year Plan and was funded by the National Publication Foundation. It also won the 6th China Outstanding Publication Award. Encompassing historical accounts of both geography and geology, the book explores the origin, development and prosperity of ancient Chinese geoscience. It introduces a wide range of topics covering a time span from the primitive societies to the Late Qing dynasty. In each time period, as well as discussion of the contexts, topics include the mainstream schools of thought, scientific discoveries and their significance, scholarly works, well-known experts, major research activities, research institutes, educational programmes, academic journals, scientific instruments, and knowledge exchange. The book also deals with the history of several neighbouring disciplines such as climatology, cartology, hydrology, geomorphology and mineral petrology. The authors provide an exceptionally detailed description of geoscience in embryo – the forming of early knowledge of the Earth in primitive society. For the first time, philosophers’ geoscientific understanding of the world and the findings of historical mineralogy and petrology are brought to the fore, supported by data from various sources including ancient literature, archives and documentation, archaeological sites, cultural artefacts and modern experimental evidence. The novel design of contextualising each phase of development in its unique social-political conditions is unprecedented and of high academic and social value. Marked by its specialised interpretation and scientific rigour, this work proves to be unparalleled in revealing the reciprocity between scientific innovation and societal transformation, thus providing valuable lessons and inspiration for future geoscientists. As a reference book on the history of geoscience, it aims to provide specialist guidance for professionals in the field of geoscience, geoscience historians and researchers, university teachers and students in relevant disciplines, and teachers of geography or science in primary or secondary schools.

Professor Yang Wenheng (1937―2023), a geoscience historian and researcher at the Institute of History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a permanent recipient of the State Council Allowance for Special Talents and a well-known science historian in China. His works include History of Ancient Chinese Geography, The Traveller Xu Xiake and His Travelogues, History of Global Geography, etc. He published over 60 research papers. 

Professor Yang Qinye (1940―), a researcher at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a recipient of the State Council Allowance for Special Talents and a former member of the environmental governance and cartographic research team under the International Geographical Union. He is editor-in-chief of Chinese National Geography and on the expert panel of the National Commission for Disaster Reduction. He has led multiple national research projects including several major ones funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and published over 150 works. 

About the translation team:

Dr Jiqing Dong (FHEA, Ph. D, MTI, BA) is a translation researcher, educator and practitioner. Shortly after obtaining her doctoral degree in Interpreting at Heriot-Watt University

(2012-2016), Edinburgh, she joined the University of Leicester as a lecturer and supervised graduate dissertations in translation studies. Her research papers have appeared in peer-reviewed journals (e.g. The Translator, Translation Spaces) and in book chapters by publishers including John Benjamins and Routledge. As a CATTI-certified freelance translator for over ten years, Jiqing has been enabling Chinese authors to communicate effectively to an English audience, primarily in the archaeology, creative art, and telecommunication sectors.

With experience of living and working in France, Africa and China and of working as a freelance practitioner, Associate Professor Christine Wilson worked at Heriot-Watt University for twenty-five years. She taught translation and interpreting (French/English) and team taught with colleagues in Chinese (Mandarin) and other languages. She was a member of the European Social Survey Panel of Translation Experts (2006-09) and a founding member of the European Legal Interpreters & Translators Association (EULITA), launched 2009. She was consulted on developments and reviews of the UK National Occupational Standards for both Translation and Interpreting (2007-2009, and in 2017). 

Prof. Fei Jie received Ph. D. in Geology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2006. He started his academic career at the Department of History of Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, and joined the Institute of Historical Geography, Fudan University in 2012. He was seconded as the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute for Scotland at the University of Edinburgh (2019-2020) and the Guest lecturer of the Department of History at the University of Hamburg (2015-2016). His research interests revolve around the Chinese historical physical geography and the Sino-European communication history of Geosciences. 

Wen Xiuying, Ph. D, professor of English, visiting scholar of the University of Louisville (2004-2006), the US., Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at Heriot-Watt University, Scotland (2014-2018). He is currently Head of the School of Humanities of Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, Executive Director of Tianjin International Culture Research Association; Executive Director of Tianjin Translation Association; Peer Reviewer of Journal of Tianjin University; and Editorial Board Member of Journal of Business Translation. His research interests include translation criticism, English translation of Chinese Classics and cross-cultural communication.