Textbook on Chinese history and Archeology, entitled “Silk, Dragons and Paper: Chinese Civilization, Culture, History and Archeology” (Svila, zmajevi i papir: Kineska civilizacija, kultura, povijest i arheologija), authored by Zvonimir Stopić and Goran Đurđević, published by Alfa d. d. (December, 2021)
Iz tiska je uprava izašla knjiga Svila, zmajevi i papir koju je napisao hrvatsko – kineski znanstvenički duo Zvonimir Stopić sa Sveučilišta Capital Normal u Pekingu i Goran Đurđević s Pekinškog sveučilišta za strane studije. Urednik izdanja je Ante Birin, recenzenti Goran Bilogrivić i Peng Yuchao, korektor kineskih znakova je Chen Yarong. a izdavač Alfa iz Zagreba. Najveći broj fotografija ustupio je Povijesni muzej Sveučilišta Capital Normal u Pekingu, a slikovni materijal omogućio je Ning Qiang čije slike krase naslovnicu. Knjiga je otisnuta uz pomoć sredstava Ministarstva znanosti i obrazovanja. Veliku pomoć za izradu knjige pružili su profesori Sveučilišta Capital Normal u Pekingu. U knjizi Svila, zmajevi i papir, koju dodatno objašnjava podnaslov Kineska civilizacija, kultura, povijest i arheologija, analizirana je i opisana prošlost Kine od pojave prvog čovjeka i paleolitika do kraja carske Kine u 20. stoljeću. Kineska je civilizacija u svojem dugom trajanju omogućila brojne izume kojima se danas koristimo u svakodnevnom životu kao što su papir, svila, papirnati novac, barut, čaj, kompas i brojne druge stvari. Hrvatski jezik poznaje riječi kao što su čaj, ping-pong, tajfun koje potječu iz kineskog jezika. Sama je knjiga sastavljena od tri veće cjeline: Pregled povijesti Kine u kojem je donesen kronološki okvir za kinesku prošlost počevši od prvih paleolitičkih ljudi pa do kraja carske Kine i kraha posljednje dinastije Qing, zatim Kineska arheologija: od početaka do izazova 21. stoljeća te nudi osnovne informacije o početcima kineskih interesa za prošlost, znanstvenog bavljenja arheologijom i poviješću, prvim nalazima i utemeljenjem prvih znanstvenih institucija te Kinesko-europski kontakti i dodiri gdje su opisani najvažniji kontakti Kine i zapada uključujući Putove svile, Marka Pola i razmjenu ideja, predmeta i osoba. Publikacija završava kronološkim tablicama dinastija i vladara, pojmovnikom, kazalom geografskih pojmova i osobnih imena te vrlo opsežnom bibliografijom povijesnih vrela, knjiga i članaka na engleskom, kineskom i hrvatskom jeziku. Knjiga je istodobno namijenjena učenicama (srednjoškolkama), studenticama, istraživačicama, profesoricama kao i svim njihovim muškim ekvivalentima te cjelokupnoj javnosti.
The book Silk, Dragons and Paper, written by the Croatian-Chinese scientific duo Zvonimir Stopić from the Beijing's Capital Normal University and Goran Đurđević from the Beijing Foreign Studies University, has recently been published. The editor of the publication is Ante Birin, the reviewers are Goran Bilogrivić and Peng Yuchao, the proofreader of Chinese characters is Chen Yarong, while the publisher is Alfa from Zagreb. The largest number of photographs was donated by the Historical Museum of Capital Normal University in Beijing, and the pictorial material was provided by Ning Qiang, whose paintings adorn the cover. The book was printed with the help of funds from the Ministry of Science and Education. Great help in writing the book was provided by professors from Capital Normal University. The book “Silk, Dragons and Paper: Chinese Civilization, Culture, History and Archaeology”, analyses and describes China’s past from the emergence of the first man and Paleolithic to the end of Imperial China in the early 20th century. The book itself consists of four major sections: 1) A general introduction to Chinese geography and society, 2) a Review of Chinese History, which provides a chronological framework for China's past from the early Paleolithic to the end of Imperial China and the collapse of the last Qing Dynasty, 3) Chinese Archaeology from the beginnings to the challenges of the 21st century, which provides information on the beginnings of Chinese interests in the past, scientific study of archaeology and history, first findings and founding of the first scientific institutions, and 4) Sino-European connections overview, which describe the most important contacts between China and the West, including the Silk Road, Marco Polo and the exchange of ideas, objects, goods and people. The publication ends with the chronological tables of dynasties and rulers, a glossary, an index of geographical terms and personal names, and a very extensive bibliography of historical sources, books, and articles, written in English, Chinese and Croatian. This book has been conceptualized in a way that it can appeal to several different types of readers. The book primarily targets university and high school students, professors, and teachers, to whom it offers a clear introduction to the vast history of China. Some will use it as introduction, while others as a logical first step into the depths of knowledge on China. Furthermore, by becoming a “reference-book” on Chinese history and archaeology, this book hopes to “patch” several large holes that exist in the Croatian knowledge on China, and thus positively influence other high school and university textbooks, other literature on China, media, etc. However, although the book is primarily intended to be used by various scholars, the structure and the narrative of the book were carefully designed so that the book can be easily accessible to wider audience. The ease of access to information which the book offers can quickly help anyone who wish to have access to scientifically verified knowledge on China, without getting lost in thousands of pages of various other books. Therefore, we believe that this book will also be useful not only to scholars, but also to diplomats, travelers, businessmen, enthusiasts and all other who wish to expand their understanding of China.
