Chapter Why Should We Look at Chinese Sources on the Mediterranean from a Transcultural Perspective?
In the postnational era, the demand to rethink national borders and embrace inclusive sentiments of shared interests and belonging is prompting scholars to explore new avenues of research. This introductory essay positions the research project The Mediterranean through Chinese Eyes (MeTChE) within t...
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| Format: | Online |
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Firenze University Press
2025
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| Online dostop: | ONIX_20250801T173835_9791221505986_196 |
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Brez oznak, prvi označite!
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| _version_ | 1869528172798672896 |
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| author | Vinci, Renata |
| author_browse | Vinci, Renata |
| author_facet | Vinci, Renata |
| author_sort | Vinci, Renata |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | In the postnational era, the demand to rethink national borders and embrace inclusive sentiments of shared interests and belonging is prompting scholars to explore new avenues of research. This introductory essay positions the research project The Mediterranean through Chinese Eyes (MeTChE) within the context of recent scholarship on Sino-Western exchanges and aims to provoke debate on a new approach that integrates Chinese Studies and Mediterranean Studies. The MeTChE project seeks to understand how China perceived the Mediterranean as a transcultural space during the Imperial era, specifically from the Song to the Qing dynasties. Three key questions guide this preliminary investigation: why should we embrace the concept of a “transcultural” Mediterranean? What are the conventional methods used in researching Chinese sources on the Mediterranean, and why is a fresh approach necessary? Finally, is it appropriate to discuss a “transcultural” perception of the Mediterranean from the Chinese perspective? The analysis of Chinese sources on the Mediterranean reveals a rich tapestry of cultural interactions and exchanges. Valuable insights come from geographical works, maps, travelogues, and diplomatic accounts that shed light on how China viewed the Mediterranean. Among the notable authors are scholars such as Kang Youwei and Xue Fucheng, whose writings serve as case studies in this essay, as they weave ancient Mediterranean civilisations and historical figures into their accounts. Examining their works from a transcultural perspective allows us to move beyond traditional national identities, exploring the interconnectedness and complexity of historical relations between China and the broader world. Simultaneously, by acknowledging the Mediterranean as a space of converging yet fragmented identities, we recognise its role as a place of coexistence and hybridity, blurring cultural differences and national boundaries. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-163540 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Firenze University Press |
| publisherStr | Firenze University Press |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1635402025-08-02T05:14:34Z Chapter Why Should We Look at Chinese Sources on the Mediterranean from a Transcultural Perspective? Vinci, Renata Mediterranean China Perception Transcultural Travel Diaries In the postnational era, the demand to rethink national borders and embrace inclusive sentiments of shared interests and belonging is prompting scholars to explore new avenues of research. This introductory essay positions the research project The Mediterranean through Chinese Eyes (MeTChE) within the context of recent scholarship on Sino-Western exchanges and aims to provoke debate on a new approach that integrates Chinese Studies and Mediterranean Studies. The MeTChE project seeks to understand how China perceived the Mediterranean as a transcultural space during the Imperial era, specifically from the Song to the Qing dynasties. Three key questions guide this preliminary investigation: why should we embrace the concept of a “transcultural” Mediterranean? What are the conventional methods used in researching Chinese sources on the Mediterranean, and why is a fresh approach necessary? Finally, is it appropriate to discuss a “transcultural” perception of the Mediterranean from the Chinese perspective? The analysis of Chinese sources on the Mediterranean reveals a rich tapestry of cultural interactions and exchanges. Valuable insights come from geographical works, maps, travelogues, and diplomatic accounts that shed light on how China viewed the Mediterranean. Among the notable authors are scholars such as Kang Youwei and Xue Fucheng, whose writings serve as case studies in this essay, as they weave ancient Mediterranean civilisations and historical figures into their accounts. Examining their works from a transcultural perspective allows us to move beyond traditional national identities, exploring the interconnectedness and complexity of historical relations between China and the broader world. Simultaneously, by acknowledging the Mediterranean as a space of converging yet fragmented identities, we recognise its role as a place of coexistence and hybridity, blurring cultural differences and national boundaries. 2025-08-02T05:14:33Z 2025-08-02T05:14:33Z 2025-08-01T15:52:09Z 2024 chapter ONIX_20250801T173835_9791221505986_196 2704-5919 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/104746 9791221505986 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/163540 eng Studi e saggi open access image/jpeg Attribution 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/104746/1/44228.pdf Firenze University Press 10.36253/979-12-215-0598-6.03 10.36253/979-12-215-0598-6.03 2ec4474d-93b1-4cfa-b313-9c6019b51b1a 9791221505986 14 Florence open access |
| spellingShingle | Mediterranean China Perception Transcultural Travel Diaries Vinci, Renata Chapter Why Should We Look at Chinese Sources on the Mediterranean from a Transcultural Perspective? |
| title | Chapter Why Should We Look at Chinese Sources on the Mediterranean from a Transcultural Perspective? |
| title_full | Chapter Why Should We Look at Chinese Sources on the Mediterranean from a Transcultural Perspective? |
| title_fullStr | Chapter Why Should We Look at Chinese Sources on the Mediterranean from a Transcultural Perspective? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Chapter Why Should We Look at Chinese Sources on the Mediterranean from a Transcultural Perspective? |
| title_short | Chapter Why Should We Look at Chinese Sources on the Mediterranean from a Transcultural Perspective? |
| title_sort | chapter why should we look at chinese sources on the mediterranean from a transcultural perspective |
| topic | Mediterranean China Perception Transcultural Travel Diaries |
| topic_facet | Mediterranean China Perception Transcultural Travel Diaries |
| url | ONIX_20250801T173835_9791221505986_196 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vincirenata chapterwhyshouldwelookatchinesesourcesonthemediterraneanfromatransculturalperspective |