Modern Times: A Brief History of Enlightenment

By Li Boyuan
Translated by Douglas Lancashire
1996
522 pages
ISBN 962-7255-16-5

The second half of the 19th century saw the emergence of a new consciousness in Chinese society. Questions concerning China's position in the world and her relationship with Western powers were the subject of nationwide debate. Here the author Li Boyuan (1861-1906), a journalist and editor, combines the traditional form of the Chinese novel with the new thinking which characterized China's transformation. The issues which are at the heart of Modern Times are still of great relevance to China's current debates on globalization.

Douglas Lancashire, the translator, was born in Tianjin, China. From 1966 until his retirement, he held the foundation chair of Chinese at Auckland University.