Contemporary China Studies in the Netherlands

Abstract

The interest of early sinologists was largely focused on aspects of what was then contemporary China that were of practical use in dealing with Chinese subjects in the Dutch Indies: classical Chinese, southern Chinese spoken languages, translation, secret societies, law, religion. Despite these limitations, what made Dutch sinologists of this period stand out from later generations was their awareness that contemporary China ought to be understood as a complex whole. Classical literati culture and the popular and vulgar realities of contemporary daily life were tied together in a series of connections that had to be understood as much through close and personal observation. These early sinologists also did not shy away from commenting and writing on many aspects of political, social and economic developments in China. Sinology did not respond like one would expect by shifting its focus to the momentous political, cultural, social and economic transformations. Keywords: contemporary China; Dutch Indies; early sinologists