A General Survey of Ancient Chinese History

The author reviews the first six chapters of the monograph by John S. Major and Constance Cook “Ancient China: A History” (New York, London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 2017. 300 p.). The authors of the book made an attempt to briefly review the history of ancient China on the basis of a compilation of factual data from the works of the most prominent researchers of these periods in Europe and the United States. It is shown that the authors of the compilation mainly follow the Chinese historical tradition, repeating the basic information from the classical Confucian treatises of the early Imperial time. It is particularly significant that the authors make mistakes that indicate the formation of their own tradition of writing the history of China in the United States.

The Main Stages of the Development of Incense Culture in China

The article provides an overview of the main stages and trends in the development of the incense culture of China from antiquity to the present day. It covers religious and magical rituals, sanitary and hygiene, traditional medicine, a set of spiritual, healing, artistic, and game practices and rituals of Taoist-Buddhist and Confucian character. In China, over several millennia, a colossal experience has been accumulated in terms of the use of aromatic raw materials of plant, mineral and animal origin: thousands of treatises and reference books have been written, the properties of individual incense and their combinations have been studied, detailed classifications have been drawn up and principles of religious cults and ritual practices have been developed. Along with the applied value of incense, an aesthetic attitude toward incense aromas also developed, which repeatedly ensured periods of rapid flourishing of incense culture in antiquity, the Middle Ages and on the cusp of the New Age. Currently, the traditional aromatic culture in China is experiencing a period of upsurge and revival. This provides ample opportunities for its study in various fields of knowledge, which indicates the relevance and multidimensional nature of the study of this topic.

Border Trade between Regions of Russia and Provinces of China

The purpose of this article is to study border trade in the regions of Russia and the provinces of China. It is shown that in recent years there have been negative trends in border trade, leading to its reduction. Therefore, Russian regions bordering with China should transform into separate objects of regional policy, while also forming a legislative framework for border interaction in all its main spheres: trade, humanitarian cooperation, science and education, and others. In border cooperation with China, special emphasis should be placed on cooperation in the innovation sphere, as well as on improving the quality of exported goods and services and promoting infrastructure projects. Border trade between the regions of Russia and China is built mainly on trade and export of labour resources from China to Russia, as well as China’s receipt of additional sales channels for the confidently growing sales markets for consumer goods and sources of raw materials and primary products. The interaction of Russian regions with neighbouring provinces on the border with China not only preserves the raw material orientation of these regions, but also hinders the development and strengthening of the manufacturing industry in the structure of their regional economies, since border interaction for Russian regions immobilizes those stages of value-added production observed in the very first stages. In general, for the Chinese provinces there is a similar problem associated with such exports to border regions that have common borders with Russia, which does not contribute to the diversification and structural development of the regional economies of the Chinese provinces. That is why building an effective mechanism for border interaction between Russia and China is a strategically important issue for both countries.

Reforms by Peter the Great as a Model for Japan in the Writings of the Late Edo Period

The first knowledge about Peter the Great seems to penetrate into Japan during the lifetime of this Russian emperor, as early as the beginning of the 18th century. However, it was only after first attempts of Siberian merchants to start trade relations with Japan’s northernmost domain of Matsumae when Japanese intellectuals began to study Russia and its history. By the end of the century, the image of Peter the Great as an outstanding ruler had formed in Japan, with his main achievement being the expansion of the country’s territory, after which European Russia suddenly shared a border with northern Japan. Katsuragawa Hoshu, a court physician and the author of one of the first descriptions of Russia, might be the first Japanese who implied Peter the Great’s activities as a model for Japan, pointing out his politics in spreading the foreign trade. Japanese intellectuals of the first half of the 19th century continued to use Peter the Great’s reforms as a possible model for Japan. Watanabe Kazan (1793–1841) in his “Note about the Situation in Foreign Countries” used the Russian emperor as evidence of a leader’s role in winning nature-based and geographical obstacles in a country’s development. Aizawa Seishisai (1782–1863) and later Sakuma Shozan (1811–1864) pointed out Peter’s leadership qualities and personal involvement in reforms. Based on the study of Peter’s activities, Aizawa managed to create the program of Japan’s reforming known as the “New thesis” (“Shinron”, 1825), while Sakuma promoted the necessity of Western learning, especially the development of navy and artillery. This allows to assume a great influence of the study of Peter the Great and Russian history in formulating the ideas of a “rich country and strong army” that became a cornerstone of national ideology in Meiji Japan.

Initial Stage of the Fight against COVID-19 Pandemic in China: A View from Inside

This publication represents a kind of literary essay about the fighting against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus at the very beginning of the pandemic, during the first days and even hours. The personal story may help to evaluate the situation of complete uncertainty on the first days of the pandemic all of us have already forgotten now. But to remember the first moods and the first steps is a very important thing, for avoidance of new crises during possible epidemics in the future and the panic associated with them. Looking at the problem from the inside helps to understand the worries, moods and feelings of Chinese people during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Mongolia’s Soft Power Tools in Relation to Russian Regions at the Beginning of the 21st Century.

This article discusses the features of international relations in Inner Asia through the prism of the Russian-Mongolian relationship. The specifics of contemporary bilateral relationships is determined by the nature of mutual influence in the economic, political and humanitarian spheres. The aim of this research is to analyze Mongolian implementation of the concept of ‘soft power’ in relation to the regions of Russia, which are culturally and historically defined as a ‘Mongolian world’. It was revealed that the foreign policy of Mongolia in relation to Russian regions such as the Republic of Buryatia, Republic of Tuva, Irkutsk and Trans-Baikal regions is being implemented in several directions. The first one is daily trade and economic contacts between Russian and Mongolian citizens. The second direction is represented by ethno-cultural holidays and festivals, within the framework of which the Mongolian language and traditions are promoted. The existing demand for the preservation and development of national cultures and languages of the indigenous peoples of Russia creates conditions for stimulating interest in all Mongolian language, literature, clothing, cuisine, cultural and sports events. Finally, Mongolia's success in fighting the pandemic during 2020 and its humanitarian assistance to the Russian regions affected by Coronavirus are also tools of ‘soft power’. The result of this policy is the spread of Mongolian influence in the border regions of the Russian Federation. In this regard, Moscow should also pay certain attention to these processes when building a strategy of bilateral relations at state level.

Unusual Sculptures of Buddhist Deities in Japan in the Halo of Legends and Historical Facts

Diverse, unusual images of Buddhist deities are ubiquitous in Japan. In a number of ways, they differ from traditional temple images, demonstrating a deviation from the canon, which dictates certain, centuries-old norms and rules regarding postures, position of feet, fingers, gestures, symbols. Simplification of expressive means, a stylized image become the predominant features in the image of extraordinary images. The appearance of unusual Buddhist sculptures in the plastic field of the country is often associated with the existence of legends, traditions, and also facts that took place throughout the history of Japan among the population. The iconography of unusual Buddhas is very diverse and encompasses both the Buddhas themselves and the bodhisattvas, Kings of Light, Heavenly Kings, and so on. Six-armed Jizō, Rope-tied Jizō, Yata Jizō, Child-giving Jizō are added to the familiar images of the Bodhisattva Jizō. Amida Buddha, who is habitually portrayed as sitting frontally, appears in a new form – standing and in profile or with his head bowed. A very colourful group is represented by deities sitting on zoomorphic thrones – lions, elephants, riding birds – knocked out of the canonical image. The traditional images of the Eleven-headed, Thousand-armed Bodhisattva Kannon always seemed unusual, although they became familiar. However, placing the bodhisattva on a mount bird – a four-legged, eight-headed raven gives reason to consider this sculpture unusual. In unusual sculptures, there is a deviation from the norm, an abstraction from the traditional image. Aesthetic ideals are not realized through a complex of canons, rather through a new figurative language, not yet fixed by tradition.

A Fundamental Investigation of the Early Neolithic of Southern China

The reviewed investigation made by Stanisław Robert Kuczera “The Antique and Ancient History of China. Early Neolithic of the South” (Moscow, St. Peterburg, Nestor-Istoriya, 2020, 596 p.) provides an overview of the main early Neolithic complexes in the south of China. The work has been carried out for several dozens of years and is based on the analysis of more than 2000 different scientific publications. In terms of its depth and thoroughness of presented research, this monograph has no analogues in the Russian language. Based on the systematization and analysis of the scientific articles of Chinese archaeologists it presents an overview of migrations, emergence of ceramics, methods of stone processing, domestication of plants and animals in the Early Neolithic of southern China. Radiocarbon data of the archaeological sites is being widely presented in Russian for the first time. Four chapters provide a comprehensive investigation of different aspects of the Neolithic economy of the region.

Problems and Prospects of Economic Integration of Russia and South Korea in the ASEZs

This article analyzes the Advanced Special Economic Zones (ASEZ) initiative in the context of economic integration of the Russian Federation and South Korea. The author of the article, relying on an extensive source base, for the first time attempts to answer the question of what factors impede the successful implementation of projects by the two countries within the framework of this initiative. The purpose of the study is to identify and characterize the main problems and prospects of cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation within the ASEZ. The study was carried out within the framework of an integrated approach using the SCAN Interfax media environment analysis system as one of the main forecasting tools. At the same time, the author draws on statistical data reflecting the state of export-import and trade turnover between the two countries over the past five years. The analysis of the source made it possible to determine that despite the huge interest of South Korean business in the emerging markets of the Russian Federation, the project could not be implemented as planned due to the complicated administrative procedures, the fundamental difference in the procedure for investing in high-tech and commercial production, lack of trust in the Russian system of economic planning as well as insufficient experience in ways of doing business with South Korean companies by Russian Far Eastern specialists.

XI International Scientific Conference “Ancient Cultures of Mongolia, Baikal and South Siberia, Northern China”

A report on the XI International scientific conference “Ancient Cultures of Mongolia, Baikal and South Siberia, Northern China” held in Abakan by Khakas State University from September 8 to September 12 2021 is presented. Brief descriptions of the papers presented are given.