New volume revisits Song Dynasty's peak of wisdom

"The year 1057, the second year of the Jiayou era, is considered a miraculous year in the history of the Chinese imperial examination," says Luo Zhenyu, 52, opening the launch ceremony of his new book Civilization: 1030-1059, An Age of Genius at the Beijing Exhibition Center at the end of October.

"In that year, 388 candidates passed the final and most difficult stage of the imperial examination to earn the title jinshi. Among them were great literati Su Shi, Su Zhe and Zeng Gong, as well as the eminent Neo-Confucian scholars Cheng Hao and Zhang Zai, all of whom passed the exam together. That year saw half of the 'Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties' selected as jinshi."

The two-and-a-half-hour event drew 2,122 readers to celebrate the book's release.

This marks the second volume of Luo's ambitious Civilization series, which he plans to extend across 30 volumes covering the years 1000 to 1912 — the year after the fall of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The first volume, Civilization: 1000-1029, was published in November 2024.

Focusing on the Northern Song period (960-1127) between 1030 and 1059, the new book brings to life a brilliant age of reform and intellect, featuring historical figures such as Fan Zhongyan, Sima Guang, and Wang Anshi.

With a global perspective, the book delves into how the Song Dynasty, despite its "lack of horses", used unique wisdom to confront the iron cavalry of the Xixia Dynasty (1038-1227) and engage in strategic games with the Liao Dynasty (916-1125).

From Empress Dowager Liu E's regency behind the curtain, to the Qingli Reforms led by statesmen and literati Fan and Ouyang Xiu, and the illustrious "Millennium Dragon-Tiger List" featuring luminaries like Su Shi, Su Zhe, and statesman and poet Wang Anshi, it chronicles the rise and responsibilities of the scholar-official class.

The book not only recounts the heroic yet tragic battlefield saga of distinguished general Di Qing and his fate, but also explores why Ouyang Xiu sought to ban books amid the rise of printing. Furthermore, it unveils the secret behind the Fan family's charitable estate that was established by Fan Zhongyan and lasted for nine centuries.

Copublished by Dedao Books and SinoMaps Press, the volume features 21 historical maps, one of which is a 74-centimeter foldout ancient map of the Yellow River, along with 64 exquisite infographics and 46 double-page spreads illustrating major historical events.

Reflecting on the daunting challenges of the creative process, Luo says, "To complete the remaining 810 articles, I will need 1,620 days, meaning I must maintain this level of intensity nonstop for the next six and a half years." He hopes to finish and publish the remaining 28 volumes over the next 18 years.

This 20-year endeavor is to "craft the fairy tale of my own life", he says.