Respecting different opinions
By Raymond Zhou | China Daily | Updated: 2008-10-11 07:57
On October 5, while signing autographs at a Wuxi bookstore, an author was taken by surprise - he was slapped twice on the face by a reader.
The author, Yan Chongnian, is a scholar specializing in Qing history and Manchu culture. He gained popularity through a television educational show. The young man who slapped him is reportedly named Hong Feng, who strongly disagrees with Yan's academic views.
So, what are Yan's views? For those unfamiliar with that era of Chinese history, here is a backgrounder: The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), ruled by the Hans, got inept and corrupt and was eventually toppled by the Manchus, an ethnicity from the north, which established the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911).
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