This issue marks the formal transition in the editorship of Early Medieval China. In keeping with the tradition, I as the new editor wish to pay tribute to the former editors of the journal: Victor Cunrui Xiong (Vols. 1–5, 1994–1999), Cynthia Chennault (Vols. 6–16, 2000–2010), and J. Michael Farmer (Vols. 17–26, 2011–2019), as well as Matthew Wells who served as Assistant Editor in the last few years of Michael Farmer’s tenure. They made great efforts and did excellent work to nurture and guide this journal, which today still remains the only journal in the English language dedicated to the study of the historical period known as early medieval China. It is a privilege and honor for me to take up the torch.
In 1994 Dennis Grafflin, then President of the Early Medieval China Group, wrote the “Foreword” for the inaugural issue of Early Medieval China. It was spelled as “Forward” in the issue, and the pun turned out to be prophetic, as the field has indeed moved forward enormously since three decades ago. In archeology, art, history, literature, and religious studies, we have seen many monographs, edited volumes, articles, doctoral dissertations, master’s theses, translations, conferences, workshops, and exhibitions. We also witness a much-improved gender balance, as there are more woman scholars who are active and visible in the field. All these developments have contributed to the vibrancy, diversity, and richness of the larger field of medieval China studies.
This issue, featuring articles and book reviews by veterans of the field, mid-career scholars, and scholars of the younger generation, showcases the continuing growth of the field. Meow Hui Goh addresses the concerns about deception, sincerity, voice, and affect in literary writings by examining three cases of fabricating letters as a war strategy; Qiaomei Tang explores the high political stakes of a thorny legal and ritual problem of “two principal wives” under shifting geopolitical conditions; Charles Holcombe analyzes group identity formation and perception in the interactions of Chinese and non-Chinese peoples in the borderland; and Lu Kou discusses the politics of court music and the creation of an “audible empire” in the early years of the Sui dynasty. Together, the articles consider questions of ethnicity, identity, legitimacy, and the meaning and significance of wen in dynastic transition and empire building. They attest to the importance of paying close attention to primary sources that cut across modern disciplinary divisions and envisioning history in its totality of contemporary beliefs and social conditions beyond its textual traces.
I came from an editor’s family; my father had edited a literature journal for many years. Yet, only after working as an editor myself did I realize the amount of work and care going into a journal issue. It is also teamwork: I thank our new social media editor, the Editorial Board, and the EMCG President, Treasurer, and Board of Directors for their support; I am grateful to the scholars who served as reviewers of manuscripts, and to Geraldine Richards and Melanie Porter at Taylor & Francis Group for their assistance. Finally, it is to you, readers, I express my appreciation, and extend an invitation to submit manuscripts and give suggestions on how the journal can continue to grow and expand.