The book was first published in 1997 and was awarded the first prize of scientific research by
the Ministry of Justice during the ninth Five-Year Plan of China. In 2005 it was adopted the
text book for the postgraduates of law majors. In 2009 it was awarded the second prize of the
best books on law in China. The book discusses from different aspects the long legal tradition
in China and it not only helps us to have a further understanding of Chinese legal system but
also combines theories and practice and illustrate the modern legal transition which probes the
history of Chinese legal system. As is known to us all China is a country with a long legal
history which can be traced back to more than three thousand year ago. So the legal tradition
of China has been passed down from generation to generation without any interruptions. This
feature is peculiar to Chinese legal history which is beyond all comparison with that of other
countries such as ancient Egypt ancient India ancient Babylon and ancient Persia. Through the
study of Chinese legal history we can have a deeper understanding of the histories features
origins and the transition of Chinese legal tradition. The Chinese legal tradition originated
from China and it is the embodiment of the wisdom and creativity of Chinese civilization. The
great many books researching materials legal constitutions archives files and records of
different dynasties in China have provided us with rare complete and systematic materials to
research. The book has a complete systematic and detailed research on Chinese legal tradition
and its transition and it gives people a correct recognition of the process of the perfection
of laws during its development and its position as well as its value in the social progress in
order to grasp its regular patterns. It also has showed us the most valuable part and core of
Chinese legal Tradition and it is a summary of Chinese legal tradition and its transition from
different perspectives different angles and different levels. From the book we can see that
the ancient Chinese Legal Culture had once shocked the world and exerted great influence on the
civilization of the world legal system especially the legal systems in Asian countries. The
book also has discussed the reestablishment of law in the late Qing Dynasty and the beginning
of the Chinese law¿s transition to modernity. In a word the book has not only combined the
legal system and the legal culture together but also integrated the important historical
figures and events ingeniously and it is a valuable and readable book with authenticity.
