Abstract: LÜ Si-mian’s A History of China in Modern Chinese Language was firstly published in1923. As the first book of China’s general history written in modern Chinese language, it has a great role in China’s history of historiography and that of education. However, few people know that this book was once suppressed by the government of the Republic of China, which had been a heated discussion for decades in the academic circle. Later, this debate even went beyond the academic field. This thesis tries to restore the process of suppression, the reactions of the academic circle and the fate of this book during the political movements in the new era. We may understand the intellectuals’ particular situations as well as their corresponding choices.

Key words: LÜ, Si-mian, A History of China in Modern Chinese Language, suppression, historical evaluation