After cultural revolution the policy of reform and opening up brought the change of academic studies in China. In this times, Chinese intellectuals tried to change the method of researches. Especially, they wanted to escape from the materialistic historical view and revolutionary view of history. History wasn’t also exception in this reform. Recently, A study of conceptual history appeared as the new trend. This study is originated from the conceptual history study which is invented by Germany historian Reinhart Koselleck(1923∼2006). Conceptual history applied ‘linguistic turn’ to History. In contemporary China, conceptual history doesn’t simply mean the simple import of the theories or the fashion of the linguistic studies. It’s purpose is the reinterpretation of chines modernity, the reform of the History in China etc.
The leader of enlightenment movement in 1980s, Jin Guantao & Liu Qingfeng entered to the study of the history of ideas for overcoming the limitation of the intellectual history study which concentrates on some famous thinkers or their text. The method of searching keyword in database is their unique method of their study. Through this study they argue that the original value of the enlightenment must be realized in China and proposed the periodization in Chinese history. Feng Tianyu studied the history of concept in modern China in the frame of the interaction of China, the West and Japan. He certified that the concepts made in Japan were originated from Chinese classical texts. Through this he proposed ‘return graphic loan’ model. The other theme of his study is the concept of feudal in China. He argues that the hole pre-modern period in China must not be called feudal period. This view is opposite to the official view of Chinese government and the mainstream of historians in China. The group of young historians insisted directly that the conceptual history study can be the new way of History in China. Sun Jiang and Huang Xintao represent this group. Sun’s major is social history and Huang’s major is cultural history. They accepted directly the German conceptual history study. Especially, Huang influenced from the New Cultural Histoy in U.S.A which opposes historical materialism and regard the conceptual history as one of the trend of the New Cultural History. This approach is also opposite to the view of existing History in China.
In conclusion, the conceptual history study fulfills the function of reforming History of China in the reform and opening up period.