討論清朝的歷史，不免會觸及漢文化對此一歷史進程的作用，惟漢文化在清朝統治中國期間造成何種程度的影響，研究者的見解卻相當分歧。關於歷史上非漢民族政權統治中國的解釋模式，從早期的「漢化」觀點，繼起的「征服王朝」理論，乃至於晚近針對清朝歷史特徵的「滿洲中心」觀，各有其獨到之處，當然也不免引起仁智互見的議論。在有關清朝歷史的諸多討論中，研究者共同關注者，則為清朝統治中國的特徵，及其成功的原因。若回歸清朝文獻的記載，以及開國以來的歷史情境，滿洲在接觸、引進外來文化時，實是以「參漢酌金」為前提；而「參漢酌金」的原則，在滿洲建國初期的歷史中即已形成，並且對往後國家型態的轉換、統治政策的擬定、族群關係的調整、文化發展的走向等等，都產生重要的影響。因此，「參漢酌金」所蘊含的概念，可作以下的理解：對外來文化的選擇與以滿洲中心的調適，而選擇的權力與調適的方式，滿洲統治者始終居於主導的地位，並且是一個持續進行與不斷檢驗的過程。滿洲即憑藉著靈活的「參漢酌金」的策略，由文化弱勢、武力有限的蕞薾小邦，而能征服中國，並拓展為多民族帝國。這正是滿洲文化自主意識的展現，以及對外來文化具有高度的接受力與包容性，且能充分掌握文化的選擇權與主導權，當可做為重新思考清朝統治中國的特徵，及其成功原因的關鍵。

It is inevitable to include the affects of Han culture in the discussion of the Ch'ing history. Yet researchers have very different opinions upon the level of how deeply the Ch'ing government was influenced by the Han culture. The patterns of the dominance of the non-Han authorities could be clarified as the perspectives of ”sinicization,” the theory of ”dynasties of conquest,” and the lately discussion of the Ch'ing historical features, ”Manchu-centered opinion.” Among the discussions about the Ch'ing history, the issue that all the researchers focus on consists in the features of how the Ch'ing authority governed China and the reasons of her success. If we could trace back to the records in the Ch'ing documents and the historical conditions of the Ch'ing governance, it is true that Manchu took the principle of ”Shen Han Jhuo Jin” (taking the Han/foreign cultures and systems as the reference to formulate the Manchu strategies), which was formed in the very beginning of the establishment of the Ch'ing dynasty and had a great impact upon the transition of the governmental modes, the settlings of strategies, the adjustments of racial relationships and the tendency of cultural developments, as the prerequisite in accepting and introducing foreign cultures. Thus, the concept included in the principle of ”Shen Han Jhuo Jin”could be explained as the perspective in the choices of foreign cultures and the adjustments based on the Manchu-centered principle. Such a principle was continuously proceeding unceasingly examined, in which the Manchu rulers always took the leading position. With the manipulation of ”Shen Han Jhuo Jin,” the Manchu government, as a weak power, conquered China and developed into a multi-racial empire. This is the expression of the cultural consciousness and the acceptance of foreign culture, which could be deemed as the crucial issues to reconsider the features of the Ch'ing governance and her success.