在十九世紀中葉通商口岸開放以來的中西接觸以及中國近、現代史的發展中，中國海關發揮非常重要的作用。欲瞭解一系列的中外衝突、磨合，及其對中國近代發展深遠的影響，探討清末由洋員組建的現代海關及其運行，是入門的關鍵之一。而瞭解海關制度及其對中國近代盤根錯結的影響，其締造者赫德尤其是問題的核心。赫德本人涉入晚清中央到地方的政治、經濟、社會、文化與外交各個層面，與其個人相關之文獻，包括來往書信及個人日記等，自與史實之瞭解關係重大。但由於卷帙浩繁以及一些典藏所在之不易企及，早年由哈佛大學費正清領導的研究團隊，竟名之為「赫德工程」，可見其艱難。其中耗時甚久，始終未竟其工，而又屬首要文獻資料者，乃赫德本人於1854至1908年間所留下之77冊日記的編撰與解讀。本文旨在分析自二十世紀初以來，由編纂「赫德工程」所衍生的近現代中國史觀的分歧與辯論、投入「赫德工程」的史學家之間的合作與討論，以及「赫德工程」如何影響中國大陸史學界撰寫近現代中國史。本文希望在分析《赫德日記》的編纂及流佈的歷史後，找出若干線索，幫助史學家瞭解中國大陸與歐美史學界，關於近現代中國史上若干爭議的源起及經過，以及如何由「赫德工程」觀察大陸史學界與歐美史學界之間，對於近現代中國史的史觀詮釋權之爭。

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the interrelationship between histories of modern China in general and histories of the Chinese Maritime Customs speicifically shaped how the West understands China's history from the 1840s to present. The architect of the Customs, Robert Hart, left an enormous number of personal records, which offer detailed views of every aspect of modern Chinese history. The importance of the materials gave the name the ”Hart industry” to the Harvard University project of collecting and organizing these materials. After twenty years of hard work, the only accomplishment of that industry is the 77 volumes of Hart's diaries, covering the period 1854-1908. Through the analysis of the editorial history of the diaries and of the cooperation between Mainland Chinese and Western historians, this article discusses the debates between the Mainland Chinese and Western historians, as well as how the two groups fought for the monopoly of interpretive power of modern Chinese history through initiating different versions of the industry.