Rong Hong
Rong Hong
Rong Hong (1828.11.17-1912.4.21), male, formerly known as Guangzhao, was a famous educator, diplomat and social activist in modern China. Rong Hong is the first Chinese student to graduate from Yale University in the United States. He is a pioneer in the cause of Chinese students studying abroad and is known as "the father of Chinese students studying abroad".
During the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty, he made great achievements in history because he promoted and managed two major events: he participated in the establishment of the first complete machinery factory in modern China, Shanghai Jiangnan Machinery Manufacturing General Administration; and he organized the first batch of children to study in the United States. Rong Hong made indelible contributions to the spread of Western learning to the East, the reform movement of 1898 and the revolution of 1911.
Life of the characters
Study period
In the late autumn of 1828, Rong Hong was born into a poor family in Xiangshan County, Guangdong Province. At this time, Macao, a small island originally belonging to Xiangshan County, had been occupied and rented by Portuguese colonists for nearly 300 years. from the late Kangxi Dynasty to the Opium War, the Qing Dynasty has been implementing the policy of banning religion. However, Western missionaries have never stopped their activities of preaching quietly in China's coastal areas, and set up some hospitals and schools for poor families to attract people to join the church. The Portuguese occupation of Macao naturally became the base of missionary work. In 1835, Rong Hong, a seven-year-old, went to Macao with his father to attend Morrison school, which was still attached to the women's School of London. She was taught by the wife of the independent missionary Guo Shili (formerly a Dutch missionary). In 1839, when China and Britain met with each other, Mrs. Guo left Macao, but Rong Hong still studied in Morrison Memorial School. In the same year, American educator Brandt（ Rev.SamuelRobbinsBrown ）When the priest arrived in Macao, Morrison Memorial School became independent. In 1842, because Hong Kong was ceded to Britain, Morrison Memorial School moved to Hong Kong, and Rong Hong moved to Hong Kong to continue his studies. At the end of the 26th year of Daoguang (1846), Mr. and Mrs. Brown, who were ill, were ready to return to the United States. Before leaving, they expressed their willingness to take three or five students to study in the United States. At the beginning of the 27th year of Daoguang (January 1847), pastor Brown returned to the United States and left with Rong Hong, Huang Kuan and Huang Sheng to study in the United States. On April 12, he arrived in New York and studied at Monson academy, Massachusetts. After graduation in 1850, Daoguang was admitted to Yale College. He was the first Chinese to study in Yale College. In 1852, Rong Hong was naturalized in the United States. In 1854, Rong Hong graduated from Yale University with outstanding achievements and obtained a Bachelor of Arts. After that, he returned to China and worked in the American Embassy in Guangzhou, the high court of justice in Hong Kong, Shanghai Customs and other departments. Later, he managed silk tea business for Shanghai Baoshun foreign company.
Join in Westernization
Rong Hong first pinned his hope for China's modernization on the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement. In 1860, out of sympathy for the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, he ventured to Tianjing (now Nanjing, Jiangsu Province). He put forward seven suggestions to Hong Rengan, such as organizing a good army, establishing military schools and naval schools, establishing an effective government, and enacting an education system. He also expressed that if adopted, he would be willing to work for the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Hong Rengan agreed with his proposal, but because of the situation, he could not carry it out. However, the official seal that Hong Xiuquan was awarded a fourth-class title was not accepted. In 1863, he visited Zeng Guofan in Anqing. In the winter of the third year of Tongzhi, he was appointed by Zeng Guofan to purchase machines in the United States for the preparation of Jiangnan manufacturing Bureau, and returned to China the next year. More than 100 kinds of machines have been purchased, becoming the main equipment of Jiangnan manufacturing General Administration, the first Westernization enterprise. Zeng Guofan recommended Rong Hong as the interpreter of the governor of Jiangsu, Ding Richang. Rong Hong translated local literature, on contracts and other books. In the fifth year of Tongzhi, Zeng Guofan adopted Rong Hong's suggestion to set up a military school in Jiangnan general manufacturing bureau to train mechanical engineering technicians. In the seventh year of Tongzhi, Rong Hong wrote a letter to Ding Richang, governor of Jiangsu Province, and then transferred it to Wen Xiang, Minister of military aircraft and Minister of General Administration, putting forward four suggestions. In the ninth year of Tongzhi, Rong Hong proposed to Zeng Guofan to send students to study in the United States at official expense. After discussing with Li Hongzhang, Zeng Guofan presented a memorial to the Qing government for approval. Chen Lanbin and Rong Hong were appointed as the principal and vice members of the Bureau of overseas study for children. Rong Hong enrolled 120 students in Shanghai, Guangdong and Hong Kong. During the four years from the 10th to the 13th year of Tongzhi, he sent 30 students to study in the United States every year. In 1875 (the first year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu), Rong Hong was appointed Vice Minister to the United States, Spain and Peru until the Qing government withdrew the students in 1881.
Participating in the reform
Disappointed with the Westernization Movement, he lived in the United States from 1882 to 1894. In July 1894, the Sino Japanese War of 1894 broke out. Rong Hong, who was in the United States, was restless and worried about the war and the fate of his motherland. He wrote a letter to Zhang Zhidong, governor of Huguang, expressing his willingness to return to China to serve. Zhang Zhidong immediately called Rong Hong back to discuss. From 1896 to 1898, Rong Hong put forward various plans to revitalize the country to the Qing government through various channels, the most important of which was to set up a national bank and build a national railway. But in the end, he was rejected by the imperial court because of corruption and infighting in the officialdom. In mid June of the 24th year of Guangxu (1898), Emperor Guangxu officially issued the imperial edict of "mingdingguoshi", and the hundred day reform officially began. On September 21, the reform failed. Rong Hong absconded from Beijing and took refuge in Shanghai concession.
Towards revolution
In the 26th year of Guangxu (1900), Tang Caichang's self-supporting Council was renamed "Chinese parliament" in Shanghai, and was promoted as president, and was responsible for drafting the English declaration. In September 1901, some revolutionaries began to plot an uprising to capture Guangzhou in Hong Kong. They decided to elect Rong Hong as the president of the government after the uprising. However, Rong Hong believed that Sun Yat Sen should be elected as the president of the government. Although all the revolts of the revolutionaries failed, Rong Hong was still active in the United States. He contacted Homer lea, an American military expert, and Charles beach bothe, an important figure in the financial circle. He planned to raise funds, train the armed forces, and support the Chinese revolution. Since then, Rong Hong has been working hard on this issue. Sun Yat Sen, who lived in Singapore, communicated frequently with Rong Hong. In 1910, Sun Yat Sen was invited to the United States for talks and expressed his support for the revolution. On October 10, 1911, the revolution of 1911 broke out and Wuchang Uprising succeeded. From December 19 to 29, Rong Hong wrote three letters to Xie Zangtai, a member of the revolutionary party, warmly cheering the great victory of overthrowing the monarchy. At the same time, the author elaborates his own views on the development of revolution. On January 1, 1912, Sun Yat Sen became the president of the provisional government in Nanjing. He sent a letter to congratulate Sun Yat Sen on his appointment as the provisional president of the Republic of China. The next day, Sun Yat Sen wrote a letter to Rong Hong, inviting him to return to his country for an important post, and sent him a recent photo of himself. On the morning of April 21, Rong Hong's condition continued to worsen and his rescue failed. He died at his Shajing Street apartment in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, at the age of 84.
Main achievements
Promote the establishment of Shanghai Jiangnan Machinery Manufacturing Bureau
On September 20, 1865, Li Hongzhang established Jiangnan Machinery Manufacturing Bureau (also known as Jiangnan manufacturing Bureau, Jiangnan manufacturing Bureau, Shanghai Machinery Bureau and Shanghai manufacturing Bureau) in Shanghai. This is the largest modern military enterprise set up by the Westernization Group of the Qing government. Li Hongzhang bought the American Qiji iron factory in Hongkou with 40000 taels of silver, and merged some of the machinery of Suzhou foreign artillery Bureau and the machinery that Zeng Guofan sent Rong Hong to buy back from the United States into the iron factory to establish the Jiangnan general manufacturing Bureau. Shanghai Jiangnan Machinery Manufacturing bureau is the first complete machinery factory in modern China.
Organizing the first batch of children to study in the United States
In 1868, Tongzhi proposed to the Qing government four regulations focusing on sending children to study abroad. In 1870, under the repeated persuasion of Rong Hong, Zeng Guofan finally expressed his willingness to send students to the imperial court. With the approval of the imperial court, in August 1871, the "bureau of overseas study for children" was established. Chen Lanbin served as a member of the Bureau and Rong Hong as a vice member. Chen Lanbin was in charge of the Chinese study of the overseas students while Rong Hong was in charge of the education of the children in the United States until the Qing government withdrew the overseas students in 1881. Among these students, 30 are engaged in industry, mining, railway and telegraph, including 9 persons in charge of industry and mining, 6 engineers and 3 railway directors; 5 are engaged in education, including 1 president of Tsinghua University and 1 president of Beiyang University; 24 are engaged in foreign affairs administration, including 12 consuls and agents, 1 minister and 1 Vice Minister of foreign affairs, 1 Ambassador abroad and 1 Premier of the State Council Among them, 14 were admirals. In a word, except those who died early, stayed in the United States and buried their hometown, most of them made due contributions to China's modernization in different positions.
Personal works
Introduction of Western learning to the East
China and America, the original English edition. The book records the whole story of the official school children studying in the United States in the late Qing Dynasty. It also recalls the author's words and deeds, his heart for the world, his hard work, and his practice of education to save the country,
Chinese PinYin : Rong Hong
Rong Hong
