Lin Lezhi
Lin Lezhi (Young John Allen, 1836-1907), courtesy name Rongzhang, was born in Georgia, USA. He was a missionary of the American Christian Council and came to the United States in the late Qing Dynasty. to China. In the tenth year of Xianfeng's reign (1860), he and his wife came to Shanghai to preach. In March of the third year of Tongzhi (1864), he was introduced by Feng Guifen and served as the first English teacher of the Shanghai Cantonese Dialect Museum for a period of 6 months. After the expiration of his term, he participated in the translation work in the Translation Hall of Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, and was later employed as an English teacher again until the seventh year of Guangxu (1881). During this period, he taught in the morning and translated books in the afternoon. In 16 years, he translated more than 10 books about foreign countries, including "History of Europe", "History of All Nations", "Chemistry of the Gezhi Enlightenment", "Astronomy of the Gezhi Enlightenment", and "The System of Continental and Continental Countries". Works on history, geography and natural sciences.
Chinese name: Lin Lezhi
Foreign name: YoungJohnAllen
Nationality: United States
Birthplace: Burke County, Georgia, United States
Date of birth: 1836
Date of death: 1907
Occupation: educator, missionary
Graduation school: Egypt Murray College
Belief: Christianity
Representative works: "The Story of the Middle East" and "Literature to Rejuvenate the Country"
Font size: Zi Rongzhang
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Lin Lezhi (Young John Allen) was a famous translator and church educator in old Shanghai. Missionaries of the American Board of Supervisors. The name is Rongzhang. Born in Burke County, Georgia.
Graduated from Emory College in 1858.
In 1860, he went to Shanghai and taught Chinese studies under Wang Tao.
In 1863, he taught at the Shanghai Cantonese Dialect Museum run by the Qing government.
In 1868, the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau set up a translation office, and the Cantonese Dialect Institute moved into the bureau, and he also translated books. In the same year, he founded and edited the "Church News" (weekly).
In September 1874, the name was changed to "Global Gazette".
In 1882, he founded the Chinese and Western Academy in Shanghai and served as its supervisor.
In 1887, Lin Lezhi joined the Tongwen Association.
In February 1889, "Global Gazette" resumed publication and was changed to a monthly magazine, still edited by him. Before and after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894, he promoted China's reform and reform. The main editors are "The Story of the Middle East War" and "Literature to Rejuvenate the Country".
Died in Shanghai in 1907.
Life
Lin Lezhi was born in Georgia, USA in 1836. He lost his parents when he was young and was raised by his aunts. He believed in Christianity when he was a boy and joined the Southern Christian Council of America. Graduated from college in 1858 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In June 1860, he was dispatched by the American Christian Supervisory Committee and came to Shanghai with his family to preach. While preaching everywhere, he also worked hard to learn Chinese culture and made extensive friends with celebrities.
In 1864, Lin Lezhi was introduced by someone and served as a teacher at the Shanghai Cantonese Dialect Museum for one year. In 1867, he returned to the Guangzhou Dialect Institute to teach Western learning, and concurrently worked as a translator in the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau Translation Hall for 16 years. Due to his hard work, he was awarded the rank of fifth-grade top belt by the Qing government.
In 1868, while serving as the editor of "Shanghai New News", Lin Lezhi founded the Chinese church journal "Church New News". In September 1874, he changed the name of the journal to "Kongguo Gongbao" (weekly) starting from the 301st issue. After 1883, it ceased publication because it was too busy with the affairs of the Chinese and Western Colleges to take care of both.
In 1881, in order to realize his desire to run education as a religious infiltration, promote China's political reform, and expand the influence of Western countries, Lin Lezhi resigned from his position as a translator in the Teaching and Manufacturing Bureau of the Shanghai Cantonese Dialect Museum and worked in Baxianqiao in the French Concession in Shanghai. The "First Branch of the Chinese and Western School" was founded. At that time, the cost of purchasing materials and materials was borne by the Supervisory Committee, and the cost of books and other expenses were raised from donations. The next year, Lin Lezhi opened a second branch on Wusong Road, Hongkou. In order to seek development, Lin Lezhi spent four or five years in the West soliciting donations and purchased 35 acres of land next to the Wusong Road branch, which combined with the branch campus, totaling 41 acres, and built a new school building.
After its completion, the two branches were moved in together, and the school was officially named "Chinese and Western Academy", and he served as its supervisor.
Lin Lezhi carefully planned the teaching system of Zhongxi Academy and proposed a complete "three-level education system", namely junior, intermediate and senior levels, so that students can get their own places and proceed step by step; in the teaching content He emphasized "equal emphasis on both China and the West". Its Western subjects included mathematics, science, geography, politics and other knowledge. Compared with the Western schools at that time that either only focused on Western literature or only studied military arts, it was closer to the modern academic system. and educational ideals; religious subjects play a very small part in the teaching content, there are no prescribed scriptures, and students are not required to become believers. After the establishment of the Chinese and Western Academy, it was favored by Shanghai's emerging bourgeoisie. Many officials, gentry and businessmen donated heavily to it, so it was able to be self-sufficient in funding. Zhongxi Academy moved to Suzhou in 1911 and merged into Soochow University.
In 1887, Lin Lezhi participated in the editing work of the Shanghai Guangxi Society reorganized by William Chen, and translated more than 10 kinds of Western books, the most famous of which is "The Chronicles of the Middle East". Among his translations China is required to "employ wise ministers from the Western countries" as the government's "guest advisors" to plan China's New Deal. He has been engaged in publishing books and periodicals for a long time, and has many works of his own, including "Literary Rejuvenation of the Country", "New Public Security Policy", "Chinese History of Duzhi Examination", "Five Continent Women's Popular Examination", etc. After the founding of the Guangdong Society, the publication of Wanguo Gongbao resumed and became the official publication of the Guangdong Society. It was still chaired by Lin Lezhi until his death in 1907. The newspaper "recorded much of the geography, history and social customs of various countries in Europe and the West, and Chinese people read it and loved it. It sold more than 4,000 copies every month." It had a certain impact on the reform movement at that time.
Due to the successful establishment of the Chinese and Western Academy, Lin Lezhi suggested that the Women's Department of the Supervisory Committee open a women's school in Shanghai and recruit Shanghai's upper-class women as another way to expand the influence of Christianity. In 1890, the Supervisory Committee approved the establishment of a women's school in Shanghai. Lin Lezhi and Hai Shude then planned to establish a Chinese and Western school in Shanghai. School officially opened in March 1892. The Chinese and Western girls' school has a 10-year education system. Although it claims to "pay equal attention to both China and the West, without partiality," it actually focuses on Western studies, especially English. In the teaching process of the Chinese and Western Girls' School, all subjects such as Gezi, arithmetic, geography, and religion are taught in English as long as students are able to do so. Different from the Chinese and Western Academy, religious courses are one of the compulsory courses. When the school opened, there were only 5 students. However, as the school became more popular, the number of students increased day by day. By the 20th century, it had become a "gold-plated" holy place coveted by Shanghai's upper-class women.
In the 1890s, as the work of the Guangxi Society and the "Global Gazette" increasingly attracted Lin Lezhi's interest, he resigned from the post of supervisor of the Chinese and Western Academy in 1895 and devoted himself to running newspapers. and translation.
In May 1905, Lin Lezhi returned to China for a short period and was received by US President Theodore Roosevelt. He returned to Shanghai in 1906 and died in Shanghai due to illness in May 1907.
Chinese Years
In modern China, Lin Lezhi’s image seems to be more like a messenger spreading Western culture than a solemn missionary. The reason for this is closely related to Lin Lezhi's understanding of Chinese society and his missionary policy.
In December 1859, the 23-year-old American missionary Mrs. Lin Lezhi and their daughter who was less than 5 months old boarded a ship bound for China. After 210 days of arduous sailing, they sailed to China in 1860. He came to Shanghai in June 2016 and began his more than 40-year career in China.
After Lin Lezhi arrived in China, he took the Chinese name of John Lin. Later, he changed his name to Lin Lezhi, with the courtesy name Rongzhang, and sometimes often took the meaning of the Chinese famous saying "I don't know a thing, but a Confucian knows his shame". Calling himself "American Jinshi" shows his strong interest in Chinese culture. A few years later, his Chinese learning improved quite a bit and he basically passed the language barrier. However, due to the outbreak of the Civil War in the United States at this time, the Supervisory Committee was unable to take into account Lin Lezhi's life, leaving him with nowhere to raise funds. As a last resort, Lin Lezhi found a way to survive and went to teach at the Shanghai Cantonese Dialect Center under Feng Guifen's introduction. He also pawned church property, sold grain, cotton and coal, and worked as a broker in the insurance department. Later, he was invited by Xu Shou to translate books at the Translation Hall of Shanghai Jiangnan Manufacturing Administration.
From the analysis of relevant records in "Church News", the books translated by Lin Lezhi include "Gezhi Enlightenment Museum", "Gezhi Enlightenment Chemistry", "Gezhi Enlightenment Astronomy", "Gezhi Enlightenment Geography", "History of All Nations", "History of Europe" ", "German History", "Russian National History", "Indian National History", "Oriental Negotiations", "Annual Plans and Politicians of Various Countries", "Army System of Various Countries", "Newsprint", "Earth Science Enlightenment" and more than 10 books. Because of his serious teaching and diligent translation, the Qing court awarded him the official title of the fifth rank. During this period, Lin Lezhi's understanding of Chinese society and culture deepened day by day. One question he repeatedly thought about was how to adapt to Chinese culture and allow Christianity to spread widely in China. During the missionary process of the Christian sect (ProtestantChristianity) in the late Qing Dynasty, two different methods emerged. One is what is customarily called "direct preaching", which involves setting foot in China's villages and cities to face the masses of ordinary people, preaching doctrines, praising God, publishing leaflets, distributing religious books, and choosing suitable locations to build churches. That is to say, preaching for the sake of preaching, rarely touching on China's social and political issues, and not running newspapers, establishing schools, building hospitals, etc. Most missionaries since Robert Morrison came to China in 1807 have adopted this method and have achieved some results, but the results are not significant. Lin Lezhi also adopted this method after coming to China. In 1861, he became unusually interested in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in Nanjing and attempted to use the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to open a gap to promote missionary work. He invited his friends who were traveling with him and traveled a long distance to Nanjing to meet with Hong Ren. However, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was busy dealing with the siege of the Qing army and was not interested in Lin Lezhi's missionary request. After the 1970s, individual missionaries such as Lin Lezhi proposed a new so-called "liberal" missionary approach. This method requires missionaries to firstly carefully understand and study Chinese society and transform China according to China's cultural characteristics; secondly, to skillfully combine Christian teachings with the dominant Confucian culture in China and gradually replace Confucianism with Christian culture. culture; the third is to use advanced Western science and technology and culture as a means, such as running education, building hospitals, running newspapers, etc., to improve the quality of Chinese people, expand the market for Christian culture, and absorb more Chinese into Christianity.
Lin Lezhi was extremely concerned about the situation of Chinese society, and paid special attention to the dissection of the social structure of the late Qing Dynasty. He said in "Middle East War Chronicles": "When I first came to Huahai, it was when bandits were everywhere and the bandits were at their peak. I personally entered the puppet capital and stayed at the palace of the puppet prince to watch what they did. In the tenth year of Xianfeng, The British and French troops marched straight into Beijing, and immediately the foreign troops retreated and turned to help China to quell the rebellion. The Nian and Hui bandits started to cause chaos one after another. Also. In the early years of Tongzhi, Japan had the Battle of Taiwan; in the early years of Guangxu, France had the Battle of Vietnam, and Japan had the Battle of Korea, all of which were personally witnessed by the servants. You will know it after reading. All matters concerning China and foreign affairs are examined month by month and recorded in "The Gazette of All Nations". In the process of carefully observing China's domestic and foreign affairs, Lin Lezhi came to the conclusion that in order to spread Christianity widely, he must grasp "the scholars." ", the conclusion of making friends with "officials". He believed that in China, “the scholars are the first among the four peoples”, and most officials and businessmen were derived from the “shi”. Conquering the “shi” is equivalent to conquering Chinese culture and society. Therefore, he made friends with a number of "scholars" and "officials" in the 1860s and 1870s, such as Feng Guifen, Yan Liangxun, Wang Fengzao, Chen Lanbin, Shen Yugui, Ying Baoshi, Li Hongzhang, Ding Richang, Zhang Zhidong, Zhang Yinhuan, Lu Haihuan, etc. These people are generally open-minded and eager for new knowledge. What they value is Lin Lezhi's extensive Western learning. Lin Lezhi, based on the social status of these officials and gentry, tries to spread the Christian "gospel" from top to bottom through them. . These social activities of Lin Lezhi made him a good friend of the bureaucrats and celebrities in Shanghai at that time.
Lin Lezhi also attached great importance to using Confucianism to explain Christian doctrine. He even confirmed the "Three Cardinal Guidelines and Five Constant Principles" with Christian teachings one by one, and determined that the two are consistent in reason and have the same essence. He cited scriptures and found out from Christian teachings arguments for kings and ministers, fathers and sons, husbands and wives, and even brothers and friends. He concluded: "Confucianism values ??five ethics, and Christianity also values ??five ethics. This is proved by the Bible.
" He also believes that Confucianism talks about "benevolence". Although there is no word "benevolence" in the Bible, "love is benevolence"; Confucianism talks about "righteousness" and "Jehovah is pleased with righteousness"; Confucianism talks about "rituals", " The Bible requires people to "give way to each other with courtesy"; Confucianism talks about "wisdom", and the "Bible" says that "the gift of wisdom is more valuable than pearls"; Confucianism talks about "faith", and the "Bible" says "stop at faith", that is, "Faith" is the highest virtue. In short, in Lin Lezhi's view, Confucius and Jesus are the same person, and the original meaning of Confucianism and Christianity is the same.
Although Lin Lezhi equates Jesus and Confucius, he always believes that Confucianism is the same. The educated Chinese, including intellectuals, are very ignorant, conservative, and backward, and lack understanding of modern science and culture. They “know nothing about the laws of nature, philosophy, chemistry, astronomy, etc. "In order to preach, we must first break the backwardness of China's intellectual circles, so that they can have modern scientific knowledge and modern concepts, and be able to have Westerners' modern thinking and new value orientations. This means that the Chinese people must get out of the Middle Ages and be completely "Westernized" ", after turning China into an American-style "New World", Christian culture can spread unimpeded in China. Starting from this reasoning, after the 1880s, Lin Lezhi devoted his main energy to spreading Western cultural knowledge and changing The knowledge structure and way of thinking of the Chinese intelligentsia have improved. He opened a new school in Shanghai to cultivate new talents; he translated books and introduced European and American scientific and cultural knowledge; he ran newspapers, disseminated information, and promoted Christianity and Western culture. Bulletin, in China at the end of the 19th century, kept pace with Shanghai's Shenbao and became the most influential newspaper for Chinese people to understand the world and obtain information. He also organized it with Timothy Richard, William Alexander Parsons Martin and others. At the Guangzhou Society’s annual meeting in 1901, Lin Lezhi proudly declared: “In a sense, China has become a protectorate of Christian countries. Placed under our power of teaching and enlightenment. "At this time, Lin Lezhi also received further support from the U.S. Supervisory Committee and the U.S. government. When he returned to China in 1906, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt personally received him. After returning to China, the 70-year-old Lin Lezhi still He was very ambitious and wanted to further expand his career, but unexpectedly he died suddenly in Shanghai on May 30, 1907. Looking at Lin Lezhi's activities in China, it cannot be said that his missionary career did not develop, but he was the one who really had a certain influence. Cultural activities, especially building schools and newspapers
Contribution
Developing new education
In reforming China's traditional old feudal education system, establishing American style. In terms of establishing various schools of new capitalist nature, Lin Lezhi was more active and proactive than Li Hongzhang, Zhang Zhidong and other Westernization bureaucrats at that time, because in Lin Lezhi's view, running education was to change the knowledge structure of the Chinese people. The most reliable way to spread Western culture based on Christianity. Around the 1880s, on the one hand, he vigorously criticized China's imperial examination system as outdated, unable to meet the needs of modern society, and unable to withstand diplomacy, military, science and technology, industry, etc. The country's new requirements are making the country worse day by day. If it continues to "focus on career, it will be harmful but not beneficial." He established the China Education Association and planned to establish a wide range of Western-style schools. In 1881, he presided over the establishment of the Chinese and Western Academy in Shanghai. The Chinese and Western Academy was divided into three parts: the Grand Academy and the First Academy and the Second Academy. Baxianqiao, the Second Academy is on Wusong Road. It was named Chinese and Western Academy mainly to cater to the cultural trends of the intellectual and political circles at that time. In the 20 years before and after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894, it was "mainly focused on middle school, supplemented by Western learning", or " There are strong calls for "Chinese body and Western application" and "equal emphasis on both China and the West". Liang Qichao once said that the whole country recognized "equal emphasis on both China and the West" as a "truth" that will never change.
As Lin Lezhi's assistant and friend, Shen Yugui also said repeatedly: In today's world, "it is impossible to focus exclusively on middle school, and must rely on Western learning to supplement it; it is also not possible to specialize in Western learning, and must rely on middle school to supplement it. Both If you have both without conflict, you can impart extraordinary enlightenment." Lin Lezhi was influenced by both American culture and Chinese culture. Although his "Jesus plus Confucius" missionary strategy is only a means, it also includes the integration of Chinese and Western cultures. cultural factors. Moreover, advocating equal emphasis on both China and the West is easier to understand for Chinese bureaucrats and scholars, and is much better than directly naming it a missionary school. Therefore, he wrote grandly in the "Chinese and Western Academy Regulations": "I plan to establish an academy in Shanghai with the intention of paying equal attention to both China and the West, especially to cultivate talents." "Establishing a Chinese and Western Academy is specifically for the purpose of cultivating Chinese children. "It's just a name, but it's practical." In fact, because Western learning is novel and affordable, students who learn Western learning can often study abroad or find a job that makes a lot of money in a big city. Therefore, most students have little interest in middle school and focus on it. They were all used to learn Western learning. Therefore, the so-called "paying equal attention to both China and the West" is just a wish of well-intentioned people, and it does not work in real life. A few years later, Lin Lezhi himself admitted that the students at the Chinese and Western Academy "know very little about ancient Chinese studies and lack interest. They only care about English in Western studies because they hope to make a better job in Shanghai, a city where commerce is booming." Errand". Society's orientation often has a greater influence on students' self-choice than the school's educational purpose. The specific daily affairs of the Chinese and Western Academy are presided over by Shen Yugui. The curriculum is strictly based on the principle of paying equal attention to both Chinese and Western subjects. Generally, it is half a day for middle school and half a day for Western study. Middle school mainly focuses on explaining ancient Chinese prose, composing poems and sentences, writing couplets, learning calligraphy, and familiarizing yourself with the Five Classics, etc. There is nothing new. The Western courses are fresh and specific, and are studied separately in eight years:
In the first year, the students learn to read and write, explain simple words and sentences, explain simple calligraphy, and learn the rhyme of the piano.
In the second year, I will explain various simple books, practice grammar, translate words and sentences, learn the rhyme of the piano, and learn Spanish.
Third year mathematics enlightenment, maps of various countries, selected translations, grammar review, piano rhymes, and Spanish learning.
In the fourth generation, mathematics focused on style, translating letters, studying the rhymes of the piano, and studying Spanish.
In the fifth year, we studied astronomy, the Pythagorean Principle, flat triangles, arcuate triangles, learning the rhymes of the piano, and learning Spanish.
The sixth year of chemistry focuses on learning, differential calculus, and integral calculus, explaining human nature, translating books, learning the rhyme of the piano, and learning Spanish.
In the seventh year, navigation survey, public law of all nations, public to all, translation and composition, study of piano rhyme, and study of Spanish.
In the eighth year, the policy of enriching the country, astronomical surveying, earth science, epigraphy, translation and composition, studying the rhyme of the piano, and studying Spanish.
These courses cover a wide range of topics, especially training English and piano rhyme as basic skills, which are often difficult for Chinese students. In addition, the students recruited have no foundation before entering school and have a large age difference, which makes teaching more difficult. To this end, Lin Lezhi insisted on "teaching students in accordance with their aptitude" and divided students into special-class students, first-class students (divided into classes one, two and three), second-class students (divided into classes one, two and three), and third-class students (divided into classes one and two). ) and the fourth and ninth levels, different requirements are put forward according to different situations, and the effect is naturally very good.
As a church school, students at Chinese and Western College must "read the Bible" every morning and perform a unified prayer ceremony. On Sundays, they must go to church for worship. However, there are no systematic Bible classes and there are no systematic Bible classes. Students are not required to have missionary duties. On this point, Lin Lezhi is very enlightened.
After 1887, Lin Lezhi’s main energy turned to the Guangxi Academy and running newspapers, and he had less interference with the Chinese and Western Colleges.
In 1895, he resigned as the president of Chinese and Western College, and the American Board of Supervisors appointed another person to take charge. The missionary who later became the principal changed Lin Lezhi's style, emphasized Christian courses, and turned the academy into an authentic missionary school. By 1912, Chinese and Western Academy moved to Suzhou and merged into Soochow University.
In the past 32 years, Zhongxi Academy has cultivated a number of new talents with a certain foundation in Western learning, although the number of students enrolled each year is not large. In the diplomatic service, customs, foreign trade, modern factories, new schools, Beiyang Navy and other places in the late Qing Dynasty, there were graduates from Chinese and Western academies.
Of course, there are also some people who serve foreign businessmen and institutions of foreign powers invading China, and some who study abroad.
In short, Chinese and Western academies have produced thousands of new people who are opposed to feudal tradition and generally able to adapt to modern society. This is of great significance to the modern transformation of traditional Chinese society. At the same time, the Chinese and Western Academy negated the imperial examination system of the Qing Dynasty and spread the American-style education system, which set an example for the educational reform in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. While establishing the Chinese and Western Academy, Lin Lezhi also set up a Chinese and Western girls' school in Shanghai, cultivating a group of female talents. Overall, the positive aspects of Lin Lezhi's schooling are the main ones, while the negative aspects are secondary.
Founded the "Globe Magazine"
In 1874, Lin Lezhi founded the "Globe Magazine" in English, with the first issue in July and ceased publication in 1883. In 1887, the Guangzhou Society was established and decided to make it an official newspaper, still edited by Lin Lezhi. Therefore, "The Gazette of All Nations" resumed publication in 1889, but its English name was changed to "The Review of the Times", with one issue published every month until it was discontinued in 1907. In fact, "Global Gazette" is the continuation and development of the "Church News" first founded by Lin Lezhi. "The Church News" was founded in September 1868. It is published once a week, with 4 pages and about 6,000 words. Its purpose is to promote the meaning of missionary work, exchange information, and enable believers to love each other and communicate with each other. Sentiment also publishes some news from various countries, domestic anecdotes, scientific and technological knowledge, etc. The price is 1 yuan per month, which is affordable for ordinary believers. The newspaper's sales volume generally ranges from 1,000 to more than 2,000 copies, mainly limited to areas where missionaries are more active. In order to attract readers, the "Church News" published in the second year added the Qing government's edicts and some political and social news. Issues 113 and 116 also published "The Outsider's Theory" by Robert Hart. and "New Discussion" by Thomas F. Wade. Both papers recommended that the Qing court follow Europe and the United States, remove the old and introduce the new, and carry out comprehensive reforms, which had certain repercussions in both the government and the opposition. Lin Lezhi transcribed these two current articles, obviously to expand the popularity of "Church News". However, from the general trend, the newspaper focuses on academic affairs and is less involved in politics, so its circulation has not increased. Strictly speaking, "Church News" is a newsletter for church members and is welcomed by believers. Lin Yutang's father, Lin Zhicheng, subscribed to the "Church News" in Xiaoshan Township near Xiamen. Lin Taiyi recorded it in detail in "The Biography of Lin Yutang". It can be seen that "Church News" is the main place for church members to obtain information.
In 1874, after the publication was reorganized, Lin Lezhi changed the "Church News" to "The Gazette of All Nations". Although its purpose of running the newspaper was still based on academic affairs, it has undergone great changes. It is the focus on the social politics of the late Qing Dynasty and the purposeful influence on people from all walks of life in China, as well as officials and intellectuals. Lin Lezhi said very confidently that "The Gazette of All Nations" said: "It can not only invite the appreciation of princes, princes, and nobles, but also be able to gain recognition from famous ladies. It can also help the interests of big businessmen and wealthy merchants, and it can also assist craftsmen, farmers, and workers in raising funds." , It is really beneficial to people, and it is not just what the "Xinbao" said! "Shen Yugui published the "Preface to the Revival of the Wanguo Gongbao" in the resumed issue of the "Wanguo Gongbao" in 1889, saying that Lin Lezhi edited this newspaper "for the first time". It is a matter of mutual benefit between China and the West. It is also a brief review of the trivial matters of various countries, and it is also a collection of other wise sayings. They are all things that should not be left behind." When the Taiwan Jinghua Book Company copied the "Kanguo Gongbao", it summarized its content and said: "As for its content and purpose, it still adheres to the mission of spreading Christian doctrine and communicating church news. The responsibility of promoting Western learning was involved in Western scientific knowledge, historical figures, and the current situation of the country. The report that most inspired the Chinese officials and officials was the "Record of the Middle East" published during the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War. "" attracted widespread attention from officials and gentry of both the government and the public, and was regarded as an important source of new knowledge. The subsequent reform and reform movements were obviously influenced by his advocacy in all matters related to national independence, integrity of sovereignty, and political reform. At that time, there were many societies and newspapers and periodicals were founded in various places, but they were all imitations in form.
"This overview generally grasps the pulse of the "Global Gazette" and fully reflects the fundamental changes in Lin Lezhi's missionary strategy after the 1880s, that is, caring about current affairs, disseminating knowledge, updating Chinese culture, and cultivating talents, In order to promote the development of Christianity in China. Once Lin Lezhi's cultural activities, especially the "Global Gazette" he sponsored, were connected with the social hot spots of the late Qing Dynasty and the perspective of the general public, there would be a broad market for the "Global Gazette". After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894, the number of copies originally issued increased from a few thousand to more than 18,000, making it one of the most influential newspapers in the late Qing Dynasty.
The reason why "The Gazette of All Nations" was so important to the Chinese people in the late Qing Dynasty. It has greater appeal, firstly, because it introduces and comments on China's current affairs in large quantities; secondly, it spreads some major events in the late Qing Dynasty in a timely manner, such as the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War, the garrison reform, and the Boxer Rebellion. , the New Deal in the late Qing Dynasty, Sun Yat-sen's anti-Qing revolution, etc., all had relatively detailed reports and various comments in the "Global Gazette". During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1899, the newspaper reported in a timely manner the war situation between China and Japan, the attitudes of various countries in the world, and the Qing court's foreign affairs. Diplomacy with Japan attracted people in the late Qing Dynasty who were concerned about the fate of the country. Lin Lezhi also wrote various commentaries in the name of "American Jinshi", such as "A Brief Theory of Sino-US Relations", "Guangxue Xingguo Theory", etc. It has an obvious tendency to interfere in China's internal affairs and preach colonialism, but it also has some reference value. He later compiled these articles published in "The Chronicle of the Middle East" and it became a best-seller. During the reform period, the "Global Gazette" was very interested in reform. It reported a lot about Emperor Guangxu and the Kangliang Reformists, and also strongly supported the reformists. It also published a large number of missionaries' suggestions and comments on the reform after the Boxer Rebellion. , the "Global Gazette" took the opposite side and launched a vigorous attack. It also published "On the Boxer Banditry in Shandong" and "Records of the Boxer Rebellion in Beijing and Tianjin", which exposed the missionaries' xenophobic and anti-imperialist hatred of the Boxer Rebellion, but also published It has preserved some rare historical materials. Regarding the New Deal in the late Qing Dynasty and Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary activities, "The Gazette of All Nations" also discussed a lot based on its own interests.
"The Gazette of All Nations" introduced new knowledge and knowledge in Europe and the United States. More effort was put into new learning. Lin Lezhi focused on new theories and technologies such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, geography, biology, medicine, manufacturing, railways, ships, postal services, agriculture, fisheries, and mining. All were translated and illustrated, giving the Chinese people in the late Qing Dynasty a sense of freshness. Biographies of some modern European and American scientists, such as Newton, Darwin, and Copernicus, were also published in the Gazette of All Nations. . From the perspective of popularizing natural science knowledge, the "Global Gazette" is of great merit. The newspaper also selectively disseminates new Western social science knowledge, such as Western economics, monetary theory, marketing, foreign trade, and management science. , education system, law, library science, political science, parliamentary knowledge, etc., all have such introductions and evaluations. The activities and socialist doctrines of the newly emerging socialist parties in Europe were also reported in the Gazette. Issues 121 to 123 continuously introduced the European "New Learning for the People" (i.e. socialism) and described its basic propositions. It can be said that the Chinese people in the late Qing Dynasty first learned about socialism through the "Global Gazette". The Gazette of All Nations actually became an important window for the dissemination of Western culture in the late Qing Dynasty. Many Chinese young people seeking new knowledge and determined to change were inspired by the Gazette of All Nations. Some of Kang Youwei's treatises at that time absorbed a lot of knowledge and theories from the "Kanguo Gongbao"; some articles published by Liang Qichao in the "Shiwu Bao" were also obviously influenced by the "Wanguo Gongbao"; Tan Sitong's "Renxue", It was also influenced by the Gazette of All Nations. Objectively speaking, Lin Lezhi's large amount of religious propaganda in the "Global Gazette" did not have great influence. Instead, the Western culture he introduced in conjunction with the religious propaganda opened the eyes of the Chinese people in the late Qing Dynasty.
The book
"Women in All Lands".
"The Story of the War in the Middle East", published in 1896. Disclosing the truth about the Sino-Japanese War of 1898 and criticizing China's old habits shocked China's intelligentsia.
"The Twelve Benefits of Indian Li Ying".