There have always been many history enthusiasts in our country. The history studied in students’ days is just the tip of the iceberg in the past five thousand years. But even if it is only these, our country’s history can be divided into two types: official history and unofficial history. It tells anecdotes, but the official history is basically historical facts. The official history of our country is collectively called the Twenty-Four Histories. These Twenty-Four Histories record the history from the legendary Yellow Emperor to the end of the Ming Dynasty, totaling nearly five thousand years. That’s why people often say that China’s history lasts for “five thousand years.” However, careful people may find that the Qing Dynasty is the only one missing from these histories. Why is this?
It turns out that each dynasty does not compile the history of its own dynasty. They often compile the history of the previous dynasty based on the records of the previous dynasty. The Qing Dynasty was followed by the Republic of China. The connection between these two dynasties was quite special, so the Qing Dynasty was not recorded in the Twenty-Four Histories. However, there is no official history, which does not mean that the history of the Qing Dynasty is unrecorded. There were several orphans who compiled the history of the Qing Dynasty. Led by Zhao Erxun, it took them 14 years to finally compile the first draft, which was named "Manuscript of Qing History". They pointed out that this was just a draft, not a completed book, and that it would be needed in the future. Only with further revisions can it become a complete history of the Qing Dynasty.
This book was written very hastily, and the events recorded in it are very precious, but its point of view is too subjective, because the people who wrote it were from the Qing Dynasty, so they had deep feelings for the Qing Dynasty. It criticizes reform and other things, but praises die-hards. This is one of the reasons why it is questioned. However, apart from this area, the book's views are relatively fair. From the book, we can learn in detail about the practices of Qing officials during the "Westernization Movement", so as to study the subsequent impact of this movement on our country. The Westernization Movement had a great role in promoting the industrial development of later generations. Take the Hanyang Iron Works as an example. Hanyang Iron Works was established in 1890, and its significance is extraordinary.
As the earliest government-run enterprise established in modern my country, Hanyang Iron Works is very important not only for its actual role, but also for its symbolic significance. We all know that Zhang Zhidong was the first to work hard on such a steel plant, and his contribution to this iron plant was very great. Zhang Zhidong faced many problems when running this steel plant at that time, because the Qing government did not pay attention to this steel plant at all, especially in the eyes of the then Empress Dowager Cixi, its existence was not even as eye-catching as the back garden. Also because of the government's lack of attention, this steel plant closed down due to lack of funds. Even though it once bloomed with glory, now it has fallen into the dust of history.
The Hanyang Iron Works closed down because of the Qing government's lack of attention. This is really a pity, but as long as it is a truly useful thing, it will always show its value, so In 2012, when almost everyone had forgotten it, the Hanyang Iron Works reappeared in front of everyone. When building a railway, a worker discovered that our country has been using the Qing Dynasty steel rails until now, and perhaps it is the only one in use. This rail is still rust-free and the quality is unbelievable. And just such a rail, it actually has a "Made in Hanyang" sign. There is no doubt that this must be the product of Hanyang Iron Works.
What we need to know is that Hanyang Iron Works has a history of 110 years since its collapse, but the rail has not been destroyed by the passage of time. It is still playing its role today. Some contributions. This has also led experts to praise them, saying that they are all priceless treasures. You know, it is a miracle that the rails that appeared a hundred years ago are still in good condition. The level of craftsmanship at that time is worthy of recognition, but more importantly, the existence of this rail is an important proof like a living fossil. In the past, our country's older generation tried their best to do everything well, but now they have to beware of all kinds of shoddy projects during construction. This is not without irony.
In order to protect the last remaining rails of Hanyang Iron Works, my country included it in the first batch of industrial heritage protection lists in January 2018. Even though it is no longer there, it will still be remembered. Its former glory will always move closer to the spirit of the older generation. Time is always the best way to test it.