Today, thousands of teenagers go abroad every year to study around the world.
But who knew that more than 150 years ago, a group of 30 international students was difficult to put together.
The difference in ideas, the difference in the times, it is not difficult to understand such a situation, if you were in that era, it must be the same.
But there is such a person who is determined to enable Chinese youth to enjoy Western education, so that the backward old China can be revived, and the country's civilization will be prosperous.
He single-handedly kicked off the prelude to Chinese students' overseas study, but was forgotten by the world for nearly a hundred years, he was the first person to study abroad in China, known as the "father of Chinese students studying abroad", Rong Hong (Hong), China's first "returnee".
In 1828, Rong Hong was born in a peasant family in Xiangshan County, Guangdong. At that time, Guangzhou had long since become the "only" port for trade between the Qing government and Westerners.
In Rong Hong's childhood, Western missionaries had not yet gained the right to legally preach in China, so they had to secretly preach in coastal areas such as Macau and Guangzhou, and set up free church schools in Macau.
Rong Hong, whose family was impoverished, had no money to attend private school, so he had to go to a church school in Macau, a choice that would change Rong Hong's life and the face of modern China.
The school, called Morrison Memorial School, was run by Western missionaries. Later, an American educator took over the school and served as principal. A few years later, the principal had to return to the United States due to illness.
However, Principal Brown said that he could take several classmates to study in the United States. Rong Hong saw the opportunity, so he applied to the principal.
Finally, when Blanc returned to the United States in early 1847, he took Rong Hong and three other Chinese students with him to attend the Monson City School in Massachusetts, a college preparatory school.
Three years later, Rong Hong entered Yale University with funding from a charitable organization.
After entering Yale University, Rong Hong studied hard, and in less than a year, he won the first prize in the English competition twice, and Rong Hong became famous at Yale.
During this period, Rong Hong always wanted to do something for the motherland, he believed, "irrigating China with Western scholarship, making China increasingly civilized, prosperous and strong." ”
At this time, Rong Hong had already established the ideal of education to save the country, and he often talked with his classmates that he wanted more young Chinese to go abroad and study in the West.
In 1854, Rong graduated with honors from Yale. He was the pride of Yale, and his photograph still hangs in Yale's visiting exhibition hall.
In 1855, Rong Hong refused the high-paying occupation offered by the United States and returned from the United States on the other side of the ocean with the "education to save the country" plan with studying abroad as the core. As the first international student in China to graduate from Yale University, Rong Hong has made indelible and significant contributions to the Western Affairs Movement, the "Reform Law", the Xinhai Revolution, and the organization of official fees to study abroad for young children. After embarking on the ship back to China, Rong Hong repeatedly thought about how to realize his lifelong ideal. Because he had a clear understanding of the decay and backwardness of the Qing government, he set his sights on the Taiping Rebellion from the beginning.
When the Taiping Rebellion was vigorously launched, Rong Hong thought that this was a good opportunity to change China, so he rushed to "Tianjing" to investigate.
As early as his stay in Hong Kong, he befriended Hong Renxuan, the godson of the Taiping Rebellion, and knew that he was open-minded. Coupled with Hong Renxuan's deep use by Hong Xiuquan, Rong Hong tried to implement his plan in the Taiping Rebellion.
Hong Renxuan attached great importance to this and gave it to Rong Hong Yijue. Unfortunately, although Hong Renxuan felt that his opinion was good, he could not implement it in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and could only play Hong Xiuquan.
However, after a period of investigation, Rong Hong was greatly disappointed, and it was impossible for such a team to undertake the task of transforming China.
So Rong Hong turned around and left "Tianjing", as for the high-ranking official Houlu that Hong Renxuan had already given,
I don't think that's what this person is after.
In the autumn of 1861, when the Xiang army recaptured Anqing from the Taiping Stronghold, Zeng Guofan set up the Anqing Ordnance Institute in Anqing to recruit talents, "set up shipbuilding artillery, quite to promote foreign affairs, and obtain talents as a priority." When Rong Hong heard this, he went to join Zeng Guofan and became one of Zeng Guofan's staff.
In 1864, Rong Hong went to the United States again, this time he exchanged all the 30,000 taels of silver he brought with him for machines, which eventually became the foundation of the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau.
After having rich life experience, Rong Hong realized that only education can rejuvenate the country, so he vigorously promoted the government's funding to send people to study advanced knowledge abroad.
In 1870, when Rong Hong was handling the "Tianjin Teaching Plan" under Zeng Guofan, he proposed to him that the official send students to study in the United States, "so that the educational plan given can be implemented, and the study of Western civilization will be used to improve the culture of the East, and the old empire will be transformed into a young new China." ”
We know that Zeng Guofan himself has never been abroad and rarely deals with foreigners, but he readily agreed and promised to join forces with Li Hongzhang. At that time, Zeng Guofan was burned by the "Tianjin Teaching Case" and his reputation was greatly damaged, but he stood up without hesitation.
In 1872, Rong Hong was ordered to lead 30 students to study in the United States, served as a student supervisor, and concurrently served as a deputy envoy to the United States, and was stationed in the United States for a long time.
This history is called the "Chinese Young Children's Movement to Study in the United States" (1872-1881), which was the earliest group of official students in China. According to the plan, 30 students aged 12 are selected to study in the United States every year, a total of 120 students in 4 years.
In order to realize this founding act of China, Rong Hong has worked tirelessly for 17 years.
From 1875 to 1881, Rong Hong also served as deputy ambassador to the United States, Peru, and Cuba.
Unfortunately, Qing conservatives worried and feared the westernization of students' ideas, and with the death of Zeng Guofan, an important supporter of the program, the Qing court decided to abolish the program. At the end of 1881, the Qing court officially issued an order to "quickly dissolve the study abroad office" and withdraw all international students.
Many of these students studying in the United States have become pillars of the country and social elites, such as: Zhan Tianyou, the father of China's railways, Tang Guoan, the first president of Tsinghua University, Tang Shaoyi, the first premier of the Republic of China, Yan Fu, a thinker, Deng Shichang, a general of the Beiyang Navy Division, and Ouyang Geng, a diplomatic official stationed abroad in the early years of the People's Republic of China.
Except for 1 who died early and 7 returned abroad for various reasons, most of the 112 returned to China after completing their studies and made due contributions to China's modernization in different posts.
In 1882, Rong Hong, who was devastated, was deeply disappointed and began to distrust the Qing court and the Westerners, and lived in the United States, where he stayed for 13 years.
In 1894, during the Sino-Japanese War, he introduced Sun Yat-sen to Li Hongzhang, Sun Yat-sen and he were fellow villagers, both from Xiangshan County, although he did not agree with Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary ideas, but still admired this advanced young man.
In 1895, he returned to China and settled in Shanghai, where he met Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao and other restorationists. He once played the role of setting up a national bank, but Sheng Xuanhuai could not interfere with it.
The members of the Restoration Party relied heavily on Rong Hong, and Rong Hong also actively participated in the affairs of the Restoration Movement. On the day of the establishment of the "National Protection Congress," Rong Hong, who was nearly 70 years old, personally attended the meeting. His residence became a meeting place for the party, acting as the chief of staff behind the restorationists. After the failure of the restoration, Rong Hong hid in the Shanghai concession for several months before fleeing to Hong Kong.
On January 1, 1912, Sun Yat-sen was inaugurated as president of the provisional government in Nanjing, and the next day he personally wrote a letter to Rong Hong, inviting him to return to China and take up important posts.
It is a pity that 83-year-old Rong Hong lies on his hospital bed and writes letters to his old friends, warmly hailing the great victory. Unfortunately, his health deteriorated and he was unable to return to his beloved homeland.
On the morning of April 21, Rong Hong's condition deteriorated, rescue was ineffective, and he died in his Connecticut apartment in the United States at the age of 84.
Today, there are Rong Hong Memorial Day, Rong Hong Primary School, etc. in the United States, and there is also Rong Hong Former Residence in Zhuhai, Guangdong, to commemorate this outstanding Chinese pioneer.
Rong Hong was the first to sow the seeds, and after the seeds grew and harvested, he continued to sow and harvest. Generations of learning and inheritance, generations of talents appeared, and finally built today's prosperous, strong and great China!
What Rong Hong has done is meritorious in contemporary times and beneficial in the future, and should not be forgotten by history!