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The act of spending a lot of money to buy an island abroad is not only 100 years ago, but also a bold approach in the modern society of the 21st century, where the economy is developing rapidly and transportation is convenient.
What's more, 100 years ago, many people never set foot outside the country in their lives, or even had the opportunity to leave the province. But there is one figure in China's modern history who has done it, and he is Kang Youwei, the representative of the modern reform movement.
In 1898, after the failure of the Restoration, Kang Youwei was ordered by Cixi and the Qing government to be pursued strictly, and in order to avoid the pursuers and save his life, Kang Youwei fled overseas, starting a 16-year overseas exile life.
Overseas, Kang Youwei traveled to 42 countries and regions in Asia and Europe, and bought an island in Sweden in 1904. Now that 100 years have passed, what has happened to this small Swedish island? What is the story behind it, and who is the ownership?
1. Political frustration and exile
Kang Youwei, born on March 19, 1858, known as Kang Nanhai, his family is now a feudal bureaucrat and landlord family in a county in Guangdong, he is a famous politician, reformer and thinker in modern China, and also a leader of bourgeois reformism.
Because he was born into a family of feudal bureaucrats and landlords, Kang Youwei received a good cultural education from an early age, and in 1879 he began to come into contact with Western culture, which had a profound impact on him.
Kang Youwei began to realize the limitations and backwardness of traditional Chinese culture, and gradually became interested in the West, and had the idea of learning from the West. Through his extensive study and investigation, he has gained a further understanding of Western culture and thought, and formed his own ideological system.
At that time, in the 19th century, Chinese society was full of crises, various contradictions intensified, the exploitation of the common people by the landlords and the government was increasing day by day, the vast number of people fell into the abyss of poverty and bankruptcy, displacement, and political uprisings in various places.
The power of the ruling class has declined, armaments have been severely depleted, and socio-economic development has been slow. The Qing Dynasty also pursued a policy of closing itself off from the country, closing its eyes and ears, ignorant of the world situation, and fantasizing about using this means to keep capitalism out of the country and ensure the long-term peace and stability of the Qing Dynasty.
At the same time, Western capitalism developed rapidly in the bloody wind of colonial plunder, and took China as the main target of plunder and the object of aggression, which made China fall into a situation of national extinction.
At the critical juncture of the nation's peril, Kang Youwei stood up with enthusiasm for serving the country, shouldered the responsibility of reversing the fate of the country, and launched a vigorous 100-day reform movement.
Kang Youwei founded the "Chinese and Foreign Chronicles" in Beijing, organized the Qiang Society in Shanghai, published the "Qiang Journal", hyped up the idea of changing the law, and wrote such ideological works as "The Book of Datong", "The Examination of Confucius's Reform", and "The Examination of the New School of Pseudo-scriptures", and used these ideas as a theoretical weapon for reforming the law.
He had written to the emperor six times, bitterly Chen Guo's deep difficulties, the destruction of the country was imminent, begged Emperor Guangxu to change the law and reform, and put forward many specific measures to change the law and reform, and then, Emperor Guangxu announced the beginning of the reform.
However, the implementation of the reform of the law and the New Deal caused extreme panic and uneasiness among the post-party bureaucrats, who, in order to protect their own vested interests, desperately opposed the New Deal, obstructed and sabotaged the reform of the New Deal, and finally launched a movement, that is, the Wuxu Coup.
Eventually, as a result of the coup, the leader of the reform, the "Six Gentlemen of Wuxu", was ordered to be killed at Caishikou in Beijing, and his Chinese Kang Youwei fled to Hong Kong with the help of the British Legation.
The failure of the Wuxu Reform Law made Kang Youwei a prisoner of the Qing court and had to go into exile, but he was not discouraged by this and never recovered, but actively traveled overseas and engaged in political and economic activities.
Kang Youwei traveled with his grandfather to famous places in Guangdong since he was a teenager, mountains, rivers, forests and springs, cultural relics and historic sites. This hobby, which he cultivated since he was a teenager, allowed him to enjoy the hardships of his days in exile, enjoy the mountains and rivers, and appreciate the scenery of the world.
From September 28, 1898, when he fled to Hong Kong, to December 1, 1913, when he returned to China, Kang Youwei visited the North Pole, bought small islands, built gardens, and took concubines, during which he lived a corrupt life of drunkenness and money.
2. Abuse power for personal gain and buy a small Swedish island
Traveling overseas, buying islands, building gardens, etc., each of which requires financial support. Money is the most important thing that can be achieved with these moves.
As a scholar, Kang Youwei, although he was born in a feudal bureaucratic landlord family and had good family conditions, he was able to travel overseas and even spend a lot of money to buy a garden villa on an island in Sweden, which required a lot of financial support, but where did his money come from?
In fact, after the failure in the domestic political field, although Kang Youwei was frustrated, he did not stop his related activities. While in exile in Japan, Kang Youwei decided to use the financial resources of the Chinese to raise funds for his own activities.
In the spring of 1899, when Kang Youwei passed through Canada, he was welcomed and warmly loved by the local overseas Chinese, and later he negotiated with the local overseas Chinese leadership meeting, and formally established the "Rescue of the Guangxu Emperor of the Qing Dynasty" in Canada on July 20, 1899, referred to as the Royalist Association.
The Royalist Society was an important platform for Kang Youwei to receive financial support during his exile. He actively publicized his reform ideas and reform ideas to overseas Chinese, and through the Royalist Association, he encouraged overseas Chinese to join the association, collected membership fees from members, and carried out various fund-raising activities, raising a large amount of funds.
At the same time, Kang Youwei's disciples also rushed to Nanyang, Europe, Japan and many other countries and regions to establish branches of the Royalist Association, and actively expanded the number of members, it is said that the number of members at that time was as high as one million, including wealthy businessmen and ordinary people.
In addition to raising money through royalists, he also raised money through acts such as giving speeches, publishing books, and fundraising.
Kang Youwei gave speeches overseas to promote his ideas and ideas, so as to attract support and donations from the audience. Through the speech, he also established contact with the local overseas Chinese and Chinese community, set up donation boxes and collection offices, and raised a certain amount of funds.
Through the publication of a number of books overseas, including "The Book of Datong" and "The Examination of Confucius's Reform System", these works have been widely popular among the overseas Chinese community, and a large amount of money and money have been collected for them.
However, Kang Youwei used these funds as he pleased, abused his power for personal gain, used various pretexts, and set up clever names, and did not use the funds for political activities, but for personal enjoyment and luxury life, and there was an improper act of misappropriating funds.
Specifically, Kang Youwei used the funds raised through the Royalist Society for real estate purchases, art transactions, etc. During his exile, Kang Youwei did not forget to marry a wife and have children, and his wives and concubines and children were in groups, and the luxury was no less than that of the top rich.
In 1904, Kang Youwei came to Sweden in Northern Europe, and during his stay in Sweden, he was attracted by the natural scenery there, and decided to settle in Sweden...... I want to live in it. ”
In the end, Kang Youwei spent more than 30,000 Swedish kronor, which is now equivalent to more than 1 million yuan, to buy a small island in the sand dunes Baden area on the southeast coast of Sweden, and built a Chinese-style villa and garden on the island, and has lived on the island since then.
Over time, Kang Youwei reluctantly left the island in 1907 after three years of living on the island, after spending more money on the island, facing serious financial problems, and the changing domestic political situation.
3. Time has changed and it has become a tourist attraction
With the departure of Kang Youwei, the domestic servants and servants who were responsible for taking care of the island also left one after another. After that, due to the chaos of the domestic situation and the various affairs entangled, Kang Youwei did not return after leaving in 1907.
Later, Kang Youwei decided to transfer or sell the island, and it is said that he eventually sold the island to the Swedish royal family or nobles. After World War II, the Swedish government took back the right to use the island due to the expiration of its rights.
After the Swedish government took back the island, it was renamed "Hotel Island" and developed as a tourist attraction. Today, the island is famous for its luxurious resorts and beautiful natural beauty, making it one of Sweden's top tourist destinations.
On this island, there are luxury hotels and resorts that offer a variety of high-end accommodation and entertainment services for tourists. In addition, there are many beautiful beaches, lakes, and parks on the island where visitors can practice a variety of water activities and outdoor sports such as boating, swimming, windsurfing, golf, and more.
Tourism on Hotel Island has had a positive impact on the local economy. Relevant data shows that the number of tourists visiting the island every year ranges from hundreds of thousands to millions, and the tourism income is quite considerable.
Although the island has been transformed into a Chinese garden, the historical fact that it is closely related to Kang Youwei cannot be changed. The Chinese compatriots who live here habitually call it "Kang Youwei Island" and are very happy to tell tourists the history of the island.
epilogue
It is undeniable that Kang Youwei is an outstanding politician, thinker and reformer in modern Chinese history. Before the Wuxu Reform, Kang Youwei had a strong willingness to reform and an open attitude, but after the failure of the reform, his thinking changed significantly, and he was more inclined to be conservative and traditional.
During his overseas exile, Kang Youwei's reasons for buying an island in Sweden involved many aspects such as political asylum, realization of personal ideals, enjoyment of natural scenery, investment and future development, and the experience of buying an island also reflected Kang Youwei's complex mentality and pursuit in exile abroad.