Late Qing Ocean Records: The Story of American Missionaries, Manchu Officials, and the Li Family

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: The author's great-grandfather, Li Zhixiang, was a trusted assistant to Lin Zexu. This book, based on notes, records, photographs, and other materials left by the author's family a century ago, presents in a narrative form the public and secret stories surrounding the Opium Trade between China and Britain in 1838. It provides a panoramic introduction to the Canton, with a detailed depiction of the activities of American missionary traders. It reveals the inner story of the romance and marriage between Qing official Li Zhixiang and Susan, the daughter of an American missionary. It uncovers the suffering of Chinese laborers in the United States, who lived in inhumane conditions, as learned by Li Zhixiang there. It elaborates on the author's grandfather, Li Quanshi's, experiences and observations of the Boxer Rebellion, the Russo-Japanese War fought on Chinese soil, the Chengdu Massacre during the late Qing Dynasty, and his secret membership in the Tongmenghui in Japan, as well as his interactions with Huang Xing and Sun Yat-sen. The text is straightforward and easy to read, with meticulous descriptions of the plot. The over 100 exquisite oil paintings and documentary photographs in the book, in addition to those passed down through the author's family, were acquired by the author at great expense for the right to publish them. Many of these paintings and photographs are being published for the first time, offering a true record of late Qing society, culture, and politics. They not only hold high artistic value but also possess significant collectible value.