Sea Tales of Wonder: Victoria Science Through the Eyes of the Chinese

Author: Wu Yiyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: After the Second Opium War, China and the West had formal contact. Ten years later, several scholars, due to various circumstances—such as diplomatic missions, travels, escaping disasters, or research—sailed across the seas and stayed abroad for extended periods, gaining relatively accurate observations of the West. Their experiences can be considered the first steps for the Chinese to understand the West. The written accounts they left behind, shaped by their diverse educational backgrounds and life experiences, often varied; yet their admiration and confusion consistently reflected the complex circumstances of the initial cultural encounter between China and the West. This book aims to explore one aspect of this complexity—how these travelers to the "islands of the sea" reacted to Victorian scientific concepts and technological achievements, and how the spread of science and technology from one culture to another with entirely different cognitive structures unfolded. It is primarily descriptive, interspersed with reflections, focusing on events a century and twenty years ago, yet holds profound significance for the present time and place.