Biography and Correspondence of: The Inner Journey of an American Missionary to China

Author: Wei Fei Lie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: is an important figure in the history of modern Sino-US relations. He was one of the earliest American missionaries to come to China and also the first American professor of Sinology. This book excerpts some of Wei Sanwei's letters, reflecting the life journey of an American and allowing people to understand the various connections between 19th-century America and China. is an important figure in the history of modern Sino-US relations. He was born on September 22, 1812, in Ithaca, New York. In July 1832, he was officially appointed by the American Board of Missions (the American missionary organization) as a printer at the Guangzhou missionary station. set off for China in June 1833 and arrived in Guangzhou in October, beginning his 40-year career in China. In the first 20 years, his main work was editing and printing the Chinese Repository. In 1853 and 1854, he accompanied the American fleet on two expeditions to Japan, serving as an interpreter. In 1856, he left the American Board of Missions and joined the American legation in China. In 1858, he accompanied the American envoy, Rev., to Tianjin to negotiate the Treaty of Tientsin. In 1862, brought his family to live in Beijing. From 1856 to 1876, over 20 years, he served as the acting chargé d'affaires to China seven times. In 1877, he resigned and returned to the United States, where he was appointed the first professor of Chinese language and literature at Yale University. died on February 16, 1884, in New Haven, Connecticut. Currently, the academic community in China knows relatively little about Wei Sanwei and his works. It is hoped that this book about his life and letters will provide some reference for scholars studying modern Chinese history, the history of Sino-US relations, and the history of American Sinology. Today, as Sino-US relations become an increasingly focal point of attention, ordinary readers can also gain insights into the various connections between 19th-century America and China by reading this book—a life journey of an American.