Loving Huaxi: West China Union University

Author: Zhang Liping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Over fifty years ago, with the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the missionary universities in mainland China ceased to exist. Chinese missionary universities were long regarded as strongholds of cultural aggression by imperialism against China, sparking resentment among many Chinese people. Indeed, some missionary organizations and universities had varying degrees of connection with Western colonialism and the religious fervor of "conquering China for Christianity." However, looking back half a century later, this resentment, though not entirely unfounded, is overly general and biased. It fails to distinguish the educational function of missionary universities as the primary focus from their increasingly detached religious and political functions, nor does it separate the normal educational work of the schools from Western colonialism's policies. In fact, from another perspective, Chinese missionary universities were also products of modern Sino-Western cultural exchange, and their development and changes are an important part of the history of this exchange. Although the number of Chinese missionary universities was small, they played a certain and guiding role in the modernization of Chinese education, cultivating a batch of outstanding professionals and thus having a profound impact on Chinese academia and society. At the same time, for many Westerners, missionary universities were also windows through which to observe and understand Chinese culture and society. Today, in the 20th century, we review the history of Chinese missionary universities with a calm and prudent attitude, which can also be seen as reopening a window to observe and understand the history of modern Chinese education and cultural exchange. In Huaxiba, Chengdu, there stands a lush ancient wistaria tree, drawing the attention of both Chinese and foreign Huaxi people passing by. This book attempts to objectively reflect the traditions, style, and pursuits of the university through a combination of text and images, from vertical historical snapshots to horizontal historical focuses, thereby allowing readers to experience the convergence, integration, and inheritance of Sino-Western cultures, presenting a detailed and comprehensive record of the missionary universities.