Tian Eye Foreign Affairs: Chinese and Foreign People

Author: Zhang Ming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Dian Shi Zhai Huabao (1884–1898) is like a vast pantry, reflecting both the immense influence of the West and the Chinese people's initial impressions of Western culture. From this periodical, one can see various images of the West: foreign presidents and kings, noblewomen and fashion, balloons flying in the sky, locomotives running on the ground, and steamships sailing on the water. Of course, there were also strange and bizarre stories like the "man bites dog," which were likely fabricated by someone unknown. Through this publication, the Chinese people learned that foreigners also had love between men and women, fears of death, murders, and evil deeds—everything that Chinese people could also experience. Although the paintings of foreign buildings by our artists were all products of the foreign concessions, the scenes carried a strong foreign flavor. Dian Shi Zhai Huabao was founded by Ernest Major, a British businessman, in May 1884. It was published once every ten days, with each issue containing 8 pages, printed on continuous history paper and distributed with Shanghai Weekly as a supplement, as well as independently. The last issue was published in August 1898, with a total of 528 issues. The editor-in-chief, Mr. Wu Youru, was a renowned painter in Jiangnan at the time, with a strong reputation in literature. Many stone-printed publications in Shanghai during that era featured his artworks and calligraphy, and the bustling streets of Shanghai were filled with many of his romantic tales. For the periodical, he was both the main illustrator and the main writer, with many of his paintings completed in brothels and literary houses. The compilers of this series of books have selected nearly 400 of the over 4,000 illustrations from Dian Shi Zhai Huabao, rearranged and reorganized them, and provided new interpretations and explanations from historical, social, and cultural perspectives, using concise and insightful language. Over a hundred years later, Wu Youru's paintings have now sold for exorbitant prices, beyond the reach of the middle class. However, the Dian Shi Zhai Huabao drawn by him and his fellow artists still serves as a window, showing the turbulent past of our nation.