History of Chinese Students Studying Abroad

Author: Wu Ni
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-04-01
Features: The term "foreign student" was created by the Japanese. Over 1,300 years ago, the Japanese government, in order to absorb China's advanced culture, sent multiple "Tang envoys" to China. Since the Tang envoys were diplomatic missions and could not stay in China for too long, the Japanese government began sending "foreign students" and "returning students" alongside the envoys starting from the second mission. The "returning students" returned to Japan with the envoys, while the "foreign students" remained in China to continue their studies after the envoys returned. Today, the architecture in Kyoto, Japan, is almost identical to that of Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty, with streets like "Zhuque Avenue," "East Market," and "West Market" still bearing the same names. These are all thanks to the contributions of the "foreign students." China's formal dispatch of foreign students came later, but their contributions were significant. In a sense, the history of China's foreign student education development is the same as the history of modern Chinese society's transformation.