Personal Experience of the Late Qing Dynasty for Forty-Five Years: Li Timotai's Recollections in China

Author: (British) Timothy Richard, Xiantang Li, Linli Hou
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: This book provides a detailed account of Timothy Richard's 45 years of experiences during the late Qing Dynasty. He participated in the historical of China across nearly all fields, including religion, science, communications, international trade, disaster relief, the establishment of modern schools and professional academies, and the founding of modern publishing houses. He was not only an influential religious figure but also a guest of high-ranking officials at home and abroad, a behind-the-scenes strategist for the reformists, and an opponent of Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary party. Over 45 years, while spreading the "gospel" of God, he connected with the powerful, liaised with scholars, advised on foreign affairs, promoted reforms, mediated diplomatic matters, and criticized revolutions. He moved behind the scenes and on stage alike, tirelessly bustling in the depths of the mortal world, navigating between different political factions and becoming a prominent figure in the great transformations of the late Qing Dynasty, leaving an indelible mark on modern Chinese history. His personal experiences are almost a microcosm of modern Chinese history: the intense struggle between tradition and modernity, the conflict and integration of Chinese and Western civilizations, and the dialectical unity of political and economic aggression versus the enlightenment of thought and technology—all of these major contradictions are vividly reflected in his memoir.