The Opium War greatly shocked the Chinese government and the public. Under the dual pressure of national disaster and family embarrassment, Rong Hong, a native of Xiangshan, Guangdong, embarked on the road to study in the United States. With excellent results, he became the first Chinese to attend and graduate from the famous American university Yale University. After Rong Hong returned to China, facing the ruined mountains and rivers, he determined to change the current situation and future of the nation through foreign learning. Rong Hong's great idea was supported by the Westernizationists Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang. Under Zeng Li's promotion, the Qing government launched a program for young children to study in the United States, and the young children became China's earliest government-sponsored students. As the person in charge of the study abroad program, Rong Hong presided over and participated in the entire process of study abroad activities. Unfortunately, due to the obstruction of the stubborn conservatives, the young children studying abroad were forced to return home before they had completely completed their studies.
When the young children returned to China, they were severely discriminated against and described as traitors to the country who had been poisoned by "foreign poison". However, they chose to endure it silently and at the same time did not miss any opportunity to prove their loyalty to the motherland: China-France Maweihai During the war, the children's ship hit the French flagship and created the only death record in the French navy; during the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War, Shen Shouchang, the leader of the "Ji Yun" gang who was born as a child, was ordered to die in danger. His blood was spilled on the spot, and he was the first to sacrifice his life for the country.
The defeat of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894 once again forced China to a crossroads of destiny. Rong Hong tried several times, but was ultimately unable to save his life and was finally forced to leave his motherland. The young children carefully trained by Rong Hong did not give up their efforts to revitalize the nation. In addition to Zhan Tianyou, Zhong Wenyao and others who devoted themselves to rejuvenating the country through industry and technology, this group also included famous modern politicians and diplomats such as Tang Shaoyi and Liang Cheng. As the earliest voyagers in the stormy sea, they experienced major events such as the diplomacy of the late Qing Dynasty, the Revolution of 1911, Yuan Shikai's restoration, and the Northern Expedition. Although they experienced ups and downs in the turbulent history, and their personal destiny also underwent great tests, their original intention of saving the nation and seeking generously remained unchanged, and they scrambled to shoulder heavy missions with their thin shoulders.
Reader comments
This book is very good! It tells the story of Rong Hong and a group of young children, which reminded me of Xiangzi in "Camel Xiangzi". They are all trying to pursue their dreams. Rong Hong and the others persisted in studying in a difficult environment, just like Xiangzi worked hard to buy a car of his own. This book also made me feel the turmoil and changes of that era, and at the same time I understood that only by continuous learning and progress can I change the destiny of myself and the country. I think this book is worth reading, and you can check it out too.
This book is very good! It tells the story of Rong Hong and a group of young children, which reminded me of Xiangzi in "Camel Xiangzi". They are all trying to pursue their dreams. Rong Hong and the others persisted in studying in a difficult environment, just like Xiangzi worked hard to buy a car of his own. This book also made me feel the turmoil and changes of that era, and at the same time I understood that only by continuous learning and progress can I change the destiny of myself and the country. I think this book is worth reading, and you can check it out too.