Due to the overall backwardness of culture, science and technology and ideology, the Qing Dynasty was repeatedly invaded after the Opium War and became a fish on the chopping block of foreign powers.
As the saying goes, times make heroes. The crisis situation in the late Qing Dynasty gave birth to many important figures, such as Zuo, who recovered Xinjiang and defended sovereignty, Li Hongzhang, Zeng Guofan and Zhang Zhidong, who founded industry and promoted the Westernization Movement. Although these famous ministers in the late Qing Dynasty still supported the feudal monarchy in thought, they promoted the development of society at that time in action, and their achievements were worthy of recognition.
In order to learn more about the West and conduct exchanges and negotiations with foreign powers, the Qing Dynasty sent many delegations abroad, among which Li Hongzhang's trip to the United States was undoubtedly the most weighty.
It is said that when the old man who worked hard for the Qing Dynasty all his life came to the United States and saw the tall buildings standing there, he couldn't help sighing and left a sad word for China people.
China people are no strangers to Li Hongzhang. Born in the third year of a scholarly family in Hefei, Anhui (1823). Li Hongzhang is young, clever and diligent. In his early twenties, he was awarded the title of Juren, Jinshi and Zeng Guofan. However, Li Hongzhang, a scholar, was forced to join the army because of the outbreak of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement before he could become a civil servant. Relying on the excellent performance of suppressing the Taiping Army, Li Hongzhang's position rose from the pre-war Xiaobian to the first-class Su Yibo who was admired for flowers and feathers.
In the eleventh year of Xianfeng (186 1), the mighty Westernization Movement broke out, and Li Hongzhang actively participated in it, and successively established Jiangnan Manufacturing General Administration, China Shipping Merchants Bureau, Kaiping Mining Bureau and other important institutions, which greatly promoted the industrial development of the Qing Dynasty. In addition, in order to have the strength of World War I with the maritime powers, Li Hongzhang also advocated the establishment of four modern navies, including beiyang fleet. At the beginning of the establishment of Beiyang Navy, the Yearbook of the United States Navy ranked it as the ninth in the world and the first in Asia, which can be said to be infinite scenery.
However, in the Sino-Japanese War (1894), beiyang fleet was completely annihilated because of budget cuts, lack of maintenance of equipment, serious internal corruption and improper command and coordination. After this war, the Westernization Movement, which lasted for 30 years, failed, while the Qing Dynasty was completely submerged by the frenzy of the great powers to carve up China. In this context, Li Hongzhang led a delegation to the United States, one of the best countries in the world, in the 22nd year of Guangxu (1896).
Although the Qing government had sent delegations to the United States many times before, it was the first time for a minister of Li Hongzhang's level to visit.
Therefore, long before Li Hongzhang arrived in the United States, The New York Times wrote: "The American people all want to see the style of the prime minister of the Qing Dynasty, because the population under his rule is more than the total population under all European monarchs." In August, Li Hongzhang arrived in the United States. On that day, new york Harbor was crowded with people and colorful flags were flying. The American fleet saluted his passenger ship, and General Lu Jie, commander of the Eastern Corps, made a special trip to board the ship to meet him.
The powers may not have any respect for the Qing government, but they still have great respect for Li Hongzhang, who is known as the "Oriental Bismarck" and highly praised by Japanese Prime Minister Ito Bowen.
Although he only appeared briefly, Li Hongzhang left a good impression on the western media with his kindness, wisdom, modesty and courtesy. In order to entertain this distinguished guest, Lu Jie first took him to visit the mausoleum of American President Grant who visited China in the fifth year of Guangxu (1879), and then made a pilgrimage to new york's Chinatown.
As one of the most prosperous cities in the world at that time, new york was naturally full of high-rise buildings and was very lively. Although those high-rise buildings are commonplace in China today, in the era of Li Hongzhang, there were still bungalows everywhere in the Qing Dynasty.
It is said that Li Hongzhang once said in an interview with an American reporter: "What surprises me most is that many tall buildings have been built in your country. I have seen skyscrapers of 20 stories or higher here, but in the Qing Dynasty, I have never seen such a tall building ... I don't think we can build such a tall building in the Qing Dynasty. "
At that time, the industrial output value of the United States had occupied the first place in the world, which was almost the same as that of the Qing Dynasty. When Li Hongzhang saw the tall buildings in the United States and thought that most people in China still lived in bungalows, he would undoubtedly feel powerless and sad.
Today, when we listen to Li See Hongzhang's words, we can still recall that gloomy time. It is a universal theorem at all times and all over the world that you will be beaten if you fall behind. China, which was lagging behind the world at that time, was oppressed by the great powers, which was both a shame and a driving force to remind us to strive for self-improvement.