China News Service, Fuzhou, January 29th: Why did a statue of a Frenchman end up in the China Shipping Culture Museum?
——Exclusive interview with Wei Yannian, researcher of French shipping culture and friend of shipping
China News Service reporter Long Min
In the exhibition hall of the China Shipbuilding Culture Museum in Fuzhou, Fujian, in addition to group portraits of shipping elites, clear portraits of Shen Baozhen, and historical materials on Deng Shichang's deeds, a statue of Prosper Rieger presented to the Fuzhou Municipal Government by the French Embassy in China is also on display.
Who is Prosper Rieger? Why is a statue of a Frenchman placed in the China Shipping Culture Museum alongside Shen Baozhen and Deng Shichang? Wei Yannian, a French scholar, shipping culture researcher, and friend of shipping, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" and explained it.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Service reporter: Who is Riyige? Why is this French statue included in the China Shipbuilding Culture Museum?
Japanese-Italian statue. Photo by Long Min
Wei Yannian:
Riyige was born in the French seaport city of Lorient in 1835. In 1857, he came to China with the French Navy as an important military personnel. Influenced by what he heard and saw, Riyige fell deeply in love with this country and worked hard to learn Chinese. At the end of 1861, Japan and Italy were sent to Ningbo by the French government to handle customs affairs with the Qing court. Later, when assisting the Qing government in attacking the Taiping Army, he established a good personal relationship with Zuo Zongtang, the then governor of Zhejiang. Zuo Zongtang implored Japan, Italy and Germany to promote cooperation between China and France and help the Qing government build a naval arsenal. At that time, China was in the midst of internal and external troubles and needed a navy to defend its territory.
In 1866, Zuo Zongtang led Riyige and others to carefully design a naval arsenal, the Fujian Shipping Administration, on a mudflat of more than 30 hectares in Mawei at the mouth of the Minjiang River in Fuzhou. From December 1866 to 1874, Japan and Italy fulfilled the contract signed with the shipping company. With the joint efforts of 45 foreign technical personnel and all Chinese employees, a total of 15 military and merchant ships were built, including China's first The steam-powered 1,000-ton wooden-hulled concealed steamship "Wannianqing" and China's first wooden cruiser "Yangwu".
Shipbuilding panorama 1868. Photo courtesy of Fujian Shipping Culture Management Committee
According to Zuo Zongtang and Shen Baozhen, inviting foreigners to help with shipbuilding is not just to build a few ships. The key point is to let the Chinese learn the skills of shipbuilding and driving, and ultimately gain complete technical independence. Therefore, next to the Mawei Shipyard, the Naval Academy Shipbuilding School began construction simultaneously. Japan and Italy facilitated and personally arranged for shipping students to study in France and the United Kingdom. This is China's earliest and most effective study abroad activity. It has cultivated a large number of modern science and technology, military, diplomacy, education and social science talents such as Yan Fu, Zhan Tianyou, and Deng Shichang, and has made outstanding contributions to China's modernization.
Shipbuilding Yamen. Photo courtesy of Fujian Shipping Culture Management Committee
In 1886, Japan and Italy, who was ill, even insisted on making various preparations for leaving China again, and dreamed of building a new maritime fleet for China again. But unfortunately, on February 19 of that year, Riyige passed away in Cannes, France.
On February 22, 2014, the then French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Ms. Marchand Belle, president of the French Flag Foundation, accompanied by relevant leaders of the China-France Friendship Association, visited the China Shipbuilding Culture Museum and Mawei Shipbuilding Ltd. Marine Machinery Shop. After the visit, Fabius felt deeply about the contribution of Japan and Italy in Sino-French exchanges, and said that he would copy a Japan-Italy statue given to the Japan-Italy family by the Qing government and give it to the Fuzhou Municipal Government to be handed over to the China Shipbuilding Culture Museum. Collect and display.
China Shipping Culture City. Photo courtesy of Fujian Shipping Culture Management Committee
On October 19 of that year, at the French Embassy in Beijing, Fabius and Ms. Marchand Belle presented a Japanese-Italian statue to Lin Fei, then deputy mayor of Fuzhou and secretary of the Mawei District Party Committee. . On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, Japan's Italy "returned" to his second hometown - Mawei, Fuzhou, China, becoming another witness to the friendship between China and France.
Reporter of China News Service: Japan and Italy helped China successfully establish the famous Fujian Shipping Administration, which left a strong mark in China’s modern history. What is the historical and cultural value of Fujian Shipping Administration?
Wei Yannian:
In 1866, Japan and Italy assisted Zuo Zongtang, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, to establish the Fujian Shipping Administration in Mawei, Fuzhou, and carried out a series of "rich countries and strong soldiers" such as building shipyards, building warships, running schools, attracting talents, and sending students to study abroad. "Activities have cultivated and created a group of outstanding modern Chinese industrial technical talents and outstanding naval officers, and are an important practical industry for modern Chinese people to explore the way to national self-reliance.
Machinery workshop and painting institute. Photo courtesy of Fujian Shipping Culture Management Committee
Although due to the limitations of the times, the glory of Fujian Shipping only lasted for more than 40 years. However, in the blink of an eye, modern China has demonstrated its fruitful achievements in advanced science and technology, higher education, industrial manufacturing, and the translation and dissemination of Western classic culture. It has given birth to many people with lofty ideals and their advanced ideas, reflecting the inspirational enterprising spirit and humility of the Chinese nation. The traditional cultural charm of being eager to learn, learning from others' strengths, being brave in innovation, and being loyal to the country is called "shipping culture".
During its development process, Fujian Shipbuilding cultivated a large number of talents who were active in the fields of military, culture, science and technology, diplomacy, economy and other fields in modern China. Following the pace of the world's advanced countries at that time, they promoted China's shipbuilding, electric lighting, telecommunications, and railways. The birth and development of modern industries such as transportation and aircraft manufacturing; the introduction of advanced Western technology and the spread of Chinese and Western culture promoted China's modernization process.
China Shipping Culture City. Photo courtesy of Fujian Shipping Culture Management Committee
China News Service Reporter: Why is it said that Fujian Shipping Administration is a model achievement of equal cooperation between China and the West in modern China?
Wei Yannian:
Equal cooperation runs through the founding history of Fujian Shipbuilding. The shipyard started various preliminary infrastructure construction in the summer of 1866. According to the agreement, when the shipyard's casting workshop is put into operation, it will enter the five-year plan period of Sino-foreign technical cooperation. At the end of 1868, the first casting workshop of the Shipyard was put into operation. At the end of 1873, after each inspection and acceptance by the Minister of Shipping, the foreign technical team withdrew from the management and production activities of the Shipyard, and the Shipyard began to enter a new era in which Chinese personnel operated completely independently.
In fact, since Riyige was entrusted by Zuo Zongtang to serve as the official supervisor of the shipping administration, his relationship with the shipping administration has gradually transformed from a transaction relationship of "technology and money" to a "relationship between dreams and dream chasers" , the dream of developing China's shipbuilding industry and maritime fleet became his devoted career.
Fujian Shipbuilding's Sino-foreign cooperation not only realized the transfer of modern industrial technology, but also was the first successful example of Sino-foreign cooperation after the Opium War, providing valuable experience for the exchanges between China and the West at that time.
China News Service reporter: What is your connection with shipping culture and Japanese-Italian culture? How to leverage the cultural origins of shipbuilding and promote Sino-French cultural exchanges?
Wei Yannian:
In the 1980s, I learned about the Shipping School from the French "French China Policy since the Treaty of Tianjin" and the "Treaty of Beijing" written by French "fellow" Japanese Italian. Deep love. I am very curious about what the shipping school looks like on the other side of the ocean. Why do French people teach in China?
In 2006, it was the 140th anniversary of the founding of Fujian Shipbuilding. My friend Du Liyan and I made a special trip to bring a batch of old photos of Shipbuilding from France, including the shipyard’s early factory infrastructure, new ship manufacturing, the post-war Majiang naval battle, and the Mawei landform. These photos clearly reproduce the conditions of the Fujian Shipping Administration more than a hundred years ago.
In 2016, Wei Yannian and representatives of Japanese and Italian descendants visited the special exhibition "A Frenchman's Chinese Dream". This exhibition displays in the form of photos the contributions made by Frenchmen Riyige and Wei Yannian to the construction of Fujian Shipping Administration and the excavation and research of historical materials. Photo by Liu Kegeng
Since I set foot on the land of Mawei in 2006 as I wished, in the past twenty years, I have visited the shipping administration more than a dozen times, visited French cultural and historical collections, and visited Riyige’s hometown many times to collect shipping administration historical materials left in France. , compiled into the most comprehensive historical materials on Japan and Italy that can be seen so far, opened up a history of shipping culture that had been dusty in France, reconnected the relationship chain between China and France, and enriched the history of shipping culture , it also has high reference value for studying the shipbuilding history, naval history, and science and technology history of modern China.
Japan and Italy helped China successfully establish the Fujian Shipping Administration, which left a mark in China's modern history. Therefore, Japan and Italy have become one of the symbolic figures of cooperation between China and France in modern times. However, the current research on Japanese-Italian style and shipping culture is still insufficient. In France, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and the National Library all have a large number of relevant documents and materials on Fujian shipbuilding. However, the collection of these materials still requires the participation of more experts and scholars who are both proficient in French and familiar with shipbuilding culture.
As a cultural exchange envoy between China and France, I call on more people to participate. The next step is to promote the publication of a series of books on the study of Japanese and Italian style and written by Japanese and Italian style. Not long ago, I and the descendants of Japanese and Italians found several diaries written by him during his time in China in his hometown. They contained many stories about his life in China, as well as stories about Zuo Zongtang and the Fujian Shipping Administration. I plan to organize these diaries and translate them into English and Chinese for publication to further promote shipbuilding culture.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. I and Ige's descendants plan to hold an exhibition in Ige's hometown of Lorient, France, to tell the French people about Ige's life and his story with the shipowner.
Reporter from China News Service: How do you think the story of shipping culture should be told well?
Wei Yannian:
Fuzhou Mawei is the birthplace of shipping culture and an important connection between China and France. Many firsts were born here: the first sophisticated modern classroom, the first school to teach in Spanish, the first department The Chinese translation of the French novel "La Traviata" was completed here... This place carries a rich history, and also carries the story of China connecting the world.
I am very happy to see that Fujian is sparing no effort to explore the cultural resources of shipbuilding, actively protect and utilize the historical sites of shipbuilding, and promote the culture of shipbuilding. This year, a new Chinese Shipbuilding Culture Museum was launched in the core area of Shipbuilding Culture City, and a number of old industrial buildings were revitalized to create "Most Memories of Shipbuilding" to display historical scenes of shipbuilding over more than 150 years.
These methods of revitalization and protection can allow future generations to feel its living context and allow young people to feel the continuation of shipbuilding industrial civilization. I hope that more young people will participate and pursue the true history. I will also try to present the story using Western expressions.
We will also make more attempts, such as exploring the filming of documentaries, using mass media to let more young people around the world understand this history, and promote cultural exchanges. (over)
Interviewee profile:
Wei Yannian, a French scholar, publisher, researcher of modern Chinese history, researcher of shipping culture, and friend of shipping, was born in the French seaport city of Le Havre. In the 1970s, he engaged in historical research at the French National Center for Scientific Research. , while teaching Chinese at Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, and later engaged in industrial work in Taiwan. As a scholar of modern Chinese history, he has long been committed to the research and dissemination of shipping culture; he has also directed several films, two of which were shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival on behalf of France. In addition, he is also a collector of old Chinese photos and film films.