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淡江人文社會學刊【第三十一期】
Young Children Studying in America:
Review of the First Group of Chinese
Students in America during the Latter Period
of the Qing Dynasty
Yun-Chih Lo*
《Abstract》
During the late Qing Dynasty, China experienced a series of
military defeats and concessions to the western powers. The
Self-Strengthening Movement was initiated following a series of
aggressions from the western powers. China intended to learn
technology from the enemy in order to subdue the enemy. In order to
learn new technology, the best option for the Chinese government was to
send talented students to industrialized countries. This was the
beginning of sending selected children to the United States. Yung Wing
and the minister of the Self-Strengthening Movement advocated sending
children to study abroad; however, the program was stopped due to
cognitive differences between China and the United States. Students
returned to China and made important contributions in many different
areas. They became the first westernized talent in China and brought
western thoughts back to China. They laid the foundation for studying
abroad; meanwhile, they inspired the philosophy of modern Chinese
education.
Key Words: Yung Wing, children, studying abroad
*Yun-Chih Lo, Professor, Graduate Institute and Department of History, Tamkang University