Why did Li Hongzhang go to the United States when he went to , but he felt desperate? When Li Hongzhang visited the United States, he saw the development of the local area. He was shocked and fell into sadness and sadness. What did he see?
Li Hongzhang visits the United States
Li Hongzhang visits the United States
896, Li Hongzhang went to attend the coronation ceremony of Russian Tsar Nicholas II. Li Hongzhang also visited the United States by the way, but he had never thought about it at the time that this was his last visit abroad in his life. went abroad for a long time this time. It took 6 months and walked more than 90,000 miles. Finally, he arrived in New York, USA in August. At that time, the United States was friendly to China. When he heard that China Li Hongzhang came to visit the United States, President Cleveland directly canceled his favorite vacation and brought American officials to greet Li Hongzhang in person. How much did they attach importance to Li Hongzhang’s arrival at that time? The Qing Dynasty Huanglong flag was basically hung in various places, streets and alleys in New York, which is enough to show the attitude of the United States at that time. Of course, Li Hongzhang's reputation is not a big deal. As a famous diplomat, Li Hongzhang used his extraordinary performance in a simple sentence when he got off the ship. He smiled and said to the US official: Someone advised me to return to China, but I said I wanted to visit the United States. Such a simple sentence is enough to let the Americans present see Li Hongzhang's demeanor.
Waldorf Astoria Hotel
The United States prepared the most famous hotel for Li Hongzhang at that time, New York Waldorf Astoria Hotel . When Li Hongzhang walked on the streets of New York with his entourage, he welcomed the locals to watch because at that time, the United States had already worn modern suits and other clothing, while Li Hongzhang was also wearing the official uniforms of officials during the Qing period. Such clothes appeared on the streets of New York like strange clothes, which was very eye-catching and attracted everyone's attention.
However, in the United States, Li Hongzhang went from being steady at the beginning to being surprised by everything. He looked at the skyscrapers in New York without saying a word and fell into deep thought, because he knew that such a building could not be built in China, and he even said such words in front of American journalists. He said that in the Qing Dynasty, where are there such tall buildings? Even several European countries have never seen such a building. This kind of building should be able to withstand the strong wind, right? Even Americans were surprised. Li Hongzhang actually felt that such a tall building could be blown down by the wind. Later, when he entered the tall building, Li Hongzhang was surprised again because elevators had been installed in the tall buildings in the United States at that time, so it was very convenient to go up and down.
Li Hongzhang visits the United States
As for the American reporters asking about Li Hongzhang's education in Qing Dynasty , Li Hongzhang said very truthfully that also had good schools in the Qing Dynasty, but it was generally only children from rich families who could study. Children from poor families could not afford to attend schools, and these children were basically boys and girls did not study. But when Li Hongzhang asked the United States, he learned that in the United States, boys and girls all have the opportunity to receive education. Children from rich families go to aristocratic schools, and those without money can also send their children to ordinary schools to study.
Li Hongzhang lamented that everything he saw, from economy, technology and education, was far behind the United States. No wonder there was sadness and sadness in his heart. But why was he so desperate after returning to China?
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang's purpose of visiting
This is Li Hongzhang's last visit abroad in his life. Facing other developing countries, Li Hongzhang fell into despair, and even said nothing along the way. He only said one word to express his inner sadness. Although Li Hongzhang was treated very well when visiting the United States, his heart was filled with sadness. As an important official of the Qing Dynasty, even if he was old and ill for a long time, he could only support this country. He knew very clearly that the court of is in a state of turmoil today, and it is difficult to compete with other countries in terms of economic and technological development.
Li Hongzhang's main purpose of this visit is to increase the customs tariffs . Because the customs tariff rates in other countries are very high, only China is the lowest. This has been the case for decades. Therefore, Li Hongzhang has increased the export trade tax rate of various countries to China from 5% to 10%. However, whether the tariffs can be raised depends mainly on the attitude of the UK, because the UK's annual trade volume accounts for 80% of China, and other countries have little influence, so it is just waiting to see the UK's decision. At that time, Britain had always had a bad attitude towards our country. Although it admitted that the tariffs were too low, it never let go. Leave the 74-year-old Li Hongzhang to persuade him, the British always expressed his unwillingness to raise tariffs unless Li Hongzhang could agree to the unreasonable demands he made. There was no choice but to give up this task.
Li Hongzhang visits Tsarist Russia
However, before visiting the UK, Li Hongzhang's first task was to form an alliance with Russia . Li Hongzhang was old and ill, afraid of dying from a foreign land, so he specially brought his coffin to visit. The group arrived at Moscow to attend the Tsar's coronation ceremony. Russia also welcomed Li Hongzhang's visit and held a grand ceremony. The red carpet guard of honor and other things were missing. However, in this way, Russia had its own little niche in his heart. They wanted to sign the Sino-Russian Secret Agreement with our country and jointly boycott the Japanese.
After that, Li Hongzhang appeared in Germany again. This time the specifications were so high that the Japanese were envious and jealous. Li Hongzhang could smoke cigars and lived in the luxurious Caesars Palace. The Germans also gave Li Hongzhang a favorite thrush . No matter where Li Hongzhang was going, the German head of state would accompany him and took Li Hongzhang around to play in the mountains and rivers , which made the little Japanese who visited Germany at the same time jealous. Because Japan did not treat it like this when visiting Germany, so she was so angry that she was so angry. But why did Germany treat Li Hongzhang with such good treatment at that time? Mainly, I still have my own little thoughts. At that time, Germany wanted to sell its country's arms to the Qing court, but Li Hongzhang's purpose this time was obviously not like this. Therefore, Germany did not sell arms, but instead was disgraced.
Li Hongzhang's treatment for visiting Germany
The scene after going to France was even more shocked. You should know that The president and his subjects did not perform the rituals of the monarch and the subjects, but instead performed the rituals of the host and the host. This is enough to surprise Li Hongzhang . This time Li Hongzhang's visit made him fresh in his sights, but there were many things that made him feel sad and inferior, because the development of the Qing Dynasty could never catch up with several other major developing countries. Therefore, Li Hongzhang felt unprecedented despair.
China's backwardness to development
Li Hongzhang's visit to the United States fell into despair because of the development gap between my country and the United States. What exactly did Li Hongzhang see in the United States? What was the situation in our country at the beginning? Li Hongzhang was desperate because he went to the United States. What he was desperate was the gap between China and other countries. You should know that just the year Empress Dowager Cixi was born, Mellon Bank in New York, USA had already started business and even still exists. Later, when Empress Dowager Cixi got into a novel car, most people in the country had never seen such a means of transportation. When they thought that cars were already extremely advanced means of transportation, London Underground had been running for 38 years.
Wright Brothers' first aircraft
However, in 1903, the first aircraft made by the Wright Brothers in the United States had been successfully tested. For China at that time, there was no technology, let alone the construction of transportation such as aircraft. Just when the Qing government in China was still weak and behind, the United States and several other countries had long been ahead of the art. Looking further, when Huang Taiji was first established in the Qing Dynasty, the well-known American institution Harvard University had been established. Now Harvard University is still a well-known foreign school, and the Qing government no longer exists. Faced with such a dilemma, Li Hongzhang did not say a word, not because he was not moved, but because he really had nothing to say, and he could not even describe the things he saw.
However, Napoleon once commented on our country like this: "China is a sleeping lion, and once it wakes up, it will shock the world." Napoleon was right. Since then, the Chinese nation is facing life and death. Countless people jumped out and contributed their efforts to save the motherland. The Chinese lion began to awaken, defeating those countries that invaded our country, resisting foreign invaders, and defending the security and peace of the motherland people.
China development
Now my country has experienced more than 40 years of reform and opening up. Major cities are developing themselves. Not only have they built high-rise buildings, but my country's technology has also been developed. Intelligent robots, 5G networks and other technologies are far superior to other countries. As for the skyscrapers that Li Hongzhang saw in the United States at that time, the elevators he envied were the most common.
era has been developing, and now China is invincible all over the world. Looking back at China in the late Qing Dynasty, we can understand what Li Hongzhang was desperate at the beginning? of course, in the future of our country, it will always continue to develop in a better direction and continue to strive for a better tomorrow for the next generation!
