Troubled Times at the Beginning of the CenturyWord格式文档下载.docx
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tpayrespectstoEmpressDowagerCixi,whichwasanactagainsttherule.
Hehadn'
theldcourtinthemorningfortwoyears.ItwasNewYear'
sDay,1900intheGregoriancalendar.
Attheotherendoftheglobe,thenewcenturybroughtnewhopestothepeople.
InItaly,"
Tosca"
anewoperabyPuccini,wasperformedintheRomeOperaHousetogreettheadventofthenewcentury.Thelovestorydeeplyaffectedthousandsofspectators.
AninternationalexhibitionwasheldinFranceasscheduledtodisplaythelatestachievementsoftheIndustrialRevolution.
IntheUnitedStates,economistsdescribedtheupwardtrendoftheeconomyas"
aboompanic"
.ThewavesoftheIndustrialRevolutionthatbeganinthemiddleofthe18thcenturysweptacrossEuropeandNorthAmerica.Fieldsandsmalltownsturnedintofactoriesandcitiesinlessthanoneandahalfcenturies.Progresswasapopularbelief.Theinventionofthecamerawasanotherremarkablechangethattookplacewhenmankindenteredthe20thcentury.Peoplebegantorecordwhattheyexperiencedwiththecamera.
AttheChinaFilmArchives,wecanseesuchanapparatusfashionableinthosedays.
CamerasofthefirstgenerationmaderecordsofChinaattheturnofthecentury.
Fromfilmsmadeinthosedays,nowpreservedbyChinaFilmArchives,wecanseehowShanghaibecameaparadiseofforeignadventurersafterithadbeenturnedintoaportcityhalfacenturybefore.
Thissectionoftheage-longcitywallofTianjinwasdismantledunderthecoercionoftheEight-PowerAlliedForcesayearlater.
ThefuneralprocessioninBeijingwasashowofextravaganceintheimperialcity.
MostforeigntouristslandedinGuangdongwhentheycametoChina.TheOpiumWarhadbrokenouthere60yearsbefore.
InHongKong,foreignerswerekeenonsedanchairscarriedbyChinese.Theyenjoyedthecomfortofage-oldChina.TheBritishhadruledthisplaceformorethanhalfacentury.
ThefilmsmadeintheQingEmpireacenturyagoremindusthatwhenthe20thcenturycame,thegapbetweenChinaandtherestoftheworldwaswidening.
Onthe22nddayofthe12thmonthofthe25thlunaryearofGuangxu,therewasasnowfallinBeijingbeforetheSpringFestivalofthatyear.Auspicioussnowforetellsagoodharvest.WhatwouldthesnowfallbringtoChina?
TroubledTimesattheBeginningoftheCentury
(2)
TheDarkPoliticalSituation
ThiswasacommandingviewofBeijingobtainedfromthetopoftheJingshanHill.ThepoliticalcentreoftheQingDynastydisplayedimposingdignityinatranquilatmosphere.TheManchusinnortheastChinahadcrossedtheShanhaiguanPassoftheGreatWall,capturedthecapitalcityandestablishedtheirreignhere256yearsbefore.
OnJanuary24,1900,theQinggovernmentissuedanimperialedict,designating15-year-oldPuJunasthecrownprince.
ThiswasasignalgiventodethroneGuangxu,arousinggeneralconcernofpublicopinioninChinaandabroad.ThedecisionwasplottedbyEmpressDowagerCixi.Aftershebegantoholdcourtfrombehindascreenin1873,sheremainedtheactualrulerofthecountry.ShecausedthelossoflargetractsofChina'
sborderterritory.
ThenominalemperorGuangxuwasdeprivedofhisfreedom.HewasputunderhousearrestatYingtai,ZhongnanhaitothewestoftheForbiddenCity.Formorethanoneyear,hepaidrespectstotheEmpressDowagerashismainactivityeveryday.
EmperorGuangxu(Aisin-GioroZaitian),bornin1870,enthronedin1874attheageof4asthe8themperoroftheQingDynasty
HehadtokneelbeforetheEmpressDowagerandlistenedtoherreprimandforalongtime.Theonlythingtheemperorinhisthirtiesdaredtodowastoventhisgrievancesonhisservants.Hepaidahighpriceforthereformhehadinitiatedonimpulsetwoyearsbefore.
ThisistheearliestphotooftheForbiddenCitywecanfindnow.Itwastakenin1898,the24thyearofthereignofGuangxu.Inthosedays,therewaspopularenthusiasmforcarryingoutreformandmakingthecountrypowerful.AfterthedefeatoftheSino-JapaneseWarof1894-1895,thegovernmentandthepublicwereoverwhelmedbydepression.Peopleofinsightcalledforreform.
KangYouweiandhisstudentLiangQichaowerewell-knownleadersofthereformists.Takingadvantageofthemetropolitanexamination,theyalliedthemselveswithotherstopetitiontheemperorandcallforinstitutionalreform.GuildhallsestablishedinBeijingbypeoplefromotherpartsofthecountryservedasplaceswheretheyhadmeetingsandpropagatedinstitutionalreform.Intheirarticlespublishedinnewspapersandperiodicals,theywarnedtheircompatriotsthatwithoutinstitutionalreform,thecountrywouldbeconqueredandthepeoplewouldbedestroyed.ThecommentariesoncurrenteventswrittenbyKangYouweiandLiangQichaowerepopularamongthepeople.Thereformists'
callforinstitutionalreformaffectedtheyoungEmperorGuangxu.Determinedlyheorderedaninstitutionalreform.
OnJune11,1898,EmperorGuangxuissuedanimperialedictforinstitutionalreform.Inashortspanof103days,heissuedmorethan180imperialedictsforinstitutionalreform.Oneday,heissued11suchedicts.ThevigorousreformmovementenragedEmpressDowagerCixiresidingintheSummerPalace.Withthesupportofconservativeministersatcourt,CixihurriedbacktotheImperialPalacetostageacoupandannouncedthatshewouldholdcourtherselftohandlestateaffairs.EmperorGuangxuwasputunderhousearrest.ThelastchancefortheQingDynastytocarryoutreformonitsowninitiativewasdestroyed.
Inlateautumnthatyear,atragicatmosphereprevailedoverthecapitalofthecountry.TanSitong,YangShenxiu,KangGuangrenandthreeotherswereexecutedatCaishikou
TheinstitutionalreformisknowninhistoryastheHundredDayReform.Atthebeginningofthe20thcentury,Chinasankintothedarkestperiodpolitically.AfterthefailureoftheReformMovementof1898,KangYouwei,LiangQichaoandothersfledabroadfromTianjin.ManyreformistswentsouthwardtoShanghai.Inthosedays,Shanghaiseemedtobeafreehaven.
TroubledTimesattheBeginningoftheCentury(3)
CarvedUp
ShanghaiisametropolisofhighlyrepresentativesignificanceinChina.HereistheestuaryoftheYangtze,thelongestriverinthecountry.ItisthebiggestChineseportfacingthePacificOcean.Itwasasmallcountyunknowntotheworldbeforethemiddleofthe19thcentury.SincethenithasbecomethelargestcityintheFarEast.
ThiswastheBundinShanghai130yearsago.Itcouldhardlyberelatedtothemetropoliswithmanyhigh-risebuildingsconstructedlater.
AfterShanghaibecameaportcity,theWesternizationMovementinitiatedmainlybybureaucratsoftheQingDynastyinthelatterhalfofthe19thcenturytointroducetechniquesofcapitalistproductionandtheflourishingtradebetweenChinaandothercountriesbuiltupasolidmaterialfoundationforthecity.TheOpiumWarof1840taughtEmpressDowagerCixitheword“settlement”.ThefirstsettlementwasestablishedinShanghaifiveyearslater.Itcoveredanareaofabout55hectares.In1899,theInternationalSettlementalonecoveredmorethan2,000hectares.CixicouldnotbeunawarethatitwasahumiliatinglossofsovereigntyfortheQinggovernment.
In1900,Shanghaiwasbecomingadevelopedmoderncity.Itsprosperityattractedmoreandmoreforeigners.Fromfilmsmadeinthosedays,wecanseecolourfulscenesofShanghaiatthebeginningofthe20thcentury.Almostallthefashionablegoodscouldbefoundhere.AnAmericanreportersaidthatRomehadnotbeenbuiltinasingleday,butShanghaihadbeenso.
NanjingRoadwasthebusieststreetinthesettlements.FromthesephotoswecouldseethedevelopmentofNanjingRoad.TheriseanddeclineofaroadwasanepitomeoftheprocessofmodernizationinChina.
TheChinesequartersofthecitywereunderthejurisdictionoftheQinggovernment.Theirareawasmuchsmallerthanthatofthesettlements.Thecourttrialfollowedthewayofthefeudaldynasty,butforeignersinthesettlementsenjoyedextraterritorialrightsandprivileges.
ThebuildingoftheMaritimeCustomsBureaurebuiltin1927wasarepresentativebuildinginShanghai.ItwastheofficeoftheInspectorGeneraloftheMaritimeCustomsBureauofChina.ThefacadewasexactlylikeatownhallinBritain.ItwasaproofofBritain’sinfluenceintheCustomsHouse.
RobertHartfromBritainwastheInspectorGeneraloftheMaritimeCustomsBureauofChinafor48years.Accordingtoapressreportin1862,BritaintookfromShanghaiasurprisingamountofsilverequivalentto13millionpounds,onehalfofBritain’sGNPin1856.
ShanghaiwasthecapitalofmanyforeignersinChina.SomebodyevensaidthatShanghaiwasakeytothedoorofChina.
Infact,ShanghaiwasanepitomeofhumiliationsufferedbyChina.
TowardstheendoftheQingDynasty,ayoungpainterdrewtheChartofthePoliticalSituation,vividlydepictinghowChinahadbeencarvedupbytheimperialistpowers.JapanhadforciblyoccupiedTaiwan.TsaristRussiahadstretchedoutitshandstoNortheastChina.BritainhadattemptedtosplitXinjianganddominatedYunnanProvinceexclusively.GermanyhadinvadedandoccupiedtheeasternpartofSha