Chinese society underwent massive changes and turmoil in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. After the Opium Wars, the Qing Dynasty faced repeated defeats, witnessing the power of Western guns and ships. This led to the societal trend of “Wholesale Westernization.”
Amid this era of rejecting traditional Chinese culture, one figure stood out, swimming against the current. He had a deep affection for Chinese culture and harshly criticized pseudo-sinologists who distorted Confucian classics. He aimed to turn the tide in a chaotic world single-handedly and loudly proclaim the value of Chinese traditional culture to the world. This cultural maverick and master of Chinese studies was none other than Gu Hongming.
The first to resist the ‘Yellow Peril’ theory
Gu Hongming, who was known in his time as Ku Hung-ming (1857-1928), was born in Malaysia. His great-grandfather, Gu Lihuan, was the first Chinese leader of British Malaya, and his father, Gu Ziyun, managed a rubber plantation. His mother was a blonde, blue-eyed Portuguese woman. Gu Hongming was exceptionally gifted and had a strong talent for languages.
He read Shakespeare from a young age and studied abroad in the West as a teenager. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in the UK and Leipzig University in Germany, mastering multiple languages, including English, French, German, Latin, Greek, and Malay, and earning 13 doctoral degrees.
Despite spending 14 years studying abroad, Gu Hongming always remembered his father’s words before he left: “No matter where you go, whether you are among the British, Germans, or French, never forget that you are Chinese.”
In 1880, Gu Hongming returned home and worked for the British colonial government in Singapore. In 1881, he met Ma Jianzhong, a late Qing diplomat and scholar who laid the foundation for Chinese grammar with his work Ma’s Grammar. Their three-day conversation profoundly changed Gu Hongming’s thoughts, leading him to revere Chinese culture. He resigned from his colonial government position, returned home to study Chinese classics, and immersed himself in ancient texts for several years.
A bridge between Eastern and Western cultures
In 1885, at 28, Gu Hongming returned to China, and his deep-seated Chinese sentiments truly awakened. He adopted the Qing hairstyle and, while working for the colonial government, continued to study Chinese classics. He started with the Kangxi Dictionary and diligently studied Eastern Sinology. He worked as a translator in the late Qing reformist Zhang Zhidong’s office, beginning to spread traditional Chinese culture to the West through English writings.
Gu Hongming described himself as a “man of the East, West, South, and North,” reflecting his diverse background and early international success. During the late 19th century, German Emperor Wilhelm II proposed the “Yellow Peril” theory, suggesting that the yellow race, represented by the Chinese, would threaten Europe, calling for European whites to unite against them.
This theory fueled Western hostility toward the Chinese. In response, Gu Hongming published Civilization and Chaos in English, showcasing China’s profound cultural and moral values and refuting Western prejudices. He was thus hailed as the first to resist the “Yellow Peril” theory.
Mastering both Eastern and Western knowledge
During an intense cultural clash between East and West, Gu Hongming stood between the two worlds. With a deep understanding of Western scholarship and later profound knowledge of Confucianism, he translated the Analects, Doctrine of the Mean, and Great Learning into English, spreading them overseas. He was the first Chinese to translate Confucian classics into refined English and German.
Gu Hongming’s translations were creative, focusing on conveying the meaning rather than mechanical conversion. His work was not just a linguistic translation, but a cultural transmission. He incorporated the wisdom of Goethe, Schiller, and Ruskin into ancient Eastern theories, creating translations vastly different from the rigid versions by Western missionaries and sinologists. His unique approach made him a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures.
Besides translating Confucian classics, Gu Hongming authored works like The Story of a Chinese Oxford Movement, promoting the value of traditional Chinese culture. His writings had a profound impact both domestically and internationally. In 1883, he published an article titled Chinese Learning in the English newspaper North China Daily News, vigorously promoting Chinese culture.
The term “Chinese Learning” caused a sensation in Western society. Russian literary master Leo Tolstoy wrote to Gu Hongming, expressing his interest in understanding the thoughts of Confucius, Mencius, and Laozi. Their correspondence discussed world culture and political situations, creating a memorable chapter in cultural exchange history.
Loyal to tradition, the last queue of the Qing Dynasty
After the Xinhai Revolution, cutting off the queue became a symbol of “revolution.” However, Gu Hongming insisted on keeping his queue and wearing traditional robes, advocating “respect for the emperor” to express his loyalty to traditional culture. In 1915, Peking University hired him as a professor to teach British literature.
At the birthplace of the New Culture Movement, this eccentric old man with a long queue became a spectacle. Students laughed at his attire when he entered the classroom, but Gu Hongming retorted: “My queue is on my head, but yours is in your hearts.” The once arrogant students fell silent.
Gu Hongming explained his queue: “Many foreign friends mock my foolish loyalty to the Qing Dynasty. I am loyal to the Qing Dynasty as a way to be loyal to Chinese religion and the civilization of the Chinese nation.” However, people of his time focused only on his appearance, failing to understand his more profound meaning.
Gu Hongming’s understanding of Western and Chinese cultures was far ahead of his time. He told his compatriots: “Westerners will not respect us just because we cut off our queues and wear Western suits. When we Chinese westernize ourselves, Europeans and Americans will only despise us more. Only when they realize that true Chinese people have a civilization different from, but no less than, theirs will they respect us.”
In addition to translating Chinese classics, Gu Hongming also used lectures and writings to explain the essence of Chinese culture. His works, such as The Spirit of the Chinese People (1915), were pioneering efforts to introduce Chinese culture to the West.
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