One American, One Chinese and their extraordinary Journeys in the 19th century

American Anson Burlingame arrived in Beijing in 1862 and served as the top American diplomat in China. In 1868 when he decided to resign his post as American minister to China, The Qing Court appointed him as China’s top diplomatic representative to the world from 1868 until his death in 1870.

In 1879, an unknown Chinese by name Ge Kunhua was selected as a teacher at Harvard University. He was not only the first Chinese native to teach Chinese language and cultures in an American University, but more importantly, his appointment by Harvard University created a major debate and discussions about China studies in western higher educations. Ge died in 1882 at Harvard before he finished his contract. In this webinar, HKU History Professor Guoqi Xu will explain their extraordinary journeys and the significances, paying special attention to the aspects of the shared history and destinies between Chinese and Americans in the 19th century and beyond.  

Live on Zoom on September 24, 2020
09:00 London | 16:00 Hong Kong/Beijing/Singapore | 17:00 Tokyo | 18:00 Sydney