Wu Rulun’Dong You Cong Luand Education Communication Between China And Japan In The Late Qing Dynasty

Education communication between China and Japan have a long history, and what are different form the situation that Japan introduced Chinese traditional classics in ancient times is that education communication between China and Japan in the late Qing dynasty mainly have the characteristic that China introduced the system of modern education through Japan. Our nation has always valued education with a thousand years history of Keju Examination system, which has advanced education’ development and talent’selection. But it could not cope with the challenge from western education featured with practical and scientific by the late feudal society, thus in the dilemma the Chinese people began to pay attention to Japan which rose after the Meiji Restoration by introducing the western education. The late Qing Dynasty is an important period of social changes in Chinese society and in the meantime, it is a transition time during which Chinese education transferred from the old-fashioned education to modern education.With the deepening understanding of Japan, especially the strike brought by the Sino-Japan War contributed the boom of Gentry and students going to Japan to study the modern education. Besides, the Japanese were also concerned about China’ education reform, and they fostered the development of modern education in China by sending instructors and opening organizations for Chinese students. Wu Rulun’east tour to Japan is also an important part in this trend from May1902to October. Wu Rulun is a TongCheng classical master, who also had the knowledge western and modern education. By this point the education minister Zhang Baixi consigned him as the chief instructor of the Imperial University. But Wu resolutely turned down due to multiple causes,so he put up to go to Japan to investigate the school’system first and decided later. During the stay in Japan, Wu Rulun sorted out the notes, charts collecting from the schools and the talking notes with the Japanese educators to the book of Dong You Cong Lu and presented to Zhang Baixi as his reference to draw up the school system. Dong You Cong with about100,000characters shows us the influence of Japanese education on Chinese modern education, from which we can see the source and foundation of Chinese modern educational formation.This thesis is divided into five parts and the first part is the introduction which describes the research origin, the literature review, research perspective, methods and significance of this paper. The first chapter describes the education dilemma in late Qing Dynasty and the condition of education communication between China and Japan. Starting from traditional education I summarizedthe3times education reforms and point out the reason why we pay attention to and study Japanese modern education. Secondly, I want to make known the reasons and forms that advocated the education communication between China and Japan through the Japanese policy changes towards Chinese education after the Sino-Japan war and the influences on Chinese modern education’ development caused by their set up the institutions for Chinese students and establishing the Japanese school. The second chapter is about the reason why Wu Rulun went to Japan and the generation of Dong You Cong Lu, introducing the process in details of his inspection, scheduling and agencies. The third chapter focuses on the talking problems with Japanese educators in the Dong You Cong Lu, including the five aspects of the unified language, seeking the ways to learn both western and sinology knowledge, establishing education spirit, opening women’ education. Wu Rulun attached importance on the direct talks with Japanese educators and made detailed notes. And we can see his major concerns on the education and the practice in education on these aspects.The forth chapter is the impact of Wu Rulun’ studying Japan. Firstly the education information in Dong You Cong Lu and the positive role of establishing the school system and the promotion to education’ development through the letters with Zhang Baixi. Especially after the establishment of school system, schools developed rapidly, and Wu Rulun directly employed Japanese teachers and paid attention to the students returning from Japan and hoped they could use what they had studied into reality and he founded the Tong Cheng school in his hometown in Anhui province to develop the education. The last part is the conclusion that Firstly introduces the personal feelings of Wu Rulun’visit to Japan, secondly compares the status and value of Dong You Cong Lu among the whole’east tour diary’, discusses the modern education development talent training, the impact of social changes after the establishing of school system and the practical significance to resolve today’education problems through the issues they discussed.