Early 20th Century Western Image

The dissertation analyzes the Occidental image of China between the later Qing Dynasty and theearly Republic of China based on the image theory and Said's postcolonial theory. The image of Chinaduring this period has two types: ideology and utopia. The image of China in the later Qing Dynastywas regarded as a stagnant, despotic, barbaric, backward-looking empire which was first constructedby the Enlightenment thinkers in their 'modernity' theory. China was considered as Yellow Peril,a menace to the occidental world in the discourse and knowledge of racism since the middle of 19thcentury. These images of China belong to the type of ideology. In the same period some Occidentalintellectuals depicted China as a country morally and aesthetically superior to the occidentalcountries, while disclosing the capitalistic crisis. Ku Hong ming who had a big impact on theOccidental culture, described China as a Confucian nation superior to the Occident in humanity andfaith in World War One. These two images of China belong to the type of utopia.Introduction analyzes that tendency of research on the occidental image of China is from literaturestudy to culture study. The resources of this dissertation are the works of three British and AmericanWriters, Dickinson's Letters from John Chinaman and Ku Hong Ming's The Spirit of the Chinese People.The method of research is combination of image theory and postcolonial theory. At last this chapterdescribes the evolution of the image of China in the occidental culture.Partâ… . This part uncovers the features of the image of China by analyzing political system, systemof education, religion and faith, social and familial life, national characteristics in the worksof the three English and American writers.Partâ…¡. Dickinson's Letters from John Chinaman(also titled Letters from a Chinese official: beingan eastern view of western civilization) depicted the image of China superior to the occidentalworld in religion, social system, civilian life, art and aesthetics by contrasting Chinese andoccidental civilization. The author made use of the image of China as background to criticize Britishsociety, point out the obvious problems and latent crisis, refute the sayings in the Occident whichregarded China as yellow peril, an uncivilized nation.Partâ…¢. Ku Hong Ming's The Spirit of the Chinese People mainly written for the occidental readers,which was self-depiction of China, had considerable impact on the occidental world. The bookillustrated that Confucianism that had shaped the real Chinese superior to the Westerners in typeof humanity and morality had great values for the Westerners to break away from the World War andreconstruct morality and faith. He described a utopia of Confucianism and retorted those so-calledexperts on Chinese Problem who depreciated and had prejudices on Chinese culture.