The Research Of Chinese Esperanto Movement In Late Qing Dynasty And Early Republic Of China

At the end of nineteenth Century and early twentieth Century, Esperanto been introduced to China, attracted the interests of politicians and scholars. A lot of discussion in some newspapers and translation by scholars appeared, the emergence of Esperanto education came true, too. After entering the Republic of China, the Esperanto Movement expand all, got some scholars and social activist’s attention, raising a wave of Esperanto learning. In the "Shenbao", "Oriental Magazine", "Minsheng" and other newspapers found an Esperanto columns, many universities set up a Esperanto course, too. Then, the government of the Republic of China willing take the Esperanto into education.Through the research of the Chinese Esperanto Movement,we can understand the changes of word view of China and Chinese cultural spirit, It is a great opportunity for the understanding of the specific historical personage and the process of globalization. The Chinese Esperanto Movement can explain some important question of modern education,the new culture movement, nationalism and anarchism, and so on.The main research contents of this paper are consist of four section, there are Esperanto Movement and political movement, Esperanto Movement and Chinese modern education, Esperanto Movement and Chinese reform, Esperanto Movement and cosmopolitanism.First,in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, the revolutionary party become the first Chinese supporters of Esperanto, they are stimulate by patriotism and cosmopolitanism,they try to use Esperanto to achieve their ideal of the revolution. Anarchists played a positive role in the spread of Esperanto, its rolling political position have great influence on Esperanto. Because of the break up of internal political view, Chinese esperantist divided into some pieces, a part of them finally going on the road with combination of the Marxism.Second, Esperanto education from the late Qing Dynasty, in the Republic of China is becoming more and more popular. After the word war I and the ’new culture movement’,Esperanto education has gained greatest development. In 1912, Tsai Yuen-pei, when he was Minister of education, ordered the the national normal school open a Esperanto course. In 1917, Tsai Yuen-pei, the president of Peking University, made Esperanto become one of required course of Peking University Esperanto has been combined with the official education system, a lot of Esperanto books been published,too. The dignitary of Beiyang government such as president Li Yuean-hung, kyuin koo, also interest in Esperanto. with the official blessing and assist, Esperanto education got great progress.Third, the Esperanto Movement essentially is the spread of language, and is closely related to the language reform in modern China. In the late Qing Dynasty and the period of the’new culture movement’ appeared two argument between Esperanto and Chinese status, many of the Esperanto supporter such as Wu Chih-hui, Tsai Yuen-pei, Lu Hsun, Qian Xuantong, are insist on use Esperanto replaced Chinese step by step. Although this viewpoint unfinished, it promote the Chinese reform.Fourth, the spiritual of Esperanto and the cosmopolitanism very closely associated with each other, esperantist showed different characteristic in national and political identity, almost in cosmopolitanism. Chinese Esperanto Movement have great relationship with the International Esperanto association(UEA). In early period of Chinese Esperanto Movement, Chinese esperantists and foreign esperantists were closely communication and cooperation.the influence of foreign,especially from Japan and Russia, largely changed the features of Chinese Esperanto movement. Cosmopolitanism spirit is not only reflected in the Esperanto supporters, but also been the common ideal of Chinese intellectuals. In the process of Esperanto dissemination, some intellectuals achieve the transformation from nationalism to cosmopolitanism.