論斌椿《乘槎筆記》評述範式之吊詭現象

Abstract

In 1866, the (Division of International Affairs at the Office of the Prime Minister (總理各國事務衙門) of the Qing Dynasty that controlled the foreign affairshad the proposal of Robert Hart of the Great Britain who was in charge of the marine customs affairs for the Qing Dynasty. In a non-official visit that would do away with the inconvenience of diplomatic protocol, a low ranking official, Binchun who was on grade 3 position at the Office of the Prime Minister, was selected to head a delegation to visit Europe to take a look at the Europe continent. The delegation included Binchun and three Dongmungwan (同文館) students who were in charge of interpretation. Their duties were to make detailed record on topographic situation, life habits and others for each country in Europe and visit several places in general as non-political visit. However, Robert Hart who recommended this visit intended for the Qing Dynasty and western countries to have the turning point to enter into the diplomatic relationship through this event. This view of naturalized Chinese, Robert Hart by opening up the Qing Dynasty government and the Qing Dynasty and promote the equal diplomatic relationship with foreign countries and people of different views had the difference in the way of thinking that the Europe travel essay in 《乘槎筆記》, travel poem collection in 《海國勝遊草 Haegukseungyucho》 and 《天外歸帆草 Cheonoigwibeomcho》 that Binchun wrote have different assessments at home and abroad. The Qing Dynasty government did not want to facilitate the hasty diplomatic relationship with foreign countries then and it did not have much implication to the permit of the Europe visiting delegation that it treated the Europe travel essay with minimal attention. On the other hand, the naturalized Chineses from the West (including Hart and other foreign diplomats in Beijing) placed great implication for Binchun’s trip to Europe. However, since Binchun had the status of lowry ranking government official from Manchuria and he was deemed as a person not to be aggressive in modernization reform that the Europe related travel essays that he wrote gained negative assessment. At the almost same period, Japan was under the focus on the reform movement had the positive assessment on the Europe travel essay of Binchun, unlike those naturalized Chineses from the West. With Binchun’s visit to Europe, those naturalized Chineses of the Qing Dynasty from the West and Japan had the different assessment which requires a little bit more of careful look at what kind of implication would the travel journal of Europe by Binchun in 《乘槎筆記》 have. This article is intended to analyze several assessment paradigms and the criticism shown on the travel of Binchun in Europe that has the historic implication of the foreign relationship of the Qing Dynasty under the point of view of multi-culture.