What You Do Not Know About the History of Chinese and Western Cultural Exchange

Qian Gang, the producer of the documentary Journal of the Qing American Education Mission, describes how he unveils a buried history. In a small town on the East Coast of the United States, an elderly lady discovers her grandmother’s diary. The diary recounts the lives of the Chinese boarding children. Their destiny epitomizes the rise and fall of modern China, filled with twists and turns, beautiful yet sorrowful.

About the Documentary

Journal of the Qing American Education Mission
Between 1872 and 1875, 120 young Chinese students were sent to the United States. Wearing silk robes and queues, these children were the first group of students that were sent to study abroad in Chinese history. They grew up—one of them became the first premier of the Republic of China, and one died in the Battle of Pungdo. The film takes the audience through their journey, tracing the footsteps of China’s quest for modernization.