Xia Qinggao Hsieh Ch'ing Kao - Essay Example

World History: 2 August 2007: Xia Quinggao/Hsieh Ch'ing Kao - Selections from The Hai-lu (1783-1797 CE) What can we Learn, Infer, or Surmise About China and About the Author from the Following Account Hsieh Ch'ing kao's account gives the immediate impression of a well-traveled individual. He expressed interest in many aspects of the societies and countries he observed on his travels, and the different tones he adopted in telling his tale give some clues to the comparisons he made with his homeland, China. His detailed account of the major military installations in Portugal's major garrisoned towns, and the importance he gave to the military role in governing the country, seemed to fit with Chinese practice, and the idea that "solution must be in conformity with local customs and habits." In making the point that England had a "large military force that foreign nations are afraid of it", it may be assumed that China did not possess such a powerful foreign force. He was very aware of English naval tradition, and sounded admiring of the rescue processes involved in helping those in need on the high seas, and the possibility of punishment for failing to carry out this duty. The tone, while factual, hinted that in China, similar rules for duty to others applied. He perceived that the English were great maritime traders, and by his own travels, we assume that China too was involved in this trade. That is confirmed by the writer's geographical knowledge (not always accurate) and the flags he observed flying from ships at sea; he must have been part of that trading tradition. His comments regarding smallpox quarantine in Portugal, and its purpose in disease prevention, are stated in a tone that allows us to infer that this would happen too in Chinese ports. With regard to the products and manufactured goods for all the countries mentioned, his awareness was based on knowledge, and such goods were more than likely available in China. He sounded impressed by the "fine system of waterworks" in London, and how easily families could access clean water, with a fair method of payment described. Such a facility might not have been freely available to all in China, judging by his tone and interest. He mentioned good routes by land and water in Portugal, good land routes in the Scandinavian countries, and the steamboat in America impressed him. Because he was so knowledgeable about transportation, we can assume that good mechanisms existed in China, though it was unlikely that they had steam driven boats, as his description was rather inaccurate. In comparing climate, he mentioned only Portugal as being colder than "Fukien and Kwangtung", though England and Sweden would have been even colder. This tells us that parts of China were very hot. From his comment on "dwelling houses of more than one story" we can surmise that this was not the norm in China, where traditionally, one-story family dwellings were set around a courtyard with one main entrance gate. The detailed descriptions of clothing, and how it determined social class, suggested that it was very different in style from Chinese clothing, while drawing attention to the differences between what was worn by the rich and poor, similar to such class divisions in China. The European clothes were "tight fitting" at the top, so Chinese clothes must be less so. His comment on the English "Men and women all wear white ordinarily; for mourning, however, black is used." and this links to the idea of white being the mourning color in China. On pointing out that in Portugal, both genders wore leather shoes, he established that this was not the case in China. The loose skirts were different to Chinese female dress, we can surmise by his interest, but the custom of rich young noblewomen learning to sing and dance from an early age seemed to be a familiar practice, by his tone, and was part of Chinese culture. When describing Portugal's royal family structure and succession issues, "the king does not take a new reign title, but follows the Christian calendar." it can be inferred that this was different in China. Hsieh Ch'ing kao was very informed on religion and marriage practices in Catholic Portugal. By providing such detailed explanations on monogamy, the marriage service and the role of the Church, we can assume that this was totally different to accepted norms in China. The rules of marriage were different, as rich men had many wives and concubines and the main religion was Confucianism. His in-depth knowledge could have been gained from the Portuguese Catholic missionaries to China. He used a surprised tone in describing Confession, and we can infer that this was not the Chinese way of dealing with wrongdoing. Nor was it common for women to be nuns in convents in China. This author was acutely observant, with a great memory for detail, together with good descriptive powers and strong, fair opinions. Though recounting facts, he interpreted these from his own perceptions, letting his feelings come through on several issues. The account seemed honestly based on his personal experiences, and judging by the amount of the world he could tell about, these had much credibility. He seemed a fair man, almost totally non-judgmental and he recognized good common sense, moral duty and acceptance of others, mostly. He had a great loyalty to China, and when he encountered new and better things such as the water and steamboats, it felt as if he would try to put them in place back home, if he had the power to do so. He knew a great deal about his own country, its customs, society, laws and religion. He was interested in modern improvements, and perceived how these would be beneficial for many. He was well versed in transportation mechanisms, trade routes and products; that allows us to infer that he was a sailor or merchant trader of some sort, certainly well traveled. Though he concentrated on military force, the feeling from this account is that he was a peaceful man who wanted a fair living for everyone, without threat from such forces. He appreciated the need for defense though, rather than fighting. His comments on English trading practices might mean that he considered them greedy. In fact, his judgment of the English character stood out when he described the Swedes as "more honest and simple than the English." But he definitely did not like the Spanish, as evidenced by calling them "fierce and wicked" people. He may never have been to Spain, as his inaccurate instructions on how to get there from Portugal suggested, as well as his sparse amount of information. Possibly, he might have felt bitter about Spain's trading practices, for this man was fair and honest, or about the Spanish silver dollars used in China, it was not clear, other than the fact that he seemed not to want to dwell on the subject of Spain. This could have been based on bad experiences at the hands of Spanish sailors or traders; it can be inferred that something bad happened, just from his words and tone. This man learned a great deal from his life and had such a memory for detail that he created vivid images with few words. He showed an understanding of other cultures and was open to new experiences that he wanted to share, doing so through 'The Hai-lu'. He may never have had a wife and family, traveling the world for 14 years as he did, or he may have finally settled back home in China. He would be an interesting, informed person to sit and converse with, a generous natured man, worldly wise but moral and kind. His detailed descriptions of festive occasions in England and the Portuguese wedding ceremony suggest he was actually present at these events as a guest. This could mean that he had made many friends on his travels and was invited to participate as a result. His gentle nature and intelligence shine through the whole account, showing him to be a most unusual man. Read More