The aim of this study is to explore the western educational experiences of two Chinese key figures, Minister Sung-Tao Kuo and Master Ju-Lun Wu in late Qing dynasty. Both of the diaries of Minister Sung-Tao Kuo in Britain during 1876 to 1879, and the records of master Ju-Lun Wu in Japan during 1902 were analyzed and the educational transfer theory was used to analyze the literati’s attitude changing among the western educational system in late Qing China.
Sung-Tao Kuo who has handled foreign affairs actively was appointed as the first minister to the Great Britian during 1876 to 1879. When he stayed in Britian, he encountered the western civilization and visited different western schools aggressively. He kept his observation in the diaries, and shared his suggestions with his friends by letters. Although he resigned in 1879, he continually advocated his western experiences in his hometown. After the xenophobia of the society gradually changed since 1894, the Qing court started to imitate Japan's experiences of westernization reform. Before he inaugurated the vice-chancellor of Imperial Capital University, Master Ju-Lun Wu was inspected Japanese education over four months in 1902.
By comparing the two literati, the main findings are as follows. First, when the Qing Empire suffered the impact and the challenges of western civilization, both of them tried to discover the changing world with curiosity. While they absorbed the knowledge of western education, they also tried to preserve the heritage of traditional Chinese culture. Second, both of them noticed that education would be one of the important ways to save the empire fate by transmuting their experiences of inspecting foreign education. Third, the social atmosphere to foreign affairs, the object of educational investigation, and the preparation of the inspectors could influence Kuo’s and Wu’s observation, understanding and recording to foreign education, and the effects of the educational transfer. The difference on the image of western-style education between Minister Sung-Tao Kuo and Master Ju-Lun Wu, including the attitudes toward the western countries, and the views on the relationship between Chinese and western learning. The reason might be due to the atmosphere of the two people in different eras, as well as their personal experiences and perspectives.
Finally, the factors that influenced the educational transfer of China in the late Qing Dynasty were the attitude of the social atmosphere towards the reform, the purpose and the conditions for the educational borrowing from the country, the inspector’s background, experiences, and the preparations before the visits. All of them affected their observation, understanding, and recording of foreign education, and effectiveness of introduction.