The Journey Begins: Shanghai to Nanjing
On the evening of March 29, passengers boarded a steamship operated by the Butterfield & Swire Company, preparing for an upstream journey along the Yangtze River from Shanghai. The vessel did not depart until 2 AM the following morning—coincidentally Easter Sunday.
The travelers spent March 30 observing the river’s vast, muddy expanse, so wide that both shores often disappeared from view. Though their cabin provided comfort, fierce winds whistled through doors and portholes with enough force to “split a man in two,” as one passenger dramatically noted.
Arrival in Nanjing: A City of Contrasts
By 8:30 AM on March 31, the ship reached Nanjing, where British Consul Mr. Sundio awaited. The visitors were struck by the city’s post-Taiping Rebellion decline. Once a thriving imperial capital, mid-19th century warfare had left Nanjing’s walls pockmarked and its grandeur diminished. The consul guided them along a willow-lined road—commissioned by Viceroy Zhang Zhidong—to the British Legation.
A detour to Beiji Ge (North Pole Pavilion) revealed one of China’s most exquisite porcelain pagodas, still bearing scars from the rebellion. From this vantage, the group observed Nanjing’s patchwork of lakes and fishponds veiled in dust, with the Yangtze stretching like a white ribbon toward the horizon.
### Examinations and Emperors: Cultural Landmarks
The afternoon included visits to two iconic sites:
– Confucius Temple: Crowds of curious locals swarmed the foreigners, forcing officials to physically barricade spectators.
– Imperial Examination Hall: The travelers marveled at the grid of stone cells where 10,000 scholars once toiled for nine days during civil service exams.
Later, an excursion to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (tomb of the Hongwu Emperor) showcased monumental stone statues—elephants, camels, and mythical beasts—flanking the Sacred Way. The travelers puzzled over how these massive sculptures were transported without local quarries. A giant tortoise-borne stele recounted the emperor’s rise from shepherd to dynastic founder.
Spring Floods and Tea Bricks: Journey to Hankou
On April 1, a brief stop in Jiujiang revealed spring blossoms and ominous river swelling—a grim reminder of the previous year’s 40-foot floods. By April 2, the party reached Hankou (modern Wuhan), welcomed by Consul General Fraser and his wife.
The British concession’s uniform gray-brick terraced houses contrasted with the new racecourse, where imported European horses trained on pristine grounds. Meanwhile, at a Scottish-owned tea factory:
– Production Process: Workers compressed low-grade leaves into bricks for Siberian and Mongolian markets using hydraulic presses and steam chambers.
– Labor Conditions: Six hundred Chinese workers toiled in sweltering, foggy workshops, their heads wrapped in white cloths.
Diplomatic Tea with Viceroy Zhang Zhidong
April 4 featured a meticulously orchestrated meeting with the legendary Viceroy Zhang Zhidong:
– Protocol: Guests crossed the river by ferry, transferred to sedan chairs, and were received at the yamen’s second gate.
– Appearance: The elderly statesman sported a chest-length white beard, sharp eyes, and remarkably clean teeth.
– Discussion: Translators facilitated a two-hour exchange over sweet wine and sweets in a sparsely furnished room with a kang (heated platform). The visitors left impressed by Zhang’s erudition and grasp of global affairs.
Through the Three Gorges: Final Leg to Yichang
Departing Hankou on April 5 aboard the Guili (a China Merchants Steam Navigation Company vessel), the travelers navigated foggy waters where bare-bottomed children herded water buffaloes. By April 8, they reached Yichang, where:
– Local Power: Opium and salt merchants—many holding purchased official titles—disembarked with military escorts and ceremonial fanfare.
– Travel Preparations: Consul Willis arranged a 50-foot white-painted houseboat with 20 crew members, underscoring the Yangtze’s perilous gorges. Rescue skiffs patrolled ready to assist—for a fee of 8 silver yuan per passenger saved.
Legacy of the Journey: Windows into a Fading Empire
This 1890s voyage captures China at a crossroads:
– Infrastructure: Zhang Zhidong’s roads and British concessions showcased modernization attempts.
– Economic Shifts: Tea brick factories and racecourses reflected growing foreign commercial influence.
– Cultural Encounter: From exam cells to mausoleums, the travelers documented traditions facing irreversible change.
Today, these accounts offer invaluable perspectives on late Qing society—where imperial grandeur, colonial encroachment, and grassroots resilience intertwined along the mighty Yangtze.