A Diplomat’s Journey Through America

In 1896, Chinese statesman Li Hongzhang embarked on a groundbreaking global tour that would bring him to the United States. As the Viceroy of Zhili and a key figure in China’s late Qing Dynasty modernization efforts, his travels represented one of the first high-level Chinese engagements with the Western world. Among all his American stops, Philadelphia—the “City of Brotherly Love”—left an indelible impression on the aging diplomat. His vivid accounts, preserved in personal writings, offer a fascinating cross-cultural perspective on America during its Gilded Age.

First Impressions of the Smiling City

Li’s description of Philadelphia as “the land of a million smiles” reveals his immediate affection for the city’s inhabitants. Unlike the crowded intensity of New York or the formal grandeur of Washington, Philadelphia struck him as uniquely welcoming. He marveled at how its residents “always wore smiles” and offered friendly greetings—a stark contrast to European capitals he had visited.

This warmth manifested during his official welcome at Independence Hall, where crowds gathered to see the prominent foreign visitor. Li noted with amusement how his accidental nap during a mayoral speech became a shared moment of laughter rather than offense, demonstrating the city’s good-natured character. His account provides rare insight into how 19th century Americans appeared through Asian eyes—not as the stereotypical “barbarians” of Qing court imagination, but as approachable, cheerful people.

The Liberty Bell Through Confucian Eyes

The centerpiece of Li’s Philadelphia visit was his encounter with the Liberty Bell, which inspired both poetic reflection and cultural comparison. His surviving verses—translated with difficulty from classical Chinese—reveal layered interpretations:

While acknowledging the bell as America’s symbol of freedom, Li (hailing from a civilization measuring history in millennia) found its 120-year age amusingly youthful. His witty observation that “in China, we would laugh at calling a 200-year-old object ancient” prompted a gracious response from Pennsylvania’s governor about all nations being “suckling infants” compared to China.

More profoundly, Li perceived the cracked bell as a metaphor—”Has liberty also cracked?”—showing his awareness of America’s ongoing struggles with racial inequality and economic disparity. This moment captures the essence of cultural exchange: an artifact representing one civilization’s values being reinterpreted through another’s philosophical lens.

Commerce, Culture and Cross-Cultural Observations

Li’s sharp eye captured Philadelphia’s emerging identity at America’s industrial zenith. He noted Broad Street’s impressive length (though likely exaggerated to him as “thirty miles”), comparing it favorably to Beijing’s city walls. His description of American commercial culture—where even literature required upfront payment—reflects both admiration and bemusement toward this profit-driven society.

Particularly insightful was his analysis of civic pride. After hearing New Yorkers dismiss Philadelphia as sleepy, Li recognized how “local honor exists worldwide,” drawing parallels to Londoners’ civic boasting. His conclusion that “wise men know this is nonsense, but fools spread it as sacred truth” demonstrates remarkable cultural perceptiveness.

The Banquet of Brotherhood

The diplomatic highlight came during a lavish banquet at the Union League, where Li enjoyed authentic Chinese cuisine—his first taste of home in months. Guest records show America’s elite in attendance: Pennsylvania’s Civil War veteran governor, retail magnate John Wanamaker, and prominent journalists.

Li’s warm invitation for the governor to reside at his Beijing home for six months reveals his personal diplomacy style. The evening also featured his first (and likely last) experience with cocktails—a drink he found pleasantly spiced but potentially hazardous if consumed regularly. These humanizing details counterbalance the formal diplomacy recorded in official documents.

Legacy of a Transcontinental Gaze

As Li departed Philadelphia for the American West, his writings turned philosophical. While marveling at skyscrapers (“buildings so tall men look like children from their roofs”), he questioned their necessity where land was abundant—a prescient critique of urban sprawl. More profoundly, he reflected that places only gain meaning through human connection:

“Nowhere holds meaning for me unless linked to some person or ancestor… Philadelphia remains in my heart because of its people.” This sentiment echoes his emotional conclusion upon seeing the Pacific from San Francisco—longing to “kiss his homeland’s soil” after months abroad.

Li’s Philadelphia encounter represents more than historical anecdote. It captures a pivotal moment when East and West began seeing each other as complex civilizations rather than exotic curiosities. His affectionate portrait of the “City of Brotherly Love” endures as one of the earliest—and most human—Asian accounts of America, reminding us that diplomacy thrives not just in treaties, but in shared smiles across cultural divides.