190 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I42 



whom the Chinese people had come into contact, were superior in war, 

 but to the Chinese mind inferior in culture. With Japan it was differ- 

 ent. She owed her culture to China and in the past had been no 

 match for China, but in the war with Japan the Chinese were easily 

 defeated. It became evident to the Chinese that the superiority of 

 the Japanese was due to their adoption of phases of Western culture 

 including education. There followed the reforms of the Emperor, 

 the coup of the Empress Dowager, the Boxer Uprising, and finally, 

 in 1905, the decree doing away with the old educational system of 

 China and the adoption of a new system founded on W^estern educa- 

 tion. The Chinese had become convinced that only by this means 

 could they save themselves from servitude. 



Dr. Joseph Beech, in the report of the Chancellor of the West 

 China Union University, 1932, said (p. 2) that formerly the gateway 

 of China was in the west, but lately the seacoast cities have been the 

 gateways to world trade and communication. Change at first was 

 more rapid on the coast and slower in West China, but in recent 

 years changes in West China have become marked and startling. 



In January 1928 I wrote in my notebook : 



Many houses and stores are modeled after foreign buildings, the main feature 

 being the lack of the upturned ends of roofs. Many restaurants serve foreign 

 food in foreign dishes, and knives and forks instead of chopsticks. During re- 

 cent years cabbage and other foreign vegetables have appeared on farms and in 

 the markets. Cabbage is no longer called "foreign white vegetable," but has a 

 local name meaning "vegetable with a big head." 



Some of the foreign influences have been brought home by Chinese travelers 

 or students from foreign countries. Others were first in eastern cities. Still 

 others were taught to Chinese by foreign missionaries and other foreigners. 

 Carpentry, housebuilding, the making of furniture, cooking, tailoring, and many 

 other occupations have all changed. Some ideas are spread by pictures and 

 descriptions in magazines and papers. 



On January 23, 1928, I also made the following note: 



There are so many external changes in Szechwan it almost makes your head 

 swim. Men formerly dressed in long gowns with rimless hats, but now wear 

 foreign hats, shoes, overcoats, stockings, and even entire suits of clothes. For- 

 eign leather shoes are now made and sold in large numbers in Szechwan. There 

 are electric lights, telephones, and the telegraph. The foreign New Year is 

 also observed, officials taking a three-day vacation. The jinricksha is used in 

 many cities. Only old women wear the old-fashioned trousers. As to the middle- 

 aged and young w^omen and girls, their clothing is much foreignized, for good 

 or ill. Women and girls wear skirts instead of trousers. Footbinding is dis- 

 appearing rapidly. Houses and furniture are being modernized and foreignized. 

 Stores have glass cases, and everywhere there are foreign chairs and tables 

 made locally, and such foreign things as soap, towels, dishes, washpans, and 

 cooking vessels. 



