Saturday, February 28, 2009

133. Relics of the China Trade

High atop a wooded hill in Milton, overlooking the clusters of sailing ships out in Massachusetts Bay, Capt. Robert Bennet Forbes in 1833 built a handsome, spacious Greek Revival mansion. He filled the house with the porcelain, paintings, furniture, silver, lacquerware and silks he had collected during decades of journeys to China, beginning when he was 13 years old. More information following this link from New York Times.

Friday, February 20, 2009

132. Thomas Jefferson and Chinese Architecture

Dr. Dave Wang has again made significant progress in his exploration of the connection between the founding fathers of USA and Chinese Civilization. His Paper Thomas Jefferson and Chinese Architecture: Chinese Culture in North America before the Founding of the United States was published by the well known Huaren E-Magazine, January 2009 issue. It is available through this link.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

131. Dr. Wang Will Speak on the Foudning Fathers and Chinese Cutlure at the FreedomFest 2009

FreedomFest is an annual festival described in many ways: The world’s largest gathering of free minds…..The Trade Show for Liberty….An intellectual feast in a fun town…Three glorious days of “great ideas, great books, and great thinkers.”

Imagine over 1000 freedom loving attendees coming together to create “The World’s Largest Gathering of Free Minds.”
Imagine 9 great debates on topics such as US foreign policy, health care, the financial crisis, global warming, immigration, and more

Through this link you will find the well known speakers.

Friday, February 13, 2009

130. Benjamin Franklin and the Great Wall of China

Doctor Dave Wang from St John’s University will talk discuss how Benjamin Franklin became connected with what is now one of the wonders of the world.

The Great Wall of China was built 2,000 years ago by the Qin dynasty, as a sturdy "No Trespassing" sign to neighbouring kingdoms. For centuries, however, the wall remained neglected and forgotten, until Europeans in the 18th-century became infatuated with it. Doctor Dave Wang from St John’s University will talk discuss how Benjamin Franklin became connected with what is now one of the wonders of the world.

More information is available through this link.
More information on this event calender.

129. Benjamin Franklin in China

Through reading my posts on Benjamin Franklin and Chinese civilization, you have learned a lot of Ben's borrowing from China. This weblog will show you the Chinese also borrowed something from Ben.

Monday, February 9, 2009

128. How Did the Founding Father Lead the Fledgling United States Over its Economic Crisis?

Dr. Dave Wang will talk George Washingon and the China Trade in Salem

According to his findings, Washington supported the United States trade with China in its inception in 1784, when he recommended the competent business manager for the Empress of China, the first American commercial ship owned and outfitted by the revolutionary veterans in an attempt to bring the fledgling United States to enter international commerce. When the trade started, Washington monitored its development carefully, paying attention to the Ginseng trade in Virginia and visiting the business leaders engaging the China Trade. He also invited Peter Perkins, an important businessman who was head of the China Trade, to spend a night at Mountain Vernon. In 1789, Washington stated the significance of the trade. He told Marquis de Lafayette, one of his French generals from the Revolutionary War, that "our revenues have been considerably more productive than it was imagined they would be.” Washington, in his farewell address, told his fellow American citizens that “the great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations.”

Sunday, February 1, 2009

127. Benjamin Franklin and China in New York Times

In this well-known New York Times blog, “Ideas,” written by Tom Kuntz and other editors of the Week in Review featuring brief posts on interesting articles, you will find that on January 29, 2009 Dr. Wang's papers,Benjamin Franklin and China--A Survey of Benjamin Franklin’s Efforts at Drawing Positive Elements from Chinese Civilization during the Formative Age of the United States and Benjamin Franklin and Chinese Civilization are introduced in the Franklin and China .