薛福成对西方风俗的认识与介绍

Xue Fu-cheng's Introduction and Awareness of Western Customs

薛福成作为清政府出使英、法、意、比四国大臣,对西方风俗有具体细微的描述,为近代国人了解、认识西方风俗提供了鲜活的史料。同时,由于他深受儒家传统思想的影响,在对西方风俗的认识上又存在那个时代的特色,这些又决定了他对西方风俗的介绍没有起到应有的移风易俗的作用。

Xue Fu-cheng was the Foreign Minister of the Qing government in Britain, France, Italy, and Belgium. He had a specific description of the western customs for modern Chinese to know and understand better the history of western customs. At the same time, he was deeply influenced by the Confucian ideas and his introduction of the western customs failed to transform social traditions in China.