China and The Royal Society A history of mutual respect

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From the Royal Society’s The Society has remained steadfastly foundation in 1660, knowledge committed to productive dialogue and understanding of parts of the with the culture and of other world which had become newly lands ever since. This exhibition offers accessible to Europeans was just a small sample of the rich history high on the Fellows’ agenda, as of intellectual, cultural and material a cornerstone of their scientific exchange between China and the information-gathering and its Royal Society from the seventeenth practical application. century to the present day which can be traced using the Society’s archives. What emerges is a story of mutual respect, even during periods when political and economic relations between the two countries were far from cordial.

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重 First impressions Seventeenth-century European The catalogue was accompanied by experience of China was coloured packets of seeds, each labelled with by earlier travel literature, which the Chinese name for the plant in described an unfamiliar landscape, question. Mortimer distributed half rich in resources. of these to the botanical gardens at Oxford, Edinburgh and Chelsea, and The earliest reliable information on sent the rest to d’Incarville’s colleague China itself came from Christian Bernard de Jussieu in Paris. missionaries working there in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. D’Incarville’s catalogue includes Educated men, they eagerly learned recommendations for European all they could about Chinese language, culinary and medicinal use of and science. Like many plants. Sometimes, though, his later visitors, they were particularly comments show typical European interested in botany and medicine, cautiousness about adopting new describing the cultivation of useful habits. For example, he wrote: plants including tea and rice, and I have never seen such beautiful noting the use of rhubarb root and celery roots in Europe as I have here other mildly toxic substances in in Peking. The Chinese throw the purgatives. root away, and eat only the shoots. Father Pierre Nicolas d’Incarville (1706- We do not imitate them in this, as 57), a Jesuit missionary in Peking, was you may imagine. a trained botanist. In 1748 he sent an D’Incarville was highly regarded by annotated catalogue of Chinese plants the Chinese Emperor and introduced to the Secretary of the Royal Society, European plants into the Imperial Cromwell Mortimer. gardens.

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重 Give and take Reports gleaned from those One early gift was a Chinese cabinet travelling to the East – particularly containing surgical equipment. The employees of the English and Dutch Fellows were particularly intrigued by East India Companies – were read the tools used to clean inside the ears. regularly at Royal Society meetings In 1749 Cromwell Mortimer presented throughout the seventeenth and a specimen of ancient Chinese eighteenth centuries. money to the Society. The money had Although none of the Fellows seem to been sent to him by another of the have visited China themselves, there French Jesuit missionaries in Peking, was animated discussion at meetings Father Anthony Gaubil. of distinctive Chinese practices like The note lay unnoticed in a volume moxibustion and . There is of assorted at the Royal a long-running debate in the Society’s Society for more than 250 years, records, supported by documentation until brought to the attention of the sent from China, of the remarkable Society’s Librarian by a Chinese visitor medicinal properties of ginseng. from the Needham Research Institute As well as information, missionaries in Cambridge in 2008. It has been and merchants were encouraged to identified by the British Museum as send other things to their colleagues a banknote, possibly at home: plant specimens and seeds, dating from as early as 1400. medicinal products, animal skins, books, manuscripts and cultural artefacts, which again prompted discussion and debate.

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重 Trading places

The influence of Jesuit missionaries Banking houses like The Hongkong in China receded in the eighteenth and Shanghai Banking Corporation century, but other European operated on mainland China connections continued to grow. and in Hong Kong to finance the Commercial interests were quick burgeoning trade in raw materials to see new markets for the natural and commodities. Because the Royal resources of China, and the rich Society had laid great store from its opportunities for trade. inception on the European applications of materials gathered in China, it was excellently placed to take advantage of this growing two-way commercial traffic. Lives and letters

Europeans have always been Chinese manufacturing processes intrigued by the unfamiliar in also enthralled visitors. How were China. One of the most obvious their beautiful porcelain dishes made? differences was the Chinese written What did silkworms eat, and how was language, in which the characters silk spun? What were the ingredients represent whole words, rather of lacquer? Of course, there was an than sounds. Early Fellows tried to economic side to this interest. Luxury explain this difference scientifically, goods such as porcelain and silk questioning whether Chinese might commanded high prices in Europe, be related to Hebrew. and the secrets of their production were investigated as part of the scientific agenda of the Royal Society.

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重 Joseph and Dorothy Needham

© The Godfrey Argent Studio In spite of regular exchanges Officially Needham’s affiliation was to of information, it was not until the British Council, but there was a the twentieth century that Royal great deal of interest from the Royal Society interest in Chinese science Society. The President, Sir Henry Dale, resulted in a formal relationship wrote to Needham asking him to between the Society and Chinese pass on a letter to a Chinese scientist, scientists. The credit for this is Robert Lim. In his letter to Lim, Dale largely due to the efforts of the wrote that Needham was planning: husband and wife team, Joseph to visit, in the first place, and Dorothy Needham, both of Universities and other centres whom were distinguished scientists of research in China, to make and FRSs. a closer and more personal In his late thirties, Joseph Needham liaison between the scientific and became deeply interested in those cultural activities of our countries aspects of Chinese civilization that Another letter, from the British naturally appealed to him as a government, stated that Needham’s scientist. He spent the years 1943-6 in visit: China as the director of the Sino-British Science Co-operation Office, set up offered an unique opportunity for to encourage industrial and scientific obtaining information on scientific activities in China during the war. matters which would be of official interest and mutually beneficial He travelled all over China, had close both to China and this country. contacts with many leading Chinese intellectuals, and acquired an extensive knowledge of the land and its people.

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重 Chinese contacts English officials were partly At the same time, Needham was concerned about keeping pace with noting the names and details of all the American activities in China, but Chinese scientists he met, keeping Needham was preparing for them neatly in a file of index cards. his visit by making Chinese In 1943 he wrote to Dale with a list contacts in America. of scientists worthy of consideration for Foreign Membership of the Royal He wrote enthusiastically from New Society, foremost amongst whom was York in December 1942 to say that his original scientific contact in China, he had purchased ‘tropical kit’, and Robert Lim. ‘a good portable typewriter’. His visit was, of course, taking place during None of Needham’s suggested the Second World War, and he was scientists were elected to the prepared for difficult conditions. Back Society, and the first Chinese Foreign in London, his supporters had no Member of the Royal Society, Shiing- doubt about his ability to do the job. Chern (1911-2004), was not Dale praised ‘his faculty for getting elected until 1985. Nevertheless, the about and making rapid contacts’. Society remained supportive of the collaborative advancement of science This was exactly what Needham in China. Needham wrote regularly proceeded to do. His reports back to asking for equipment, supplies and London demonstrate an astonishing the latest scientific publications schedule of visits to universities, to be sent over from Britain. The research laboratories, agricultural war made communication difficult schools and other facilities. At one though, and after Dorothy Needham stage, he was barely a day ahead of joined her husband in June 1944 it the advancing Japanese army, and became apparent that many letters relying on a truck powered by fuel and scientific books had been lost: ‘of manufactured from linseed oil. 90 letters sent to Dr. Needham since March 3rd, 1943, 41 cannot be traced’.

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重 Norman Pirie FRS

After the war more Royal Society He was impressed by a herbarium Fellows visited China. Norman Pirie with 200,000 specimens, and FRS, a biochemist working on plant interested to hear that traditional proteins, reported on a tour made herbal remedies were being in 1952. systematically investigated. Finally, he remarked on the great enthusiasm The tone of his report makes it clear of Chinese research scientists, even he was interested in the cultural in ‘people of an age… that in most aspects of science in China, and not other countries goes with a cynically only the research programme. For obstructive approach’. example, he noted that research at Peking University into plant fibres was prompted by the great expansion of literacy in China and the consequent fear of paper shortages.

© The Godfrey Argent Studio Sir Cyril Hinshelwood PRS

In 1959 the President of the He had found the ‘vast and well- Royal Society, Sir Cyril equipped workshops’ at the Chinese Hinshelwood, made an official universities ‘rather a revelation’, visit to China. It was a measure but did not believe the research of the wide interest in Chinese was ‘influenced by ideology’. Most science that a report of his visit was importantly, he wrote: published in New Scientist. I sensed on several occasions The report concentrated on research (though the matter was not conditions rather than scientific explicitly discussed) that a progress, and although Hinshelwood renewal of exchanges with was positive about what he had the Western world would be seen, his report demonstrates general welcome. Western assumptions about post-war China.

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重 Sir Harold Thompson FRS and football

© The Godfrey Argent Studio Chinese exchanges with the Thompson’s other passion was Western world were also the football. He had a long association goal of another Royal Society with the Football Association, Fellow and Vice-President, eventually becoming its Chairman Sir Harold ‘Tommy’ Thompson. in 1976. In 1972 the newly arrived In 1962 Thompson went to China Chinese ambassador told Thompson as a member of the first delegation he was especially keen to attend a top of the Royal Society to the level football game. Thompson wrote Chinese Academy of . to the Chairman of Arsenal FC and arranged at short notice for six seats to The next year, arrangements were watch an Arsenal v Chelsea match at made for regular scientific exchange Highbury. visits between the two institutions. Like Needham before him, the visit Thompson believed that football was inspired Thompson with enthusiasm a way to renew better Anglo-Chinese for Chinese science and culture. relations after the , Following the re-establishing of and he subsequently tried to arrange diplomatic relations between England for Arsenal and Aston Villa to play and China at the beginning of 1972, against teams from China. This Thompson was the driving force initiative was vetoed by the Football behind the setting up of the Great Association, on the grounds that China Britain-China Committee in March had not re-affiliated to the Association. of that year, serving as its Chairman until 1980.

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重 Lasting impressions

In April 2007, the UK Office Under the agreement, both sides of Science and Innovation agreed upon the need to bring signed a bilateral agreement together their top scientists in any with the Chinese Ministry of field of science and technology. The Education, making funding implementing bodies in each country available to establish a networking are the Royal Society and the China scheme which aimed to initiate Scholarship Council. In this and many and develop enduring partnerships other ongoing scientific collaborations, between the UK and Chinese the long history of mutual respect scientists. between the Royal Society and China continues. Acknowledgements We gratefully acknowledge loans All images were taken by Richard and assistance from the following Valencia and are copyright of the Royal organisations: Society unless otherwise stated. HSBC Holdings plc Further information can be found on the exhibition website at Needham Research Institute www.royalsociety.org/chinaexhibition Victoria and Albert Museum The Royal Society For further information The Royal Society is a Fellowship of more than 1400 The Royal Society outstanding individuals from all areas of science, mathematics, 6–9 Carlton House Terrace engineering and medicine, who form a global scientific network London SW1Y 5AG of the highest calibre. The Fellowship is supported by over 130 T +44 (0)20 7451 2500 permanent staff with responsibility for the day-to-day F +44 (0)20 7930 2170 management of the Society and its activities. E [email protected] In our 350th anniversary year and beyond we are working to W royalsociety.org achieve five strategic priorities: Library • Invest in future scientific leaders and in innovation T +44 (0)20 7451 2606 E [email protected] • Influence policymaking with the best scientific advice • Invigorate science and mathematics education • Increase access to the best science internationally • Inspire an interest in the joy, wonder and excitement of scientific discovery

Issued: October 2009 DES1698 Founded in 1660, the Royal Society is the independent scientific academy Background image © The Royal Society. of the UK, dedicated to promoting An early European attempt to understand excellence in science , sent to the Royal Registered Charity No 207043 Society in 1729.