Which two people refused to return when the Qing Dynasty recalled young children studying in the United States? What happened to them now?

A group of Chinese children wearing satin robes and long braids boarded a ship at the Shanghai port and after a long journey arrived in San Francisco, the United States, to start their study abroad careers.

This is the first batch of Chinese children studying in the United States. From 1872 to 1875, the Qing Dynasty sent 4 batches of 120 children to the United States. They are all around 12 years old and have never experienced studying abroad before, let alone traveling across thousands of miles to come to the United States where the language, customs, culture, etc. are completely different from China. They have huge difficulties in lifestyle, language communication and other aspects. Fortunately, they worked hard and overcame various difficulties, achieved excellent results in their studies, entered American universities, and gradually integrated into American society in life.

Children studying in the United States

However, just when they were about to return with academic success and great reputation, the Qing Dynasty cut off the braids on the back of their heads because some children studying in the United States believed in Christianity. For this reason, they were recalled to the country in advance. In 1881, 94 young children studying in the United States were repatriated in three batches.

120 young children studying in the United States went abroad, and 94 came back. This is because some young children studying in the United States are either repatriated early or unfortunately die of illness in the United States. Among them, two young children studying in the United States resisted the Qing court's order and refused to return to China. They stayed in the United States to complete their studies.

Their names are Tan Yaoxun and Rong Kui respectively.

Tan Yaoxun

Tan Yaoxun was born in Xiangshan, Guangdong in 1859; Rong Kui was born in Xinhui, Guangdong in 1861. Tan Yaoxun was one of the first children to study in the United States. He was only 13 years old when he came to the United States in 1872. Rong Kui is the younger brother of Mr. Rong Hong, who is known as the "Father of Chinese Students Abroad". Influenced by Rong Hong, he signed up to become the second batch of children studying in the United States and went to study in the United States in 1873.

In 1881, when the Qing government recalled young children studying in the United States, Tan Yaoxun had already been admitted to Yale University with excellent results and entered the second year of college. Rong Kui has just been admitted to Harvard University and is happily preparing for his college career. The Qing court's order shattered their dreams.

Rong Kui

When other young children studying in the United States had to pack their bags and leave the United States where they had lived and studied for many years and were about to return to China, Tan Yaoxun and Rong Kui made a choice invariably: He refused to return and continued to complete his studies in the United States. So, when they were driving through Springfield, the capital of Illinois, USA, they got off the car and hid in hiding on the pretext of saying goodbye to their friends.

Although they stayed in the United States, Tan Yaoxun and Rong Kui faced huge difficulties. In the past, when studying in the United States, all expenses were borne by the Qing government. Now that no one is paying, what will they do? At this time, Rong Hong, the deputy minister of the Qing Dynasty to the United States, reached out to help them. After the young children studying in the United States returned home, they also raised money to help them. Many American friends have offered help in times of need.

At Rong Hong’s suggestion, Rong Kui transferred from Harvard University to Yale University and studied with Tan Yaoxun. Eventually, they both completed the remainder of their studies at Yale University.

Yale University

In 1883, Tan Yaoxun graduated from Yale University and got a job at the Chinese Consulate General in New York. But he hopes to go to California and work for more Chinese compatriots. California is the second largest concentration of Chinese in the United States. Unfortunately, in the fall of that year, Tan Yaoxun suffered from lung disease and had to return to Kubrook, a town northwest of Hartford, the capital of Connecticut, USA, to recuperate. There is Tan Yaoxun's family in the United States. When Tan Yaoxun first came to the United States, he lived in Mrs. Carrington's house for nearly 10 years.

On November 13, Tan Yaoxun died of serious illness at the age of 24. He was buried in the churchyard of Mrs. Carrington's house.

Tan Yaoxun’s Cemetery in the United States

After graduating from Yale University in 1884, Rong Kui developed a strong interest in science. He first studied chemistry at Yale University's Sheffield Institute of Science for two years, and then entered Columbia University's School of Mines in 1886 to study engineering until graduating the following year.

After that, Rong Kui lived and worked in the United States for most of his life, and fell in love and married an American girl named Mary Bonham. During this period, he brought his family back to China in 1908 and lived in Shanghai and Tianjin for half a year. The longest job Rong Kui held was working for the Qing Dynasty Embassy in the United States, serving as a translator, secretary, and charge d'affaires.

After 1909, the Qing Dynasty sent three batches of Geng Geng-funded students to study in the United States, training a large number of outstanding scientists, writers, and socialists for China, such as Mei Yiqi, Zhu Kezhen, Zhao Yuanren, and Hu Shi wait. When these international students with Geng Geng money came to the United States, Rong Kui handled the reception, and then arranged for each student to study in different schools according to the specific situation. During their studies, Rong Kui was also responsible for arranging and supervising their study and life. Rong Kui himself is a young child studying in the United States. He is very concerned about the growth of Gengjie international students and takes care of them in every possible way.

Mei Yiqi

In 1943, Rong Kui died of illness in Washington, USA, at the age of 82. In 2010, when CCTV was filming the documentary "Toddlers" about young children studying in the United States, they came to Austin, the capital of Texas, USA, to interview Rong Kui's descendants Danner and Richard, and obtained a large number of first-hand interviews with young children studying in the United States. First-hand information.