Publisher's Synopsis
Tcheng-Ki-Tong (1851-1907) was a Chinese diplomat, general and scholar during the late Qing Dynasty. He was born in Houguan in present day Fuzhou and in 1869 began studying the French language at the school attached to the Fuzhou shipyard. In 1876 he was one of a number of Chinese students sent to study shipbuilding and navigation in Europe and he wrote a book on his impressions after his return to China the following year. He subsequently served in a number of important positions in the Qing foreign service and whilst serving as a diplomat in France wrote several works in French, incuding Les Chinois peints par eux memes (1884), translated into English as The Chinese Painted by Themselves, thus becoming the first Francophone Chinese author. This book about Chinese amusements and holidays was first published in English translation in 1895.
