The Belgian Mandarin

The Story of Paul Splingaerd

Table of Contents
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Preface 7
Chapter 1 — Young Paul 11
  The Foundling and the Founder  14
Chapter 2 — Rails, Sails, and Ruts 18
  Pope Pius IX 22
  Shipboard Chinese Lessons 24
  First Glimpse of China 26
  China’s Bustling Trade City 27
  “Guardian Angel” and Guide 28
  “Those Damned Carts” 30
  Chinese Names 32
  The Capital 34
Chapter 3 — Seed in the Soil 38
  Fr. Verbist’s Debut Party 40
  Getting to Work 41
  The Chinese Language 43
  A Case for Champagne 45
  Brother Franzenbach 48
Chapter 4 — The Turning Point 50
  Fr. Remi Verlinden 51
  Departure from Xiwanzi 53
Chapter 5 — Paul and Richthofen 56
  The Geologist Finds his Dolmetscher 56
  Li Hongzhang Grants Approval 58
  China’s Lewis and Clark? 58
  Kalgan Detour 60
  Buddhist Travel Companion 65
Chapter 6 — Trader in Mongolia 70
  Jardine Matheson & Co. 70
  The Mongolian wool trade 71
  Paul Gets Married   78
Chapter 7 — Customs Mandarin in Suzhou 83
  American Cyclists Meet Mysterious “Ling Darin” 86
  Vladimor Obroutchev Visit 88
  Paul the Practitioner 91
  Recognition and Promotion 96
  Swedish Explorer Sven Hedin 97
Chapter 8 — The Children’s Caravan 103
  The Missing Ingredient 103
  The Journey 105
  Arrival at Shanghai 105
  Four Religious Sisters 107
Chapter 9 — China’s “Grand Central” 114
  Li and Leopold 115
  Flawed Diplomacy 119
  Paul is Enlisted 122
Chapter 10 — Paul and the King’s Men 127
  Leopold Sets Sights on Gansu 127
  General Wittamer in “Paul’s town” 128
  Who Were the “Boxers”? 129
  Guangxu Attempts Reform 131
  Learning About the Congo 133
  A Low Point 134
  “Flee Immediately” 135
  Refuge at the Zhang Plantation 136
  Gobi Ordeal 139
  Boxers in Beijing 142
Chapter 11 — Brigadier General Lin in Post-Boxer China 146
  First Foreigner to see the Dunhuang Buddhist manuscripts 147
  Still Assisting Scheuts 148
Chapter 12 — Mission to Brussels 156
Chapter 13 — Xian Farewell 164
Chapter 14 — Paul’s Legacy 138
  Development of Lanzhou 138
  And What About the Bridge? 139
Epilogue — Paul’s Other Bridge 177
Appendix A — How is Anne Related to Paul? 183
Appendix B — Map 184
Appendix C — Paul’s descendants 186
Bibliography 189
Index 195

 

The Belgian Mandarin is Available at:
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and by request from bookstores

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To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7836.Tear sheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marketing Services. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x7876. Media information is here.


mem: 22-Jun-2014