Troubled Mining: John Fryer and the Difficulties of Cross-Cultural Knowledge Transmission in Late Nineteenth-Century China
Abstract
John Fryer (1839‑1928) was the most prolific translator of Western scientific and industrial works into Chinese. This article uncovers previously unexplored connections between his translation projects and the challenges in Chinese mining during that period. It demonstrates how difficulties in accessing both books and teaching experts shaped the development of mining education in China. These setbacks reveal two overlooked pathways for cross-cultural science communication beyond translation. The obstacles invite us to rethink how China was dis- or re-connected with the West in cultural practices in its pursuit of industrial power and wealth.
Submitted: Oct. 14, 2024 | Accepted: Feb. 13, 2025 | Published May 30, 2025 | Language: en
Keywords late Qing China • Book purchasing • John Fryer • Science communication • Knowledge transmission • Education • Mining
Copyright © 2025 Hailian Chen. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/AnnOr/2385-3042/2025/02/008