Statue of Ma Xiang Bo, former principal of Xuhui High School

Ma Xiangbo (; April 7, 1840 – November 4, 1939) was a Chinese

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

, scholar and educator in late-

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...

and early-

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

China. He was one of the founders of

Aurora University Aurora University (AU) is a private university in Aurora, Illinois. In addition to its main campus and the Orchard Center in Aurora, AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, and at the Woodsto ...

Fu Jen Catholic University Fu Jen Catholic University (FJU, FJCU or Fu Jen; or ) is a private Catholic university in Xinzhuang, New Taipei City, Taiwan. The university was founded in 1925 in Beijing at the request of Pope Pius XI and re-established in Taiwan in 1961 at ...

and

Fudan University Fudan University () is a national public research university in Shanghai, China. Fudan is a member of the C9 League, Project 985, Project 211, and the Double First Class University identified by the Ministry of Education of China. It is als ...

. Ma Xiangbo's original given name was Jianchang () but was changed to Liang (). "Xiangbo" was his

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...

. He also adopted the Catholic name "Joseph."

Biography

Ma Xiangbo was born in Dantu,

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...

province to a prominent

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

family. At the age of 11, he enrolled in a French

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

school in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

Collège Saint-Ignace Xuhui High School () is a secondary school in Xujiahui, Shanghai. Founded in 1850 by Jesuits, Jesuit missionaries, its original name was Collège Saint Ignace ( en, St. Ignatius High School). After the Chinese Civil War, was moved and rebuilt i ...

(now

Xuhui High School Xuhui High School () is a secondary school in Xujiahui, Shanghai. Founded in 1850 by Jesuits, Jesuit missionaries, its original name was Collège Saint Ignace ( en, St. Ignatius High School). After the Chinese Civil War, was moved and rebuilt i ...

), where he remained first as student and later as teacher until 1870. In 1870, he was ordained

in the Jesuit order. Yet due to the French aggressions towards China, Ma would leave the priesthood in 1876 and eventually be married and have a family. In 1886/87, he visited France and eventually devoted his life to higher education. Ma founded the following institutions of higher learning: * Aurora Academy (1903) * Fudan Public School (1905) *

(1925), in co-operation with

Ying Lianzhi Ying Lianzhi (; November 23, 1867 – January 10, 1926), also known as Ying Hua (), was a Manchu Bannerman, a prominent Catholic layman who agitated for church reform, founder of the prominent newspaper ''Ta Kung Pao'', and instrumental in foundi ...

His idea of establishing a highest body of learning was eventually realized in 1928 by his close friend, the educator

Cai Yuanpei Cai Yuanpei (; 1868–1940) was a Chinese philosopher and politician who was an influential figure in the history of Chinese modern education. He made contributions to education reform with his own education ideology. He was the president of Pek ...

, who established the

Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from ...

. Ma Xiangbo and his brother,

Ma Jianzhong Ma Jianzhong (; 1845 – 1900), courtesy name Meishu (), also known as Ma Kié-Tchong in French, was a Chinese official and scholar in the late Qing dynasty. Ma was born in Dantu (), Jiangsu province to a prominent Chinese Catholic family. After ...

, also led significant political lives. Ma Jiangzhong was a prominent official in the Qing government and Ma Xiangbo served as a diplomat from 1881 to 1897 in various postings in Asia including Japan (Tokyo 1881, Yokohama 1892), Korea (1882-1885?), Europe (Britain and France 1886–1887) and the United States.

References

External links

Biography of Ma Xiangbo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ma, Xiangbo Educators from Zhenjiang Writers from Zhenjiang Qing dynasty translators 1840 births 1939 deaths Chinese Jesuits Fu Jen Catholic University faculty 20th-century Chinese Roman Catholic priests Fudan University faculty Presidents of Fudan University Republic of China translators 19th-century Chinese Roman Catholic priests

Biography

References

Further reading

External links