The Belgian Mandarin

About the Book

The life of the poor Brussels orphan who became an honored mandarin in China may sound more like fiction than a true biography, but Paul Splingaerd really did walk this earth.

The four decades that he spent in China were during the pivotal post-Opium Wars years when China's doors were being pried open for trade with the West. Paul explored all regions of the "Middle Kingdom" with renowned German geologist Ferdinand von Richthofen, and established a fur trading business in Mongolia before being appointed customs inspector in China's far west by powerful viceroy Li Hongzhang.

Find out what brought Splingaerd to China, and learn how he earned recognition from his king, King Leopold II, who made him a “Chevalier de L'Ordre de la Couronne.” Read about Paul’s role in the construction of the first iron bridge across the venerable Yellow River at Lanzhou.

Splingaerd's perspective on China's interaction with the West during the late nineteenth century, offers the reader many intriguing insights into the roots of China's dynamism in the twenty-first century.

Masterfully authored by Splingaerd's great-granddaughter, Anne Splingaerd Megowan, The Belgian Mandarin is one unforgettable read, a well-researched and richly illustrated account of the life of this truly exceptional individual.

About the Author

Anne was born in Tientsin, China, to Scottish-Eurasian Mary Anderson, and Joseph Splingaerd, the only surviving grandson of the Belgian Mandarin, Paul Splingaerd. Since 1994 she has been searching libraries, antiquarian bookstores, and a zillion google links for information about her great grandfather. Her quest took her to Paul’s birthplace, Brussels, in 1996, and more recently to China to trace her great grandfather’s footsteps from China’s eastern seacoast, through Inner Mongolia, the western extreme of the country, and along the Yangtze River. A remarkable result of the trip to China was the discovery of relatives in Gansu province who had lost touch with her family when they fled the country in the late 1940’s. What emerged from Anne’s search is the story of a clever and courageous Brussels foundling who went to China in 1865, and immersed himself completely in the lifestyle of his adopted land. In the course of his 41 years in China, Paul assisted missionaries, explored the country with a renowned German geologist, traded in furs in Mongolia, and became an official (mandarin) of the imperial Qing government. His contributions to his native country also gained him recognition from King Leopold II, who made him a “Chevalier de L’Ordre de la Couronne”