Li Hongzhang's 1896 New York Visit | Generated by AI
I can search for information about Li Hongzhang’s visit to the USA and New York to give you accurate details about this historical event.Great question! Your memory is mostly correct. Li Hongzhang arrived in New York on August 28, 1896, which is close to 1900. This was a remarkable diplomatic visit that generated enormous public interest.
When Li Hongzhang arrived in the United States in August 1896, 500,000 New Yorkers took to the streets to see him in what the New York Times called an unprecedented welcoming ceremony. He was a major celebrity at the time—one of the most famous Chinese people in the world.
During his New York visit, he stayed in the Presidential Suite of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and attended a state banquet hosted by President Cleveland, along with congressmen, political heavyweights, and the governor of New York State. He also visited Ulysses S. Grant’s tomb with large crowds gathering to see him.
Regarding the skyscrapers and tall buildings—yes, this fits the story. American Mutoscope filmed him for three titles during his 1896 visit: “Li Hung Chang at Grant’s Tomb,” “Li Hung Chang Driving Through 4th Street and Broadway,” and “Li Hung Chang, 5th Avenue & 55th Street, N.Y.” So he was indeed being filmed touring the major streets and landmarks of New York.
As part of his broader 1896 world tour, he attended the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia on behalf of the Qing Government and toured Europe, Canada, and the United States, where he advocated for reform of American immigration policies.
So this was a highly publicized visit by one of China’s most prominent officials during the Qing Dynasty, and New Yorkers were fascinated by him and the modern industrial city he was touring.