On this day, 151 years ago, on February 12, 1874 (December 26, 1873, the lunar calendar), King Karakava of the Kingdom of Hawaii was ascended the throne. David Kalākaua (official full name DavidLa 'ameaKamanakapu' uMahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani LumialaniKalākaua, November 16, 1836-January 20, 1891), also known as the Happy Monarch, was the eldest son of Kipa Akiah and Kipa Hokhalore, and the last monarch to actually rule the Kingdom of Hawaii. He ascended the throne in Hawaii on February 12, 1874, and died on January 20, 1891 in San Francisco, California. During the reign of Karakava, the hula tradition, which the church considered immoral in the 1820s, was restored. Extended reading: The King of Hawaii and Li Hongzhang met in Tianjin. Extended reading: The King of Hawaii and Li Hongzhang met in Tianjin with King of Hawaii David Karakava (seated in the middle) Li Hongzhang hosted a banquet for King of Hawaii David Karakava in Tianjin at Tianjin Lishunde Hotel (1895) This is a banquet menu 130 years ago, dated April 1, 1881. This is not a joke on April Fools 'Day, but left behind by Li Hongzhang, Governor of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang, who hosted a banquet for King of Hawaii David Karakava in Tianjin. David Kalakava was the seventh king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He ruled the Hawaiian Islands from 1874 to 1891. In 1881, while traveling around the world, Karakava visited Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong in China. He stayed in Tianjin for four days and was warmly welcomed by Li Hongzhang, Governor of Zhili. But this history has never been mentioned. The book "Honolulu" covers many contents of the Qing Dynasty's exchanges with foreign countries since the Qianlong period: in 1793, Qianlong met with British envoys in Chengde and brought letters to King George III of England; In 1844, shortly after the end of the Sino-British Opium War, the first American fleet came to visit China and brought a letter from President John Taylor to Emperor Daoguang, and Emperor Daoguang's reply on December 16, 1844, etc. However, the story described in the book about Hawaiian King Karakava visiting China in 1881 and being hosted by Li Hongzhang on April 1 of that year is unheard of. What's even more rare is that the book also includes a banquet menu! Where did such vivid historical materials about King Karakava's visit to China come from? What about its authenticity? It is learned from the footnote of the book that this is a copy of the menu for Li Hongzhang's banquet for King Karakava at that time. The menu read in English the words "A banquet held by Li Hongzhang to pay tribute to the visiting King Karakava." The names of the dishes in both Chinese and English on the menu are interesting to read, which shows the initial stage of translation and the evolution of the names of the dishes at that time. The names of most of the dishes are not the same as the current names. However, it can be seen that the content is rich and exquisite, and it combines Chinese and Western-there are bird's nest, shark's fin, fried fish, lion's head, lamb chops, chicken salad, ham, mushrooms, etc., as well as fruit pudding, chocolate cake, butter finger cake... The menu at the very least shows that Li Hongzhang treated the Hawaiian king from afar with famous China dishes such as shark fin and bird's nest. A copy of this menu is again from the English book "Accompanying the King around the World", published in London in 1909. Based on this clue, the author found a book reprinted in 1995 in a bookstore in Hawaii. The author, William Armstrong, is an American lawyer born in Hawaii. He was an important cabinet member and legal adviser during Karakawa's administration, and one of King Karakawa's entourage who traveled around the world. "Accompanying the King around the World" is a memoir travel book written by Armstrong. The book has 30 chapters and records in detail King Karakava's visit. Three chapters describe King Karakava's visits to Shanghai, Tianjin and British Hong Kong in China. Since King Karakava's visit to China did occur, it should be recorded in China's historical archives. After returning to China, the author has been following up on this clue and entrusted the First Historical Archives of China to help find relevant materials; In the spring of 2002, based on the date of King Karakava's visit to China, we found a memorial written by the Prime Minister's Yamen, who was in charge of foreign affairs, to Emperor Guangxu on the King of Hawaii's visit to China from the vast Qing Dynasty archives. Although this memorial is not long, it clearly shows to future generations the past that happened more than a century ago. In March of this year, according to a letter from Beiyang Minister Li Hongzhang to his minister's office, it was stated that Xia Weiren, the king of Honolulu, traveled to Tianjin. After Li Hongzhang met with him, the king said that he was too busy to go to Beijing on this trip, so he sent a letter to the Prime Minister's Yamen for transmission, and specially sent the original book and a letter. My yamen immediately translated it into Chinese, saying that the great officials of China received hospitality and hospitality. The king thanked him very much. Please convey the message on his behalf. We have investigated that the country of Hawei Ren, or Honolulu Island, is relatively close to China, and many Chinese go there to trade. Chen Lanbin, Minister of the Diejing Envoy, proposed to establish a Consul of the Shang Dong, which was reported and recorded by my Yamen according to the circumstances. This time, the king traveled to Tianjin and was warmly received by Li Hongzhang. The king was very proud of it. Since he recounted his gratitude and requested a transfer, he should reply to his meaning and show his leniency. In addition to the reply prepared by the minister's yamen and sent it to the king by Li Hongzhang, Chen Ming respectfully submitted the report. On the first day of May of the seventh year of Guangxu, at the top left end of this memorial, the Prince Regent criticized the words "Zhi Know Qin" for the young Guangxu at that time. It can be seen from the statement mentioned in the memorial that "the king traveled to Tianjin and was warmly received by Li Hongzhang. The king was very proud and described his gratitude" that King Karakava was deeply satisfied and grateful for Li Hongzhang's grand reception. Hawaiian King Karakava visited China 130 years ago on his way around the world. He was the only island monarch to come to China for a friendly visit after the Qing court implemented the policy of closing the country. As the only island monarch in China's modern history to have visited China, the history of Hawaiian King Karakava's visit to China was never mentioned again. If the records left at that time had not been accidentally discovered, the little-known diplomatic exchanges between the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Qing government would have continued to be dusty with time. On January 11, 1881, King Karakava made an astonishing decision: to travel around the world by boat. In late March, King Karakava arrived in Shanghai. The U.S. Consul General in Shanghai visited the King at the Governor's Hotel where he was staying. Later, it was the Consul General who notified Shanghai Daotai of King Karakava's visit. The next day, Lord Daotai came in a sedan chair to welcome the king and set up a dinner party to wash away the dust for him. Karakava was unwilling to stay in Shanghai for a long time. He was eager to enter Beijing via Tianjin to see with his own eyes the world-famous China imperial palace-the Forbidden City. At that time, there was a commercial shipping line in Shanghai owned by a black man who had worked at the U.S. Embassy in China. His fleet had been to Hawaii and often traveled between Shanghai and Tianjin to do business. When the savvy boss learned that Karakava was going north to Beijing, he specially prepared a beautiful modified ship-the "Pamta"-for the king as a special ship for Karakava's trip. On March 26, 1881, Karakava and his entourage boarded the Pamta and began north. Three days later, on March 29, the ship successfully sailed into the Haihe River and arrived in Tianjin. Due to receiving advance notification, Tianjin Daotai brought many local officials to welcome King Karakava at the port. After Daotai bid farewell, Mr. Li, one of Li Hongzhang's senior assistants, immediately came to visit King Karakava on behalf of Li Hongzhang. Mr. Li studied in the United States and speaks fluent English. His son is also studying at Yale University. Karakava talked to Mr. Li about his thoughts on visiting Beijing. Mr. Li replied that the Governor's Yamen would seriously consider the matter, but it would take at least five weeks for the final result to be reported to the court. After Li Hongzhang's assistant left, Karakava, accompanied by his entourage, took a tour of the bustling Tianjin city. The next morning, Li Hongzhang sent someone to take the king and his party to the Governor's Mansion in his sedan chair. The pomp of Li Hongzhang's reception at his official residence left a deep impression on guests from a distant country, Hawaii. The next day, the ship on which King Karakava was riding was covered with flags. Li Hongzhang's pleasure boat comes along the river at 10 a.m. Karakava held a welcoming ceremony for Li Hongzhang on the deck and had another conversation with Li Hongzhang on many topics in the ship's living room. The next day, April 1, Li Hongzhang held a grand dinner for King Karakava and his party at the Lishunde Hotel, the most exclusive foreign-related hotel in Tianjin at that time. The Lishunde Hotel, which still stands on the bank of the Jinmen Haihe River, was built in 1863 and is specially designed to serve Li Hongzhang's reception of Chinese and foreign guests. Since the hotel's major shareholder, George Detrilin, was Li Hongzhang's confidant and had served as Li Hongzhang's adviser on personnel, diplomacy and Westernization, in order to repay Li Hongzhang's kindness of understanding, he named the hotel's English name "AstorHouse Hotel". This hotel has hosted many Chinese and foreign celebrities, and its magnificent architectural style was second to none at that time, so it was also known as the "No. 1 Store in China". In order to welcome the King of Hawaii, all the dignitaries in Tianjin, large and small, attended the dinner. Li Hongzhang stood at the gate of the Lishunde Hotel to welcome King Karakava and introduced him one by one to the China officials present and diplomats stationed in Tianjin. The next morning, as King Kalakaua's steamer sailed down the Hai River and out of Tientsin, the emplacements at the mouth of the river were festooned with flags and a salute of twenty-one guns was fired. King Kalakaua spent four days in Tianjin. He wanted to visit Emperor Guangxu and see the Forbidden City he had long longed for, but he did not make it because he had to wait five weeks for the final confirmation. However, he was very satisfied with Li Hongzhang's hospitality and was deeply impressed by the lively and prosperous Tianjin City during the Westernization Movement at that time. Visiting China left a deep impression on Karakava. After returning to Hawaii, he took some measures to promote trade and labor exchanges between China and Hawaii, and encouraged China children who immigrated to Hawaii to study in the same school as local children. He also awarded a certificate of merit to Sun Yat-sen, who was studying in Hawaii at that time and won the second prize for English learning. These have all become a good story in people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States and will always be recorded in the annals of Sino-US relations. Tianjin TV is currently preparing to film a TV film about King Karakava's visit to China, and we are happy to see it.