A History of China's Early Participation in International Geological Conferences:Reflections on the Relationship between Scientific Discourse and National Identity

Abstract

Initially organized by European geologists at the end of the 19th century the Inter ̄ national Geological Congress is now the largest and most influential academic gathering in the field of geological studies. Records of China s participation in the Congress date back to the 10th Interna ̄ tional Geological Congress in Mexico City held in September 1906. Subsequently China sent official delegates to the 11th International Geological Congress in Stockholm in 1910 and the 12th Interna ̄ tional Geological Congress in Toronto in 1913. Based on relevant historical and archival materials this paper provides a historical review of China s early participation in the International Geological Congress focusing on the attending delegates whose identities have remained largely unknown to this day. Taking the International Geological Congress as a window this paper examines the history of the development of geology in China in the early 20th century and reflects on the relationship be ̄ tween scientific discourse and the construction of national identity in China at a time when the country was under the dual pressure of foreign invasion and internal turmoil.