In the 1820s, the scale of trade in Guangzhou expanded, and foreign newspapers emerged in Guangzhou and Macau. In 1831, the British East India Company founded the "Guangzhou Magazine" in Macau to introduce Chinese culture. This magazine is the earliest foreign miscellaneous journal published in China, with a short distribution time, uncertain publication period, and low circulation, and has not received much attention from the academic community. This article examines the establishment and content characteristics of Guangzhou Magazine, explores its relationship with the early development of British Sinology in the early 19th century, and provides reference for the study of Chinese newspaper history and British Sinology history.

1、 Background of the founding of Guangzhou Magazine

Introduced the background of the founding of Guangzhou Magazine. Protestant missionary Morrison was hired by the British East India Company's Guangzhou Chamber of Commerce to compile the "Chinese English Dictionary". In 1814, the board of directors of the East India Company approved the establishment of a printing press in Macau, which printed 20 publications including the Guangzhou Magazine. In 1830, the Guangzhou Chamber of Commerce of the East India Company was involved in two incidents, triggering conflicts with the Guangzhou authorities. To prevent damage to interests, the company's board of directors dismissed Pan Shi and others, and appointed Ma Zhiping as the chairman of the special selection committee. It was during Ma Zhiping's tenure that Guangzhou Magazine was founded in Macau in 1831. Previously, the earliest English language newspaper in China, Guangzhou Record News, mainly published reports on price trends and current events, inviting Morrison to serve as a writer. Afterwards, English newspapers such as "China Daily News and Guangzhou Banknote News", "China Congbao", and "Guangzhou Weekly" were successively published, becoming the public opinion mouthpiece of the Huaxi people and having a wide influence.

2、 The beginning and end of the publication of Guangzhou Magazine

Guangzhou Magazine "was an English language publication published by the British East India Company in Macau, China in the 1830s, with a total of five issues, but some sources claim a total of ten issues. The magazine was sponsored and founded by members of the East India Company's Guangzhou Chamber of Commerce, with the main founders being Ma Zhiping and De Bishi. The magazine's content focuses on China, including China's foreign exchanges, historical culture, and evaluations and discussions of Chinese civilization. The author group includes Ma Zhiping, De Bishi, Ma Ruhan, and Swedish businessman Long Sitai. The founding of the magazine is closely related to Yinghua Academy, and Ma Zhiping hopes to use this magazine to reserve talents for further communication between China and the UK in the future. Ma Zhiping comes from a political family. During his tenure as the chairman of the special selection committee, he viewed Sino British exchanges with a long-term perspective and promoted the establishment of Guangzhou Magazine. The magazine objectively describes China's history, culture, and civilization, without criticizing China's political system and social status quo based on the experiences of British people in China.

3、 The Origin of Guangzhou Magazine and British Sinology Journals

In the 17th century, the "China fever" emerged in Europe, and Britain indirectly learned about China through the writings of Jesuits. After the Macartney delegation visited China in 1793, British Sinology entered its "infancy period". Guangzhou Magazine, as a beneficial attempt of British Sinology journal, has extraordinary significance. The cover is printed with the motto of the Royal Society of England, indicating the founder's recognition of the society's purpose. As a member of the Royal Asiatic Society, Deby advocated for the publication of Chinese research articles in the "Hui Bao" newspaper, but did not publish them again after 1830. When Guangzhou Magazine was founded, Debussy publicly published his visit to China journal to show his support. China Congbao is regarded as a continuation of Guangzhou Magazine and has become an important publication in the development of Western Sinology. Morrison, Staunton, and Derbyshire were representative figures of the "early days" of British Sinology, promoting the institutionalization of Sinology research. Deby utilized the Guangzhou Magazine to practice his ideal of Sinology and laid the foundation for the professionalization of Sinology in the UK.

4、 Conclusion

The three major themes of Sino British exchanges in the first half of the 19th century were religion, trade, and war, which provided an opportunity for the rise of British sinology research. The East India Company was the representative of British interests in China and promoted the development of British Sinology. When the conflict between China and Britain intensified, Ma Zhiping realized that cultural differences were the root cause and founded Guangzhou Magazine and Great Britain Personnel Brief to promote understanding between the two countries. Deby recognized the importance of specialized institutions and publications for the development of disciplines, and collaborated with Ma Zhiping to make Guangzhou Magazine stand out among commercial and religious newspapers, exerting a significant influence on the early development of British Sinology.