Impressions and Reflections on Visiting Birmingham in the UK

Impressions and Reflections on Birmingham in the UK[1]

July 30-31, 2024

ZHAO Kejin, YUAN Lijuan

On July 30th, after approximately a two-hour journey, departing from the scholarly haven of Oxford, rich with academic atmosphere, we arrived at the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, Birmingham.! Birmingham, as the industrial hub of central England, is also the second-largest city in the UK after London, and it’s a magical place with many stories!

For many who still perceive the UK through the various news of the British royal family or the Premier League teams, it’s unavoidable to recognize the over 200 years of industrialization that the UK began. This era propelled human technology, wealth, art, and life to a peak period, significantly widening the modern development gap between the East and the West! We can’t help but ask, did all this originate merely from the bubbles rising in Watt’s eyes?      

Next to our hotel was the ancient canal path of Birmingham, with many old buildings and facility remnants from its days as a loading and unloading dock still preserved. One can imagine the bustling scenes and the sweaty work environment of the past, as people laboured hard for a better future! In the period around 1776, Britain’s production was still backward, markets were fragmented, and there were some gaps between people and a life of more wealth and freedom! Many people traveled long distances, setting sail across the ocean to seek a free and beautiful world, while those who stayed had to think hard within the existing structure to seek breakthroughs!

Top Left Photo: This is a view of the canal area in central Birmingham, featuring historical landmarks such as ‘Regency Wharf’ and ‘Rum Runner Works,’ part of the city’s extensive canal network. The photo shows the coexistence of red brick buildings and modern architecture, highlighting the blend of old and new in this area. Top Right Photo: This is Brindley place and its surrounding areas in central Birmingham, known for its beautiful canal scenery, historical buildings, and modern facilities. The modern buildings on the left contrast with the historical buildings on the right, with high-rise buildings and bridges over the canal adding layers to the cityscape, showcasing the city’s diverse development and vibrant urban character. Bottom Left Photo: This is a building in Birmingham’s canal area, with an old crane and pulley system on top, once used for canal cargo loading and unloading, symbolizing the canal trade and industrial activity of the past. The large mural depicting plants on its exterior wall combines industrial, artistic, and historical elements of the canal area. Bottom Right Photo: This is an iron bridge in Birmingham’s canal area, manufactured in 1827 by the Horseley Iron Works in Staffordshire, known for high-quality iron products. The bridge showcases 19th-century industrial technology and design, reflecting the engineering and manufacturing achievements of the British Industrial Revolution.

Birmingham is indeed the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. However, the secret of British industrialization has not been extended to ecological research. Britain, an island nation surrounded by the sea, relied heavily on maritime transport. However, focusing only on the sea wouldn’t have led to the Industrial Revolution, as seen in Indonesia and India, where no such revolution occurred. The British Industrial Revolution was closely linked to canal digging, similar to China’s Grand Canal and the Red Flag Canal in Linzhou, Henan.     

Before the 18th century, Britain had no canal system of its own. The presence of the Pennine and Cambrian Mountains caused rivers like the Thames, Severn, and Trent to flow into the North Sea and the Irish Sea, preventing inland water retention and hindering transportation. Carriage transport was backward. However, as factory handcrafts transformed into machine-driven large-scale industry, with factories emerging in 1721, Watt inventing the steam engine in 1776, trains appearing in 1830, and a nationwide railway network established by 1850, it’s clear that railways were a result, not a driver, of industrialization. Over a century before railways, industrialization accelerated due to the construction of the Bridgewater Canal in 1759.       

The digging of canals was spurred by coal and iron ore discoveries in Manchester and Birmingham, with canal transport capacity far exceeding that of carriages. This success prompted British merchants to invest in canal systems. James Brindley planned the Grand Cross Canal, linking Liverpool on the west coast, the Mersey River, and London on the east coast, the Thames River, with the Humber River and Severn River ports. Birmingham, at the intersection of this canal, gained immense industrialization opportunities, poised at this historical crossroads to seize them.

Thus, Birmingham is an industrial city pulled by the Grand Cross Canal, the mother river of British industrialization. This foundation led to the development of the Grand Junction Canal, transforming Britain’s ecological system and setting the stage for industrialization. The engine of the British Empire was ignited, leading the UK into a new era of world history.       

Top Left Photo: This is a serene section of the canal area in Birmingham, with three Canadian geese (Branta canadensis) leisurely swimming. The sign on the building’s lower right corner reads ‘The Malt House,’ a historic restaurant or pub in the canal area, showcasing the perfect blend of nature and man-made structures. Top Right Photo: This is a view of the canal area in central Birmingham, with historic red brick industrial or warehouse buildings on the left, now possibly repurposed for modern use, and modern glass buildings on the right, highlighting the stark contrast between old and new. Bottom Photo 1（from left to right）: This is a view from inside a canal tunnel in Birmingham, looking out towards the red brick buildings and the small path along the canal, with bridges and modern buildings in the distance, showcasing the blend of old and new in the canal area. Bottom Photo 2: This is part of the ‘Mailbox’ building in central Birmingham, a landmark combining shopping, dining, hotels, and offices. The photo shows restaurant or bar signs like ‘BOX’ and ‘Pitcher & Piano,’ located within the Mailbox. The architectural style blends modern and traditional elements, reminiscent of commercial areas near Shanghai’s City God Temple, perhaps inspiring modern large shopping and entertainment complexes. Bottom Photo 3: This is the exterior of a traditional pub in Birmingham, with signs by the door listing services such as traditional hand-pulled ales and ciders, heated smoking area, open fire, bar snacks, and disabled facilities, reflecting the traditional décor and typical atmosphere of British pubs. Bottom  Photo 4: This is a statue of Edward VII in Victoria Square, Birmingham, with the base inscription explaining his reign as King of the United Kingdom from 1901 to 1910. As the eldest son of Queen Victoria, during his reign, he significantly enhanced Britain’s position on the international stage and its social progress by promoting social reforms and modern diplomatic policies. Victoria Square is also home to many other historical monuments and artworks, as well as important buildings like the Birmingham Town Hall and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

If James Brindley’s planning of the Grand Cross Canal started the engine that ushered the UK into a new era of world history, then James Watt’s discovery of steam’s industrial value and his invention of the machines to harness that value radically transformed human production and lifestyle. Following Watt, many others pushed these unprecedented discoveries and inventions to new heights.        

These two photos were taken at Birmingham’s Thinktank Science Museum, located at Millennium Point, an interactive science museum showcasing various exhibits from the Industrial Revolution to modern technology. Left Photo: This is an ancient steam locomotive, demonstrating the complexity and aesthetics of mechanical manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. The design includes large drive wheels, a complex piping system, and various valves and instruments. Its working principle involves burning coal or wood to heat water, generating steam whose pressure drives pistons, which in turn rotate the wheels, showcasing the engineering achievements and technological progress of the steam power era. Steam locomotives were widely used in industrial and transportation fields in the 19th and early 20th centuries, propelling the progress of the Industrial Revolution. Right Photo: This is a high-wheeled bicycle (Penny-farthing) that was very popular in the late 19th century. The design aimed to increase riding speed since a larger front wheel could cover more distance per rotation. However, due to its instability and tendency to cause falls, it was later replaced by safer and more practical modern bicycles.

Our world is a time-space combination based on energy. With humanity’s current cognitive abilities, we can only perceive and utilize about 5% of time-space energy, with much of the unknown world awaiting our exploration! The exploratory spirit of Watt and his successors, given their limited resources, has already created such a brilliant situation. Imagine the future with countless possibilities, where we seek the value of life in the interplay of the finite and the infinite! What we can see is always just a small part of the totality we possess. Discovery pertains to stock; invention pertains to increment; exploration pertains to infinity. This perhaps embodies the profound and implicit meaning of Chinese words. In the longing for a better life, there is no difference among various races, countries, or civilizations!

During our two-day flying visit in Birmingham, another deeply touching aspect was the presence of a group of people from our homeland, overseas Chinese! For livelihood or studies, they left their homeland, rooted themselves here, and sought development at the intersection of Eastern and Western civilizations, facing imaginable difficulties and challenges! However, they are a wise group, finding suitable living spaces with their strong vitality, integrating into the local energy environment, and becoming one with it! Whether from Darwin’s natural selection or the Chinese saying that ‘a tree thrives by moving, and a person thrives by relocating,’ migration is about opening up new energy fields.      

Left Photo: President Wang Shubin of the British Avenue Consulting Group with his colleagues (middle front row and back row) hosted a Cantonese meal for Professors Zhao and Yuan at Chung Ying Cantonese Restaurant, ranked third among the best Chinese restaurants in Birmingham. Right Photo (from left to right): Dr Yongjian Li, Prof ZHAO Kejin, Ms YUAN Lijuan and Dr Mengda WU in front of a blue plaque commemorating Professor Li Siguang at the University of Birmingham.

Photo 1（from left to right）: Above the commemorative plaque for Professor Li Siguang pointed out by Professor Zhao Kejin, from top to bottom, are plaques for Charles Lapworth (1882-1923, pioneering work on mountain range formation), Frederick Shotton (1949-1974, advancing understanding of climate change), and Professor Li Siguang (1889-1971, geologist and politician, made pioneering contributions to Chinese geology and natural resource research, received a doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 1927). Photo 2: Chris and Maggie with Professors Zhao and Yuan in front of the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower (Old Joe) at the University of Birmingham’s Edgbaston Campus, showcasing the university’s history and neoclassical architectural style. Photos 3 and 4 (from left to right): Ms YUAN Lijuan, Prof ZHAO Kejin, Dr Yongjian Li, Dr Mengda Wu and Dr Deqing Rong of Birmingham University looking up at the clock tower.

The spread of human civilization is accompanied by human migration, with outward movement always being a positive choice for growth! A child cannot be sheltered under their parents’ wings forever, nor can a nation remain isolated in arrogance! The fusion of different bloodlines and genes gives birth to greater wisdom; stagnation and self-righteousness are undesirable! Buddhism teaches that despising others is a great sin, perhaps laying a spiritual foundation for integration! This integration does not mean the disappearance of uniqueness but finding commonality in differences, learning from others to accurately position oneself, and giving the unknown world necessary respect![2] Just like Birmingham’s extensive canal network or China’s historical Grand Canal, utilizing existing waterways and creating new channels have facilitated communication and trade across regions, diminishing divisions and differences, while conflict and opposition often come with isolation and barriers!

As the train heads towards Manchester, the scenery outside the window keeps shifting, and the future awaits our continuous exploration…

Edited by Xiangqun Chang, 1^st August 2024

[1] Editor’s Note: This blog is edited by Xiangqun Chang. The extensive footnotes aim to use the blog as an example for help to understand the Global China Academy. The captions of all the photos, proofreading, and English translation were assisted by ChatGPT-4o.

1. Professor ZHAO Kejin, Vice Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Director of the Global Industry Research Institute at Tsinghua University, along with his wife, Yuan Lijuan, were invited by the Global China Academy to conduct an investigation tour and academic exchanges in the UK from July 27 to August 24, 2024. The theme of the investigation tour is ‘Modernization of the UK and Its Global Development Experience.’ Their travel route included London-Oxford-Birmingham-Manchester-Glasgow-London-Cambridge, etc. At each location, volunteers arranged by the academy were present to receive or accompany them.
2. We would like to thank the Zhejiang UK Association (ZJUKA) for providing contacts in Oxford, Birmingham, and Glasgow. ZJUKA was one of the supporters of the 2nd Global China Dialogue on ‘Transculturality and New Global Governance’ in 2015. About the ‘transculturality’, in the postscript of the Proceedings of the 1st Global China Dialogue: The Experience of China’s Modernization from a Comparative Perspective, I pointed out, ‘Another key outcome of this dialogue was the recognition of the similarities and differences between various types of dialogue. Cross-Cultural Dialogue refers to exchanges between people from different cultural backgrounds, aiming to understand and respect each other’s cultural differences; Intercultural Dialogue involves deep communication between different cultures to build bridges and reduce misunderstandings and conflicts; Transcultural Dialogue goes beyond the boundaries of a single culture, integrating elements from different cultures to create new cultural consensus. The Global China Dialogue platform will address the challenges of global governance through Transcultural Dialogue and explore the possibilities of mutual benefit, symbiosis, coexistence, and prosperity’ (Page 45, 2016).
3. The book Walking for Peace: Transcultural Experiences from a Journey in China, edited by ZJUKA’s founding president Lady Xuelin Li Bates, has been published in both English and Chinese by our Global Century Press. This book is based on the blog posts of her husband, Lord Michael Bates, during his walk from Beijing to Hangzhou in 2015, marking the 70th anniversary of China’s victory in the Anti-Japanese War. The book is part of the ‘Three Eyes Transcultural Series,’ requiring authors to write with three perspectives: ethnic Chinese, culturally Chinese, or having some overseas living experience, and once own working experience. As a ‘son-in-law of China,’ some of Lord Bates’ content reflects this perspective. The book also presents a comparative viewpoint; while Lord Bates served as the UK’s Minister of State for International Development, he contemplated the shipbuilding industries of China, Korea, and the UK during his walk along the Grand Canal.
4. The Birmingham visit of ZHAO Kejin and YUAN Lijuan was hosted and arranged by Wang Shubin, President of the UK Pathway Consultancy and Executive President of the Birmingham Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, along with his colleagues. The publication of this blog post on the Global China Academy’s website is also a token of appreciation for their assistance during Professor Zhao and Ms. Yuan’s visit to Birmingham.

[2] Editor’s Note:

1. This blog, co-authored by ZHAO Kejin and YUAN Lijuan, vividly presents the 16-character methodology of renowned Chinese sociologist and anthropologist Fei Xiaotong: ‘Appreciate the beauty of oneself, appreciate the beauty of others, share the beauty with all, and achieve harmony in the world.’ For example, Mr Shubin Wang welcomed Professor Zhao and Ms. Yuan with Cantonese cuisine at Chung Ying Cantonese Restaurant, ranked third among the best Chinese restaurants in appreciating Chinese food in the UK. Numerous photos of canals, buildings, daily life, plaques commemorating scientists, and museums exhibit ‘appreciating the beauty of others.’ The coexistence of traditional and modern, natural, cultural, industrial elements, and diverse food cultures demonstrates ‘sharing the beauty with all.’ In their reflections at the end of the blog, the authors mention that ‘finding commonality in differences means learning from others to accurately position oneself and giving due respect to the unknown world!’ This echoes the transculturality promoted by the Global China Academy and, in some sense, surpasses the concept of ‘achieving harmony in the world,’ resonating with Fei’s later advocacy of ‘harmony but not uniformity.’
2. Global Century Press publishes a series of books on eight themes, including: Chinese Concepts, Chinese Discourse, Understanding China and the World, Comparative Perspectives on China and the Chinese, Globalization of Chinese Social Sciences, “Three Eyes” Transcultural, Research on China’s Urbanization, and Cutting-edge and Avant-garde Studies. Each series includes academic works, policy research, investigation reports, and popular humanities and social science books. The book Walking for Peace has the nature of an investigation report, featuring over 300 colour photos and numerous photo descriptions provided by authors with sociological training, reflecting methods of visual sociology and visual anthropology. The blog also has a certain global and comparative perspective and many photos. Global Century  Press looks forward to adding a new book to the ‘Three Eyes Transcultural Series’ titled ‘Investigating Modernization and Global Development Experience of Modern Britain’ (tentative title), with this blog possibly being included.