The Chinese historian and geographer Wei Yüan (1794-1856) was one of the first Chinese to advocate learning about the West; he collected and edited available facts in the "Illustrated Gazetteer of the Countries Overseas."

Wei Yüan was born on April 23, 1794, in Shaoyang, Hunan. He passed the first of the official examinations at the age of 14 and is said to have exhibited an interest in history and philosophy. In 1822, after having received the chujen (the second-highest academic degree), he accepted the post of editor of the Collected Essays on Statecraft under the Reigning Dynasty, in which were reprinted over 2,000 essays on economics and other administrative matters. This book, which was completed in 1826, became the model for an entire genre of such collections.

Through his work as editor, Wei developed an interest in current affairs and in 1829 purchased a position as a secretary in the Grand...