In modern China, geological surveys in the scientific sense were first conducted by foreigners. But when did Chinese people themselves begin conducting geological surveys? And who were the individuals involved, and how did they get started?

　　On Chinese soil, the earliest scientifically conducted geological surveys carried out by the Chinese themselves were initiated in... 20 It gradually began to develop only after China had its own geologists at the turn of the century.

　　In the history of modern geology in China, an intriguing fact is that the very first geological paper was not written by a geologist but by Mr. Lu Xun, who later became one of China’s greatest literary figures. Lu Xun 1881 Born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, 18 In due time, I went to Nanjing to pursue my studies and was admitted to the free Jiangnan Naval Academy. I was assigned to the machinery department, in the engine room watchkeeping class. Half a year later, dissatisfied with the Naval Academy... “ Smoky and hazy ” He left in a fit of anger and switched to studying mining and geology at the Mining and Railway School affiliated with the Jiangnan Land Forces Academy.

　　The Mining and Road School was part of the late Qing Dynasty's Self-Strengthening Movement. “ Imitating the German system ” The school that was established placed particular emphasis on mining in its students’ studies. Its curriculum included subjects such as Gezhi (physics), Suanxue (mathematics), Dixin (geology), and Jinshi Xue (mineralogy). Lu Xun felt deeply about these natural science courses. “ Very fresh ” He was tenacious, diligent, and meticulous in his work. For the sake of his studies, Lu Xun collected numerous mineral and rock specimens, including iron ore, copper ore, quartz, as well as minerals resembling pomegranate seeds and trilobite fossils. Not content with what he learned in class, he often spent his spare time scouring libraries, copying books, and buying new ones. It was precisely for this reason that he devoted considerable effort to Yu Yan’s translation of “The Theory of Evolution.” 500 It was purchased at a high price. Lu Xun meticulously copied out, in painstaking detail, “A Brief Introduction to Geology” by the renowned British geologist Lyell, binding them into two thick volumes. He even drew detailed diagrams of geological structures found within the book himself. At the Lu Xun Memorial Hall in Shaoxing, on display is a textbook titled “Identification of Metals and Stones,” which Lu Xun used during his studies at the Mining and Road School. On the book’s margins and between the lines, numerous annotations written in neat regular script with a brush remain—notes that record both the teacher’s explanations and Lu Xun’s own insights and reflections on his studies.

　　In his third year at the Mining and Road School, Lu Xun once went to the Qinglongshan Coal Mine in Nanjing for an internship, which lasted for— 13 Tian. The Qinglongshan Coal Mine, located southeast of Nanjing—today’s Guantang Coal Mine Xiangshan Mining Area—was established in... 1896 Year, there is “ The No. 1 Mine in Jiangnan ” known as such. During the internship, Lu Xun and his classmates went down to a depth of 100 In the mine shafts of Mi, we conducted on-site inspections of the ore layers and mining conditions.

　　1902 Year, Lu Xun with “ First-class ” He graduated with excellent results from the Mining and Road School. Today, in the Lu Xun Exhibition Hall located within the Affiliated Middle School of Nanjing Normal University, we can still find Lu Xun’s diploma from his graduation at the Mining and Road School. The diploma was issued on the 18th day of the 12th month of the 27th year of the Qing Guangxu reign. The name used on the diploma was Zhou Shuren, and the official who issued the diploma was— “ Imperial Commissioner in Charge of Trade Affairs, Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, First-Rank Official with Top Hat, Minister of War, Governor-General of the Two Rivers, Shu Yong Batu Lu Liu ” At that time, a diploma wasn't called a diploma; it was called... “ License ” The scores on the diploma weren't the later percentage system either; instead, they were expressed in fractions and tenths of a point.