When Li Hongzhang took the elevator for the first time during his visit to the United States, he casually said a word ... which made people cry.

Li Hongzhang, a minister in the late Qing Dynasty, was a key figure who started the Westernization Movement in the19th century, and was also the first official who realized that China needed diplomacy at that time. 1896, Li Hongzhang visited the United States immediately after signing the treaty of shimonoseki, which humiliated his country and his rights. At that time, there were different opinions in China that Li Hongzhang was evading accusations, but after the Westernization Movement began, Li Hongzhang realized the power of western science and technology, and made many jokes because he didn't understand these technologies.

1896, the Qing dynasty was invited by Tsar Nicholas II to attend the coronation ceremony in Russia. Li Hongzhang did not return to China immediately after attending the ceremony, but went to visit the United States for 10 days. After he arrived in the United States, the United States arranged a grand welcoming ceremony to welcome Li Hongzhang. When he got off the means of transportation, Li Hongzhang could not help feeling when he saw the tall buildings in the United States: "It was difficult to build that high in the Qing Dynasty, even if it was built, it was not strong. 」

During Li Hongzhang's visit to the United States, he was arranged to live in waldorf. By this time, Waldorf already had an elevator, but he didn't know what an elevator was, so he said curiously, "This room is too small. I'm afraid I can't even put the chair down. As soon as this sentence was spoken, the American foreign affairs officer smiled. He said, "This is not your room, but the elevator. You need it when you want to move. 」