同治年间,丁日昌认为中西接触之扩大是千载未有之变局,李鸿章认为西人东来侵略是三千年来之大变局,王韬认为是四千年来之大变局;光绪年间,曾纪泽认为是五千年来之大变局,张之洞则认为是中国自古以来前所未有之变局。有识之士警觉到,巨大的世变正要降临中国。紧随着这样的认知的,是诸多重要观念的出现和与之相应的行动:有了主权意识和自强观念,自然就有了操练西洋枪炮、 During the Tongzhi years, Ding Richang believed that the expansion of the contact between China and the West was an unprecedented change. Li Hongzhang thought that the invasion of Manchus by the West was a drastic change in the past three thousand years and that Wang Tao regarded it as a great change in four thousand years. In the Guangxu period, Zeng Jize regarded five thousand Great changes in recent years, Zhang Zhidong is considered unprecedented change in China since ancient times. People of insight are aware that the great change in the world is about to come to China. Following such a perception is the emergence of many important concepts and their corresponding actions: With the sense of sovereignty and self-improvement, naturally there will be exercises to drill Western guns,