Mannerheim dinner 24.8.2006
马达汉 MANNERHEIM 
Finnish-Chinese Conference on Mannerheim was organised by University of Helsinki in collaboration with Research Centre of China´s Borderland History and Geography Studies,
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences CASS in Helsinki August 23-24, 2006 and in Urumqi September 1-2.2006.
In conjunction to this conference held in Helsinki,
Asia Society Finland had an honour to organize Mannerheim Dinner at the Marski Hall of World Trade Center on 24.8.2006 and thus to contribute Helsinki Meeting on Mannerheim´s Ride Across Asia (1906-1908) in Helsinki and Urumqi.
The dinner, including traditional Mannerheim dishes of Vorshcmack and Marskin ryyppy (a full glass of vodka) was indeed impressive and unforgettable for 10 Chinese scholars and the members of Asia Society.
Professor Ma Dazheng from CASS handed Ambassador Pasi Rutanen, Chairman of Asia Society Finland, a book of Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, Matka Aasian Halki, Päiväkirja matkalta Kaspianmeri-Peking, 1906-1908 (diary of Mannerheim) translated into Chinese. All participants in present signed the book.
INVITATION TO MANNERHEIM DINNER
Time: Thursday August 24, 2006, 18.30 – 20.30
Venue: World Trade Center, Marski Hall, Aleksanterinkatu 15.
You are warmly invited to this “Mannerheim Dinner”. The host will be Mr. Pasi Rutanen, Chairman of Asia Society Finland and former Ambassador to China. Besides Professor Ma, several other distinguished Chinese Mannerheim researchers will join this exclusive event, including Professor Wang Jiaji, who translated Mannerheim’s whole travel diary into Chinese. Dr. Kauko Laitinen from the University of Helsinki will also brief about the different activities concerning
the 100th anniversary of Mannerheim’s ride.
Asia Society Finland organizes this event as its contribution to the Finnish-Chinese Conference on Mannerheim´s Ride Across Asia (1906-1908) in Helsinki and Urumqi.
The fee for dinner is 50 € per person. For the members of Asia Society the fee is 40 € per person.
For registration, please send an email to: Sirpa Rissa-anttilainen August 21, 2006.
Welcome!
Pasi Rutanen
Chairman
Asia Society Finland ry
Dinner to Honour C. G. Mannerheim´s Ride Across Asia (1906-1908)
Dear Asia Society Finland Members and all Friends of Asia
Marshal of Finland, Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867-1951) was a Finnish forerunner in Asia-Europe Relations. A century ago, 1906-1908, he travelled by horse from Central Asia through North China to Beijing. Mannerheim was then at the service of Imperial Russian Army and his mission was to collect information about China’s military forces, their training, capacity and ongoing reforms during the journey. His trip contributed, however, also to scientific knowledge in the fields of geography, ethnology and observation of ancient monuments. What made Mannerheim’s mission so interesting to later generations - even to contemporary Chinese?
Professor Ma Dazheng from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences will speak about Chinese interest in Mannerheim under the title “Chinese Attraction towards Mannerheim`s Journey in Xinjiang” at the dinner to honour Mannerheim´s historical journey.
Mannerheim’s background
Marshal of Finland, Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867-1951) was the most influential and cosmopolitan figure in Finland during the first half of the 20th century. He served as the Commander in Chief in three wars, and acted as Finland’s second Regent in 1918-1919 and as its sixth President in 1944-1946.
Mannerheim was born on June 4, 1867 to a distinguished Finnish-Swedish family living at South-Western Finland. He started his military career in Russia by attending the Nikolayev Cavalry School in St. Petersburg, after which he was appointed to the Empress’ Chevalier Guard. In 1902 he became captain in the Imperial Russian Army. Mannerheim lived altogether 17 years in St. Petersburg.
His career in the Imperial Russian Army included participation in Russo-Japanese War in Manchuria in 1904-1905, a journey across Central Asia and North China in 1906-1908 as well as participation in the First World War on the Polish front. All these contributed to his military and leadership skills.
Journey across Central Asia and North China
Mannerheim had developed an interest in Asia already at the time he was in Manchuria. In March 1906 he was called to the General Staff Headquarters in St. Petersburg and asked if he would be willing to join an archaeological research team led by the French sinologist Paul Pelliot. Pelliot’s expedition would proceed from Western Turkestan through China’s border provinces to Beijing. The journey would follow mainly the northern Silk Road by the side of Taklamakan’s desert and would last two years. Mannerheim’s task would be to collect valuable information about China’s military forces, their training, capacity and ongoing reforms.
The perspective of staying so long “outside the whole civilized world” made Mannerheim first hesitate for a moment, but then he consented, as “the desire to study new regions of the exotic Asia invigorated my imagination in the same way as during the war against Japan”. The journey meant not only extra salary but also possibility to stay away from the political intrigues of St. Petersburg. He had also an ambition to become known as an explorer.
Mannerheim left St. Petersburg by train on July 6, 1906. He joined Paul Pelliot’s large archaeological expedition in Andizhan, from where they proceeded together to Kashgar. In Kashgar their ways separated and both of them continued their journeys independently. Mannerheim decided to travel first from Kashgar to Khotan. After this visit to the south he returned to Kashgar, from where the journey continued through the mountainous Tianshan region north of the Taklamakan Desert to Urumqi and Turfan.
From there Mannerheim continued via provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi and Shanxi arriving finally in Beijing on July 25, 1908. Mannerheim had then travelled altogether 14,000 kilometres, of which 10,000 km by horse, and had passed through eight provinces of China.
What made Mannerheim’s mission timely and important? The primary reason was strategic. Russia had been expanding toward Asia as a compensation of losses which it had experienced in Europe. By the 1890s Russia had assimilated khanates of Western Turkestan and now it faced the borders of China. Russia had an interest to extend its power toward Xinjiang and to Manchuria. If the control of these areas by the Chinese government was strong, then Russian desires would meet resistance.
The secondary reason was also important, as it helped to disguise Mannerheim’s mission: scientific research and exploration of Central Asia. The current great boom of expeditions along the Silk Road revealed a multitude of scientific treasures from this formerly neglected desert area.
Mannerheim’s journey contributed to scientific knowledge especially in the fields of geography, ethnology and observation of ancient monuments. He collected archaeological material including some 2,000 fragments of ancient manuscripts and 1,200 other items, which he usually bought from the local population. He also took 1,370 photographs, draw itinerary maps and made anthropological measurements.
By Kauko Laitinen, Minna Valjakka 2006
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