one hundred celebrities, and that he never thought he could become so famous and important, because during his youth at Puli township, he was a nobody. "How lucky I am to get such welcome by foreign scholars several thousand miles away". Wang expressed an admiration for Japan's modernisation through selective use of Western institutions and technology; however, later he became distrustful of Japan's foreign policy, especially after the annexation of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Return to Shanghai The fame Wang Tao enjoyed overseas must have affected the Qing government. In 1884, the influential Li Hongzhang sent a letter to the governor of Shanghai, writing: "That gentleman from Kunshan is a rare genius with encyclopedic knowledge. It is a pity he took exile in Hong Kong, if it is possible to get his service for us, we don't mind a king's ransom". In the spring of 1884, Wang Tao and his family returned to Shanghai and settled down in Wusong district, he also founded Tao Garden Publishing House. He nicknamed himself "The Recluse of Tao Garden". In 1886, Wang Tao became the head of Gezhi College in Shanghai, where he promoted Western style education. In 1890, Wang Tao published his travelog Jottings from Carefree Travels. He also worked part-time for Shen Pao and International Tribune as special columnist; he wrote about two hundred short stories for Shen Pao, China's most important journal of the age. Wang Tao died in Shanghai on 24 May 1897, at age 68. Impact Many Chinese literati before Wang Tao introduced western ideas and translated books into Chinese. Wang Tao was the first Chinese scholar who participated in two way cultural exchange; on the one hand, Wang Tao worked with W.A. Medhurst, A. Wylie and J. Edkins to translate western religion books and western sciences into China; on the other hand, he also played an important role in assisting James Legge in the translation of a large number of important ancient Chinese classics into English. Wang Tao forged a bridge between China and the West. Wang Tao Memorial Hall is located in a Qing style house at No 6. Zhongshi Street, Luzhi township, Suzhou. Works Translations by James Legge assisted by Wang Tao (The list below is incomplete) James Legge: The Sacred Books of China. The Text of Confucianism (Oxford 1885) The Book of Change Shu Ching Book of History Lao Tsu The Hsiao King Or Classic Of