In 1885, the German engineer Carl Benz built the first Benz patented motor vehicle. This car is also recognized by later generations as the world's first car. Therefore, this year is also recognized by later generations as the birth year of the automobile. In this year, the gasoline engine was also invented.
In the context of such rapid development in Western countries, the Qing Dynasty at this time was becoming increasingly decaying and declining, and Western countries also used strong ships and cannons to knock on the door of the country that the Qianlong Emperor praised as "the kingdom of heaven". The ruler Cixi Qiangang was dictatorial and extravagant and wasteful. At that time, the annual military expenditure of the Beiyang Navy was 4 million taels of silver, and Li Hongzhang embezzled part of the naval military expenses to build the Summer Palace in order to cater to the selfish desires of Empress Dowager Cixi.
In 1896, Li Hongzhang traveled to Europe and the United States, saw foreign skyscrapers, saw cars speeding on the ground, and deeply realized the gap between the Qing Dynasty and foreign countries, this year was the second year of the total annihilation of the Beiyang Fleet, at this time Li Hongzhang may regret the original decision, but it did not help.
In 1901, when Empress Dowager Cixi celebrated her birthday, Yuan Shikai presented a four-wheeled car to Empress Dowager Cixi, and Cixi liked it very much, so she said: "This object runs so fast, it must eat a lot of food", at that time, many officials present at the time, including Yuan Shikai, did not know how to respond to this question and answer. From this sentence, we can also see the ignorance of Empress Dowager Cixi. Even now, every time I read this story, I laugh at Cixi's ignorance.
From this, we can also see the ignorance of Empress Dowager Cixi, backward thinking, she wants only her own power, but to enjoy a luxurious society, as for the rest, Empress Dowager Cixi probably did not think too much at all, and later Cixi also proposed the conditions for drivers to kneel and drive, which is also shocking, and the emergence of China's first domestically produced car occurred in 1928.
After the Xinhai Revolution, the car was transferred from the Forbidden City to the Summer Palace. According to the appraisal of experts, this is the first car imported from China, which has been more than 100 years ago, becoming a rare classic car in the world and attracting the attention of the world. The car is still stored in the Summer Palace.
It has to be said that Cixi, as the supreme ruler, the rise and fall of the country is all in her, but she is unwilling to accept new things, to learn new knowledge, to trap herself in a cage, without a far-sighted vision, the Qing Dynasty can not develop, and then to the demise.