Exhibition at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, April 4-22, 2017 The last time Paul Splingaerd saw his native Brussels was in 1906. He had left as a young man of 23, and did not return till he was 63, on a mission to recruit Belgian technicians...
Belgian author Alban van der Straten has just published a book on lesser-known Belgian explorers, and has dedicated a section to "Le mandarin des steppes," who is introduced at the end of the prior chapter as "the mysterious Ling Darin." Van der Straten begins his...
Lanzhou Bridge Centennial and Honorary Citizen Awards. The biggest event of the year was my August trip to Lanzhou, China. It was a memorable one. Along with seven other descendants of Paul Splingaerd, the subject of my book, The Belgian Mandarin, I was invited to the...
Splingaerd 2008 Ottenburg Reunion: Description and Report to Family Members by Dominic Bowen As promised, I am writing to you to share some photos, documents and a brief diary style report on the tremendously successful Splingaerd reunion in Ottenburg, Belgium which took place a little over...
I just ran across this video " Vladimir Nabokov and the Flemish Mandarin". It attempts to show on some level why Russian-American novelist, Vladmir Nabokov (1899 - 1977) may have been intrigued with the life of Paul Splingaerd. Characters in several famous novels and even...
Zhongshan Bridge or Yellow River (Huanghe) Iron Bridge lies at the foot of the White Pagoda Mountain. It was the first bridge over the Yellow River in beautiful Lanzhou, China. And, it may not have been built as early as it was if it were...
Read about Paul in English Read about Paul in French ...
In 1879 a 25-year old Belgian named Alfred Blondel traveled around the world to complement his education in science and engineering. His travels took him through Northern China and Mongolia, and when his great granddaughter, Martine Bouquelle of Brussels came across his diary, she contacted...
Paul was knighted by King Leopold II of Belgium and awarded the “Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Couronne”, Order of the Crown, medal in 1897....