first institution in China for the study of Western thought and society.

The Tongwenguan was originally established in 1862 to teach Western languages and thereby free Chinese diplomats from reliance on foreign interpreters. In 1866 the study of astronomy and mathematics was added to the curriculum, and by 1870 the college provided an eight-year program that began with three years of foreign-language study followed by five years of course work in Western sciences and general knowledge. The enrollment, initially 30, increased to 100 in 1869 and to 163 in 1879, but, with several notable exceptions, the quality of the students remained low.

The school helped disseminate Western knowledge in China. Many of the professors and students made translations of Western writings, and in 1873 a printing facility was established, which published works in the fields of international law, political science, chemistry, physics, and natural philosophy. In 1902 the Tongwenguan was absorbed by the Imperial University.