The numbers of Poles in Asia grew in the 19th century when deportees, including insurgents of the January Uprising, arrived in the Far East. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Polish culture was cultivated in the hubs of the Polish diaspora in Harbin and Shanghai. Their most illustrious forerunner was Father Michał Boym, the first Pole to have rendered great services for the Chinese state. POLISH EMIGRE HISTORY
During the construction of the Eastern China Railway in the firs and second decades of the 20th century, the Far Eastern city of Harbin provided an oportunity for many Poles to find decent employment. In 1907, the number of Poles in Manchuria exceeded 7000 people, soaring to ovew 20000 at its peak in around 1920. Within the local society, the Gospoda Polska Association providede a centre that created and promoted Polish culture and became involved into all the affairs crucial for the Polish diaspora. The rights of Poles in the Far Eastern territories were protected by the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Harbin.
Father Władysłwa Szuniewicz, MD (1892-1963), Polish priest from the Congregation of the Mission of Vincent de Paul, pediatrician and ophthalmologist, pioneer of surgical treatment of corneal astigmatism in China. Andrzej Giza, historian and art historian, journalist and academic lecturer, reasearcher of the legacy of Polish migrs. Lucyna Rotter, expert in tangible and intangible heritage, with a special focus on symbolism in European culture. She also runs research in the auxiliary sciences of history and costumology. Promotor of the study of the lnguage of symbols and signs in cultures, history, and art.