Este trabajo examina la figura de Pedro del Río Zañartu y las observaciones que él realizó durante su viaje a Asia oriental a fines del siglo XIX. A partir de las crónicas de Pedro del Río y la colección de objetos asiáticos reunidos en su casa-museo en la comuna de Hualpén, caracterizamos la praxis del coleccionista como ecléctica, algo que pudo obedecer a la hibridez de su condición de viajero cosmopolita y habitante de provincia, a la vez que refleja el luto que carga por la reciente muerte de su esposa e hijos. En Pedro del Río identificamos una visión sobre Asia que intenta marcar las distinciones entre chinos y japoneses, pero que rezuma un carácter exótico y homogeneizado. Este trabajo valora algunas de las particularidades del viaje de Pedro del Río –las que se no son consideradas en otros estudios sobre el tema– y que, al fin, nos dan cuenta de una experiencia, una personalidad y un coleccionismo plenamente original. Se concluye que sus viajes reflejan varias experiencias en simultáneo que toman cuerpo en un coleccionismo ecléctico. En él se destaca su sensibilidad por la belleza de las formas asiáticas, su conocimiento de los materiales de aquello que compra, las reminiscencias de la familia perdida, y un profundo sentido pedagógico (que apunta a su provincia de origen) de la colección que adquiere.

El Centro de Estudios y Desarrollo Asia Pacífico (CEDAP), de la Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, tiene el orgullo de presentar este catálogo titulado “Colección China del Museo Pedro Del Río Zañartu: Una Mirada a Asia desde la Región del Biobío, Chile”, que muestra las principales piezas chinas que se encuentran depositadas en este museo, uno de los más importantes y representativos de la identidad de la Región del Biobío.

El CEDAP, que tiene como objetivo fomentar las relaciones de la Región del Biobío con Asia Pacífico en su dimensión cultural, académica y de negocios, le da especial importancia al conocimiento de la cultura entre los países de la cuenca del pacífico, como una forma de promover el conocimiento mutuo, establecer lazos de confianza y amistad y ayudar a fortalecer una relación comercial en el largo plazo. De esta manera se busca, en este catálogo trilingüe, desarrollar un mayor conocimiento de China, nuestro principal socio comercial, y de la Región del Biobío, que ayude a potenciar las relaciones comerciales y las inversiones, contribuyendo con ello a un mayor bienestar para ambas naciones.

El proyecto ha sido un gran desafío para el equipo de trabajo del CEDAP, ya que ha permitido la interacción de diferentes disciplinas y entidades, poniendo de manifiesto la relevancia de lo estético, de la historia, la colaboración y la puesta en valor de elementos culturales asociados a ambos pueblos, unidos a través de estas piezas en un profundo sentido de amistad, para la posteridad, con una mirada a través del mar y su gente, desde Chile a China y al mundo.

At the end of the 19th century, the world was living through an era of industrial transition where steam vessels and railroads were used as means of transport along with carriages, animal backs and walking.

The route to Asia started in the port of Valparaiso in 1880 when Pedro Del Rio decided to set out on a trip to a distant destination, adventure and danger to leave behind the pain of a family tragedy.

He planned a trip around the world so Japan, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and the Middle East were part of the journey.
The original plan considered travelling up the northern Pacific coast to San Francisco, USA, but he was forced to change it when he encountered the Pacific War in Arica city (1879-1883). His patriotic spirit did not affect his personal goals. He decided to continue with his tour around the world charting a new route from the southern Pacific Ocean coast to the Strait of Magellan and to the Atlantic Ocean to the north.

On the eastern coast of the Americas he visited Argentina, Brazil, The Caribbean, United States and Canada. He disembarked in the port of New York and crossed North America by train to reach the port of San Francisco where he continued his original plan to sail the ocean towards the Asia Pacific.
He set sail on a transoceanic steamboat called “S.S. City of Tokio” towards Japan. During the first days of January, 1881, he arrived at an Imperial Japan that had already been consolidated as world power, open to foreign trade and in the midst of expansion and industrialization. Days after leaving Kobe, Japan, Pedro del Rio crossed the China Sea to meet an ancient empire. The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) still reigned the Forbidden City of Beijing and the dowager Empress Cixi (18351908) exercised de facto power. The waning Manchu Dynasty tried to govern the increasingly powerful and fractious local leaders at the same time as it faced strong foreign pressure.

He landed in the ports of Shanghai, Hong Kong, Formosa (today Taiwan), Guanzhou and Macao, all main Chinese city-ports from southern China that were built under the European influence of the colonies that controlled them at that time. On foot or by rickshaw, a human-powered vehicle, he toured the wide avenues of the neighborhoods influenced by European architecture and of course, the narrow streets of the Chinese towns that could provide him with new treasures. In his own words, “the museum attracts me, fascinates me, like the many souvenir shops where despite the protests and jokes of my companions, I make good provision to increase the pieces of the Hualpen museum”.

Even before traveling, Pedro del Rio had already expressed his intentions to start a coin and newspaper collection from all the places he would visit on his first trip. Apart from collecting those items, he also added hotel bills, menus and all kinds of furniture and objects that accompanied him until his return and with which he started the museum. Only on his first trip, he visited almost three hundred cities and towns from diverse latitudes.
A program of the Chinese opera, which he attended in Shanghai, is preserved at the museum as well as handwriting on glossy red paper that shows the contact he had with the local culture. This is a point of view from this collector traveler who sought not only objects but also experiences.

The museum collection that comes from the 5 continents is the legacy of a visionary for the social and cultural development of Chile and particularly of the Biobio Region where the museum is located.
Pedro Del Río Zañartu (1840-1918) was aware of the benefits of culture and education for the social development of a nation. His travels around the world did not push him away from his hometown, Concepcion. His letters and travel logs expressed affection for his country and Hualpen. He dedicated his passionate labor as a collector to all the people who would benefit from a public museum, which in his view would allow any person to have contact with other cultures.
His first trip around the world took place between 1880 and 1882 and it was the only trip that led him to eastern Asia. Using the transoceanic mail system during his trips, he sent letters that were published in the El Sur magazine, a newspaper printed at that time in the city of Concepción. All the anecdotes, reflections and information published about the different places he visited gave rise to his first book entitled A Chilean’s Trip Around The World published in 1883. His travel logs make him one of the first Chileans to travel around the world and bring back home the benefits of an experience and a collection that “was intended as a gift to my country, Chile” as he said.
In his will, this visionary gave his estate and all it contained to the citizens of Concepción. In 1938, the Pedro Del Río Zañartu Park and Museum was opened to public, fulfilling his wish that any person, without distinction, could be able to enjoy nature and learn about other cultures.
Today a national historic monument, the house-museum is located in the highest part of Hualpen peninsula. It was his second residence and the one he enjoyed the most as he was closer to his collections and to the immense and beautiful nature that surrounded him.
Pedro del Rio was an entrepreneur, philanthropist and an active member of his local society. He was the founder and director of Bank of Concepcion and a culture promoter of his time collaborating in the creation of the Concepcion Theater, the Concepcion Club, the Clinic Hospital and the University of Concepcion. He left a mark as a patriot developing projects for greater social equity. His legacy is present in a neighborhood, a street, a high school, a soccer team, a park and a museum that gratefully bear his name.
His experience and the creation of the museum contributed to expanding the cultural horizon of the Biobio Region. Visiting his museum is a way of continuing to learn about Pedro del Rio as is reading his travel logs published in 1883. To learn more about the local history, the book “Pedro Del Río Zañartu, Philanthropist and Universal traveler”, written in 1997 by Chilean historian Armando Cartes Montory, can be reviewed.