光緒三十一年(1905),奉袁世凱之命，建立了北洋高等女學堂，校址在河北西窯洼(今河北區(qū)西箭道小學舊址)。光緒三十三年(1907)秋，張相文應直隸提學使兼學堂監(jiān)督傅增湘之聘，來天津北洋高等女學堂任教務長(旋任堂長) ,兼授地理課程。同年，又被北京大學聘為地理講師。
張相文(1866～1933),字蔚西，號沌谷。江蘇泗陽人。自幼聰穎好學，人稱“神童” ,弱冠之年試補博士弟子員，名列第二。后殫心新學，尤喜中外輿地科學。光緒二十五年(1899),入上海南洋公學師范專攻史地，同時，兼任留學院的國文、地理課教員。曾經(jīng)編著初等、中等地理教科書。此后又到淮安、廣州等地教書。
光緒三十四年(1908),也就是他來天津北洋女子高等學堂的第二年，編撰完成了中國第一部普通自然地理著作——《地文學》。其內(nèi)容分為： 星界、陸界、水界、氣界、生物界5篇。有的學者認為： 《地文學》 “把無機自然和有機自然聯(lián)系起來，這在世界地學史上顯然是一個重要的創(chuàng)舉” 。
清宣統(tǒng)元年(1909)八月十五日，張相文還在北洋官立第一蒙養(yǎng)院(舊址在新開河畔),創(chuàng)立了中國最早的地理學術(shù)團體——中國地學會。到會會員50余人。直隸提學使傅增湘出席成立大會，并被推任總理。張相文被選為會長，白毓昆任編輯部部長。宣統(tǒng)二年(1910)一月，張相文主持中國地學會還創(chuàng)辦了中國最早的地理專業(yè)學術(shù)期刊《地學雜志》?！兜匚膶W》、中國地學會、《地學雜志》,是中國近代地理萌芽時期極為重要的標志性成果，使中國地理學從傳統(tǒng)的純經(jīng)驗的描述，開始走向以探討地理事物和現(xiàn)象的因果關(guān)系及發(fā)展規(guī)律為主的近代地理學，并為這個轉(zhuǎn)變奠定了基礎(chǔ)。民國初年，中國地學會遷至北京。
宣統(tǒng)三年(1911),張相文參加了白毓昆等領(lǐng)導的灤州起義的準備工作。為了舉行京津起義，動搖清室的根本之地，以便支持南方革命的目標，張相文親自擬定了一個 “北方革命計劃” 。按此計劃，白毓昆親去灤州，發(fā)動清廷新軍第二十鎮(zhèn)起義； 而張相文急速南下，到達上海，要求同盟會領(lǐng)袖黃興派兵北伐。后因灤州起義失敗，白毓昆壯烈犧牲，張相文遠避上海，專事研究學問。

·張相文

In 1905 (the 31th year of Emperor Guangxu),TianjinBeiyang Women Advanced School was set up. In autumnof 1907 (the 33rd year of Emperor Guangxu),invited byFu Zenghui,Zhili Education Governor,Zhang Xiangwencame to Tianjin and was employed as the dean inTianjin Beiyang Women Advanced School (now in theoriginal address of Xijiandao Primary School in HebeiDistrict). He also taught geography. In the same year,hewas employed also as the geography teacher of BeijingUniversity.
Zhang Xiangwen (1866-1933),styled Weixi andalso known by his literary name Dungu,had beenbright since his childhood and had been known for his "prodigy". He got No. 2 in the examination of doctoratewhen he was twenty. Later he was dedicated to westernlearning,especially geographical science. In 1899 (the25th year of Emperor Guangxu),he was admitted toShanghai Nanyang Public Normal School,specializingin history and geography. He was also the teacher ofChinese and geography in Foreign Study Academy. Hecompiled primary and middle level geography textbooks.He had also been teaching in Huai`an and Guangzhou.
In 1908 (the 34th year of Emperor Guangxu),thesecond year when he came to Tianjin Beiyang WomenAdvance School,he compiled the first general geographyworks in China,Physiography. The book includes fiveparts respectively about star,land,water,atmosphereand biology. Some scholars praised that Physiographycombined inorganic nature with organic nature andit was an important pioneering work in the history ofphysiography in the world.
In August 15,1909 (the first year of EmperorXuantong),Zhang Xiangwen founded the earliestgeography academic body-China Geography Academy,the founding ceremony of which was held in BeiyangPublic Kindergarten I (now located near the banks ofXinkai River). More than 50 members of it attended theceremony,including chief education governor of ZhiliProvince,Fu Zengxiang who was elected the nominalpresident; Zhang Xiangwen was elected as chairman andBai Minkun as editing manager.
In January 1910 (the second year of EmperorXuantong),Zhang Xiangwen,with his ChinaGeography Academy,founded the earliest geographyjournal in China,Geography Journal. The compilingof Physiography,the founding of China GeographyAcademy and Geography Journal symbolized greatachievements in geography in the beginning of modernChina. They also symbolized that geography studyin China transformed from traditional experimentaldescription to modern geography study that mainlyexplored the causal relationship between geographicsubstance and their outward phenomena as well as theirrules of development. In a word,all of these eventspaved the way for this transformation. In the first year ofthe Republic of People,China Geography Union movedto Beijing.
In 1911 (the 3rd year of Emperor Xuantong),Zhang Xiangwen participated in the preparations ofLuanzhou Rising led by Bai Minkun. He drew upthe Revolution Plan of North China to support therevolution in South China and to initiate Beijing andTianjin Revolt. Conforming to this plan,Bai Minkunwent to Luanzhou to encourage the New Army stationedat No.20 Town to initiate uprising,and Zhang Xiangwenimmediately went to Shanghai to ask the leader ofChina Federal Association,Huangxing,for northernexpedition. However,Luanzhou Rising failed and BaiMinkun died gloriously. Zhang Xiangwen had to retreatto Shanghai to do his research.

·中國地學會地學雜志