Complete works of Zeng Guofan

Author: None
Publisher: Central University of Nationalities Press
Publishing Time: None
Features: In1917, after thoroughly reading the Complete Works of Zeng Wenzheng, Mao Zedong conducted research on great figures in Chinese history and concluded, "I am inferior to my contemporaries, except for the one-eyed Zeng Wenzheng." Chiang Kai-shek admired, studied, and emulated Zeng Guofan throughout his life, believing his works to be "essential reading for any political leader." As early as his time as the principal of the Whampoa Military Academy, Chiang edited The White Commentary on Zeng and Hu's Military Treatises himself, requiring every student to have a copy ("one per person") as a blueprint for military and state governance. Chen Duxiu, the founder of the Communist Party of China, was deeply influenced by the Hunan spirit nurtured by Zeng Guofan. In his 1920 article In Praise of the Spirit of Hunan People, he wrote: "What is the spirit of the Hunan people? If China were to perish, it would only be because all the Hunan people had died! Decades ago, figures like Zeng Guofan and Luo Zengnan were scholars who could stake hard fortifications and fight to the death!"
A moral exemplar who stood tall, achieved merits, and spoke with authority; a model of integrity, official conduct, and governance for generations to come—a legendary figure revered as the "sage" by officials from Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong to Yuan Shikai and Chiang Kai-shek, and a "heroic figure" emulated by reformers like Tan Sitong, Liang Qichao, Chen Duxiu, and Mao Zedong. He was the last great Confucian scholar of China's feudal twilight, a remarkable statesman who rose and fell in the Qing Dynasty, and was later honored as the "Official Sage" of his generation. In modern Chinese history, few figures possess greater charm than Zeng Guofan.
He rose to rank more swiftly than anyone else in the Qing Dynasty—he reached the second rank of officials at the age of 37, a feat unmatched in the entire dynasty. He served with distinction, achieving fame and respect worldwide. He maintained his position with stability, weathering the storms of official life unscathed and remaining both noble and prosperous.
His accomplishments were extraordinary, marked by two earth-shaking events in his lifetime: first, he organized the Xiang Army to suppress the Taiping Rebellion, extending the life of the near-collapse Qing Dynasty by over 50 years; second, he promoted the Self-Strengthening Movement, accelerating China's modernization.
He was a wise father, raising a talented family, and his Letters of Zeng Guofan earned him the title of "the paragon of moral and cultural excellence."
He was scholarly, deeply devoted to reading and writing throughout his life, and adept at applying his knowledge in leadership and governance. His works, such as The Sayings on Military Affairs, Ice Mirror, and The Tenacity Code, were highly regarded by later generations and long served as the spiritual guide for the ruling class. His strategies for navigating life, methods for self-cultivation, approaches to personnel management, and governance policies were uniquely distinctive, still today.
Yet, he was also a controversial figure. Those who praised him called him an "immortal of virtue, achievement, and words," a "perpetual sage," while those who criticized him labeled him a "traitor" or "executioner." Zeng Guofan is a figure whose worth is timeless—one you will forever wish to know and understand.