Sheng Xuanhuai (Figure, photograph, portrait)

Author: Song Luxia
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: This book tells the life story of Sheng Xuanhuai. It includes content such as: "The Hope of Longcheng," "A Scholar in the End Times," "A Giant of the Self-Strengthening Movement," and "The Soul's Demise on the Railway." The old Shanghai people say that the Sheng family was a prominent family in modern Shanghai. Sheng Xuanhuai, the patriarch of the Sheng family, was the axis of this large family. He started as a "secretary" who followed Li Hongzhang, and over forty years, he steadily rose in rank, eventually becoming a Minister of State. He followed the trend of the times and seized the opportunity of the Self-Strengthening Movement, profoundly influencing modern Chinese industry in a legendary way. Throughout his life, he was both an official and a businessman, blending Eastern and Western identities. With his knightly personality and the ups and downs of his life, he created eleven "pioneers" in the history of China's Self-Strengthening Movement: a bank, an electrical company, and an iron and steel joint venture, which made outstanding contributions to the Qing court and the people. At the same time, he also brought prosperity to the Sheng family. His children and grandchildren were mostly involved in high-profile marriages, forming a typical Shanghai family network centered around the Sheng family, ranging from high-ranking officials in the capital to wealthy families in Jiangnan. The arrogance of this family network can only be imagined. Over two hundred years, the Sheng family has had eight generations of descendants, experiencing intense social changes and upheavals. Their rise and fall, joys and sorrows, misfortunes and blessings, and the separations and reunions they endured all left deep imprints on the times, society, and class they belonged to. They also provided endless topics for the curious and gossipy urban populace to chew on over dinner.