Li Hongzhang

Author: Chen Bin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Li Hongzhang, a prominent military and political figure of the late Qing Dynasty, styled Shaoyuan, was from Hefei. A graduate of the Daoguang imperial examination, he once served as a counselor to Zeng Guofan. As the founder and commander of the Huai Army, he achieved remarkable military successes for the Qing court in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion and the Nian Rebellion. At the same time, he was one of the founders of the modern Self-Strengthening Movement and established China's first modern navy—the Beiyang Fleet. In the politically turbulent late Qing era, he represented the Qing dynasty in negotiating with foreign powers on multiple occasions. However, he also bore the stigma of betrayal due to a series of unequal treaties. After his death, he was posthumously honored as Wenzhong. His posthumous works were compiled into The Complete Works of Wenzhong Gong.
This book,、、、、。，：，，，，，，。，：“，！”
The booka vast amount of historical materials to depict various aspects of Qing society, the court, officialdom, diplomacy, and warfare before and after the First Sino-Japanese War. With a compassionate heart, the author portrays the twilight scene of the Great Qing Empire: on one hand, the extravagance of figures like Empress Dowager Cixi; on the other, the humiliating cession of territory following China's defeat in the war. Meanwhile, the protagonist of the book—Li Hongzhang, the most illustrious Han Chinese official of the late Qing, and one of the most effective proponents of the Self-Strengthening Movement in modern China—finds himself trapped in the between these two forces, enduring hardships and struggling to prop up theQing dynasty. Yet, despite all his cunning efforts, he ultimately lamented, "The grand mansion collapses in a sudden gust, leaving behind only a vast, desolate land!"