Late Qing Ten Great Figures

Author: Liang Xiaoyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Because of his outstanding military achievements, Li Hongzhang rose to the pinnacle of power, but after his death, he was wearing the hat of a "traitor." The signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki and the Boxer Protocol pushed China, already in dire straits, into an irreparable catastrophe. However, while we curse Li Hongzhang for "losing national sovereignty and humiliating the country," how many of us can imagine that under such a vast power imbalance, Li's only option was to minimize sacrifices—he had no choice but to sacrifice. In the eyes of Western diplomats who had dealt with Li, this "Eastern Bismarck" earned their respect. "Li was undoubtedly a true patriot, always doing his utmost to uphold his country's interests, but unfortunately, the chips he held in his hand were fewer!" – The Ten Great Figures of the Late Qing Dynasty·Li Hongzhang
Before his death, Zhang Zhidong would never have imagined that his desperate efforts to preserve the purity of the Qing government would, in the end, inadvertently play a decisive role in the course of Chinese history. Just two years after his death, the capital of Hubei Province, which he had painstakingly built up over nearly two decades, witnessed the Wuchang Uprising, ending thousands of years of feudal autocracy. And his intervention at a critical moment to save Yuan Shikai's life also sowed the seeds for the later restoration of feudal monarchy. – The Ten Great Figures of the Late Qing Dynasty·Zhang Zhidong
He was the most capable frontier governor under Emperor Daoguang. For a considerable period, his main task was to travel from place to place, managing floods and suppressing various emergencies. The sound of a cannon from the Opium War thrust him into the forefront of history, and the name of Lin Zexu was henceforth etched into the annals. Yet he was plagued by misfortune. After the destruction of opium at Humen, he was quickly exiled to Xinjiang's Ili for "dedicated service to atone for his crimes." In an instant, virtue and vice intertwined in one person, twisting and reshaping him. Beyond the Yumen Pass, the scenery was desolate. Here, Lin Zexu endured the loneliness of time as the seasons changed. – The Ten Great Figures of the Late Qing Dynasty·Lin Zexu