Governor of Taiwan Liu Mingchuan

Author: Wang Minghao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-09-01
Features: Biographies of late Qing dynasty officials are currently very popular in the market. Hunan Literature and Humanities Press have successively launched works such as "Zeng Guofan" and "Zhang Zhidong." The subject of this book, Liu Mingchuan, was also a renowned general of the late Qing dynasty, comparable to Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang. During his tenure, he worked tirelessly to safeguard Taiwan and maintain national unity, becoming the first Taiwan Governor appointed by the Qing government. This period of history seems relatively unknown, and this book is now presented to the readers. The novel depicts the turbulent late Qing government, which suffered repeated defeats after its doors were forced open by Western powers. At this time, Taiwan, with its strategic importance, became a coveted prize for the. The French were the first to strike, launching an attack from the southeastern coast, resulting in a crushing defeat for the Qing government and a precarious battlefield situation. At this critical moment, Liu Mingchuan, a seasoned general who had retired after numerous victories, was summoned back into service and appointed as Taiwan Governor. Upon taking office, he employed a strategy of feigning retreat to mislead the enemy while secretly gathering elite troops to secretly cross the river and break free from the French encirclement, successfully reaching Taiwan. Subsequently, he calmed the people's hearts and, in a series of cunning battles against the French Marshal de Courbet, repeatedly outwitted the enemy, ultimately weakening the once invincible French forces. Meanwhile, the veteran general Feng Zicai from Guangxi defeated the French at the Pass of Zhennan, echoing Liu Mingchuan's efforts. The decisive victory in the Sino-French War was the Qing government's only triumph in all its conflicts with Western powers.