Guan Tianpei

Guan Tianpei

Guan Tianpei (from January 8, 1781 to February 26, 1841) was born in Shanyang County, Huai'an Prefecture, Jiangsu Province (now Huai'an District, Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province). He was a famous patriotic general and national hero in the Qing Dynasty.

He has successively held such important posts as chief commander, chief commander, garrison, general, deputy general and governor. During the Guangdong governor Lin Zexu, he gave full support to the national hero, Humen, who destructed opium. In 1840, the Opium War broke out. On the sixth day of February in the 21st year of Daoguang (1841), the British launched a general attack on Humen fortress. Under the command of Guan Tianpei himself, despite the fact that the number of defenders was several times lower than that of the other side, in the face of the fierce attack of the British army, they still stuck to their positions and resisted tenaciously. In the end, because the reinforcements did not arrive, he was shot and died. The imperial court took the posthumous title of Zhongjie and granted the title of Zhenwei general.

Guan Tianpei is the author of "preliminary collection of preparatory sea" and training charts.

Life of the characters

Early experience

Guan Tianpei was a famous general in the Opium War. Guan Tianpei was born in a family with a low position in martial arts. In 1803 (the eighth year of Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty), he was admitted to Wu Xiangsheng, a scholar of Chinese martial arts, and was awarded the general manager. All previous posts, such as general manager, general manager, garrison, guerrilla and general, have been promoted to general manager. In 1826 (the sixth year of Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty), the Qing government began to transport grain by sea. Guan Tianpei escorted more than 1000 grain ships to Tianjin safely and promoted them to deputy general. The next year, he was promoted to General of Susong town in Jiangnan. In the spring of 1832, he acted as the governor of Jiangnan. In 1834, he was transferred to Guangdong Navy.

Diligent in defense

After Guan arrived in Guangdong and took over the post, he devoted himself to strengthening the coastal defense of Guangdong. After taking office, he personally surveyed the geographical situation, actively reorganized defense, built fort, cast heavy artillery, built reefs, trained soldiers, and consolidated coastal defense. He personally supervised the casting of 40 cannons of eight or six thousand jin, and hundreds of cannons of less than six thousand jin. He also divided the cannons into different parts to strengthen the defensive force. At the same time, he also stepped up the training of the Navy troops, personally stationed in Humen to supervise the military training. At the end of February and the beginning of August every year, he personally led 500 soldiers to Weiyuan, Zhenyuan, hengdang, Datong, Yong'an and Jianguo to carry out actual combat exercises and drill guns.

Guan Tianpei also compiled his experience in building Humen fortress and collected relevant materials into four volumes of preliminary collection of preparing for the sea, with many detailed maps, training charts, tables, etc., reflecting his coastal defense thought of caring about current affairs and resisting aggression.

Strive to ban smoking

In the 19th year of Daoguang (1839), the Qing government appointed Lin Zexu, governor of Huguang, as the imperial minister. He went south to Guangzhou and presided over the anti smoking movement. Apart from actively cooperating with Deng Tingzhen, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, in cracking down on opium smuggling, Guan Tianpei also firmly supported Lin Zexu's anti smoking action, and dispatched a navy to undertake the important and arduous task of collecting and destroying opium. More than 20000 boxes of opium from British and American merchants were collected and handed over to Lin Zexu for destruction at Humen beach. Because Guan Tianpei actively cooperated with Lin Zexu in the anti smoking movement and made great contributions, he was also awarded by the Qing government.

Bloody Humen

In September of the 20th year of Daoguang (1840), Lin Zexu was dismissed and investigated. Most of the local officials in Guangdong changed their attitude of "peace talks" with the British Invaders, but Guan Tianpei remained unmoved and still resolutely fought. On the tenth day of December of that year, the Shajiao and Dajiao fortresses of Humen fortress were all captured by the British army, and the General Chen Liansheng and others died. Guan Tianpei was in Humen, and only a few hundred soldiers stayed with him. He asked the governor of Guangdong and Guangdong for help many times, but he was unable to get strong help. Qi Shan, then governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, sent only 200 soldiers to make perfunctory remarks. Guan Tianpei knew that it was difficult to recover the war situation, so he decided to serve his country with his death.

On the sixth day of February in the 21st year of Daoguang (1841), the British launched a general attack on Humen fortress. With 10 warships and 3 steamships, together with landing troops, they stormed the Jingyuan fort where Guan Tianpei was. The fighting was fierce from noon to late night. Guan Tianpei, who was more than 60 years old, personally directed the attack. He was wounded in more than 10 places and still fired back at the enemy himself. The British commander sent an ultimatum to Guan Tianpei to give up the fort in Humen, which Guan Tianpei ignored. In the evening, the British troops attacked the fort. Guan Tianpei fought with a knife and was wounded in his left arm in more than 10 places. However, he still stood in front of the battle and fired with his own gun. Later, he was hit by bullets, leaving scars all over his body. He still cried out to kill the enemy.

In order not to make Tidu Dayin fall into the enemy's hands, Guan Tianpei urgently ordered his entourage to take Dayin away. The entourage cried, grabbed his skirt and asked to withdraw together. Guan Tianpei refused, insisted on commanding and encouraged the soldiers to fight hard. All of a sudden, another artillery shell from the enemy attacked. Unfortunately, the veteran over sixty was shot and died. When Guan Tianpei died, his eyes were closed and he stood upright. When the British saw that "Guan Tianpei stood upright like a living man, he was shocked and fell," they were all stunned. In the end, more than 400 soldiers guarding the fort died bravely.

Historical records

The history of Qing Dynasty: biography of Guan Tianpei

Qing Dynasty Rouyuan Ji

Biography of Guan Zhongjie, commander in chief of Guangdong Navy

Shanyang County annals

Biography of Guan Zhongjie

member of family

Madam: Yang

The eldest son: Guan kuilong, once served as garrison, guerrilla and general

Second son: Guan Conglong, attacking yunduwei, serving as Anhui alternate Tongzhi

Eldest grandson: Guan Xianbao, a hereditary cavalry captain, and an official guard

Granddaughter: Guan Kaibao

Historical evaluation

Lin Zexu: six years of Gujin Tang, asking who broke the great wall suddenly, he devoted himself to empty religion and bowed himself to exhaustion; he was loyal to both sides of the canal, and he heard that the alien was also Qinwei Festival, so he went back to his hometown.

Chen Kangqi: Hoo Hoo! In the change of the sea between Geng and Xin, only Lin Wenzhong and Yu Jingjie could rely on him to defend himself. Nai Yi was close to an important official, but he was afraid of flattering the enemy, so that he was afraid of losing his favor. As a result, the poor island's monsters ran rampant in Mingbo and chose to eat. However, the argument of building a house for a while, on the contrary, provoked a quarrel against Wen Zhong and slandered Jingjie with the death of poverty. It also burned the city with its tongue and displaced heaven and earth. Up to now, there are still some people who have picked up saliva. As for Chen Zhongmin's guarding Wusong, GE Zhuangjie, Wang Gangjie and Zheng Zhongjie's guarding Dinghai, and Hu men's guarding Humen, all of them were bandits in the same boat. They helped to die, built up their Tassels and spared their armor, and decayed our great wall. For the rest of his life, gengzi lived in Haidong. He was filled with anger when he saw the changes in recent years. If you can't get up the ghost of cowardly and handsome, it will be used as a sacrifice for the loyal ministers. Whoo! What can we do.

Draft of the history of the Qing Dynasty: when the war broke out in the coastal areas, they were not only dwarfed by the military equipment, but also ignorant of the enemy's situation, and they were constrained by the uncertainty of peace and war. Those who were afraid of war were defeated, and those who were loyal and brave were also defeated. The officials who are dedicated to speed, forget the body and die for the country, never return to the heel of righteousness, but also seek the peace of mind. Hoo hoo, Lieji! It's attached to the chapter for the benefit of those who give orders.

Commemoration of later generations

Guan Zhongjie Temple

There is an ancient and solemn ancestral hall, guanzhongjie ancestral hall, built in memory of Guan Tianpei, a national hero. It used to be three main halls and two wing rooms, surrounded by antique flower wall courtyard. On the altar, the statue of Guan Tianpei's official costume is lifelike, with a pair of close followers holding swords and books. There is a long plaque on the gate of the hall. On both sides of the hall are nanmu elegiac couplets written by the great calligrapher Zhou Muzhai.

Tomb of Guan Tianpei

Guan Tianpei's tomb was built in nanyaojiu village, Chengdong township. The water beside the tomb is gurgling and the pines and cypresses are towering. Together with guanzhongjie temple, it has become an important patriotic education base in Huai'an City.

Chinese PinYin : Guan Tian Pei