Wang Tao Memorial

Wang Tao Memorial

Wang Tao memorial hall is located at No.6 Xiatang street, luzhizhong city. It is a residence with architectural style of Qing Dynasty, covering an area of 800 square meters. It is divided into three parts: Wang Tao's life story exhibition room, Wang Tao's former residence and Tao Yuan.

brief introduction

Whenever it comes to improvement, people will inevitably associate with "Kang Liang". Wang Tao, who advocated reform and self-improvement earlier than Kang Liang, is rarely known. In fact, Wang Tao's thoughts and ideas were quite influential at that time. He once proposed that "prosperity is the foundation of governing the country", advocated learning from western science and technology, demanded the development of industry and Commerce and new transportation, advocated the reform of feudal imperial examination system and school system, and prepared public opinion for the reform of 1898, but the authorities "used their words but still abandoned them".

Wang Tao (1828-1897), a famous thinker in modern times, was a reformist political commentator in the late Qing Dynasty. Luzhi was born in a scholarly family. At the age of 18, he was the first scholar in the examination. In the 29th year of Daoguang (1849 AD), he accepted the invitation of the British missionary Matthews to work in the Mohai Library of the Church of England in Shanghai, engaged in compiling Western books for 13 years, and widely contacted with western social science knowledge. During this period, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom revolution and the second Opium War broke out one after another. Wang Tao wrote many times and offered the general plan of "pacifying the thieves" and "defending the army". The authorities did not actually express his disappointment. In 1860, the Taiping army conquered Suzhou and Changzhou and invaded Shanghai. At the beginning of the first year of tongzhi (1862 AD), Wang Tao returned to his hometown to visit his sick mother and stayed in Lizhong for three months. In order to protect his family and property, he once changed his name to Huang Wan and wrote to Liu Zhaojun, the Prime Minister of the Taiping Army in Su Fu province. He suggested that the Taiping army should not attack Shanghai in exchange for the guarantee that foreign countries would no longer finance the arms of the Qing Dynasty. He also suggested that the Taiping army should strive for the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and divide its forces to interfere with the sea transportation of the Qing Dynasty. Soon after, the book fell into the hands of the Qing army and was found out, so Li Hongzhang ordered him to be arrested for "colluding with thieves". In October of this year, he took refuge in Hong Kong under the protection of British Consul Francis. From then on, he changed his name to Tao and was named tunsou Tiannan.

course

After taking refuge in Hong Kong, Wang Tao helped James Legge translate ancient Chinese books such as poetry, spring and Autumn Annals and Zuo Zhuan in Yinghua academy, and he also studied Confucian classics in his spare time. In the sixth year of Tongzhi, he was invited by James Legge to translate books into English. He traveled to Britain, France and other countries by the way. He studied the way of enriching the country and strengthening the army. He learned a lot and his thoughts changed accordingly.

In the ninth year of Tongzhi, Wang Tao returned to Hong Kong and raised money with his friends to buy Yinghua college, which was transformed into the General Administration of China printing. In the 13th year of Tongzhi, the famous circulation daily was founded in Hong Kong. As the main writer, it spread western culture, called for reform and opening up, and advocated reform and strengthening. Its thoughts had a significant impact on Westernization Movement, reform and constitutional movement.

In 1879, Wang Tao traveled to Japan and made contacts with Japanese celebrities. He also made friends with Huang Zunxian, the counselor of the then Embassy in Japan. For a few days, he often "chanted together and talked about world affairs".

In the 10th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Wang Tao, with the acquiescence of Li Hongzhang through Ding Richang, moved back to Shanghai and ended his 23 year exile. He was promoted to the head of Gezhi academy by Shanghai Zhongxi director and served as the director of the compilation of Shenbao. Since then, he no longer traveled far away, but built a Taoyuan garden in the west of Shanghai and devoted himself to writing dozens of works, such as Taoyuan Wenlu waibian, Taoyuan Chidu, juehuaguan Shilu, etc.

In the 20th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Wang Tao got to know Sun Yat Sen through Zheng Guanying, and once polished Sun Yat Sen's Shangli Hongzhang.

In the 23rd year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Wang Tao died of illness in the thatched cottage in the west of Shanghai and was buried in his hometown Luzhi.

In 1998, Luzhi people's government prepared to build Wang Tao Memorial Hall in memory of the thinker Wang Tao and to carry forward his patriotism and open consciousness.

Wang Tao memorial hall is located at No.6 Xiatang street, luzhizhong city. It is a residence with architectural style of Qing Dynasty, covering an area of 800 square meters. It is divided into three parts: Wang Tao's life story exhibition room, Wang Tao's former residence and Tao Yuan. The name of the hall is inscribed on the doorstep by Mr. Tao qiangjun. In the house, there is a three room Yuanyang hall with a plaque of "Juanhua hall". In the middle of the hall, there is a tall wooden screen. In front of the screen, there is a bronze statue of Wang Tao. On the pillars of the hall, there are couplets written by Wang Tao himself: "horses in short clothes follow Li Guang, while the paper Pavilion and reed curtain face Meng Guang." There was also a couplet that Kang Youwei presented to Wang Tao: "if you want to end up in Xiaohan, that's Gao Huasong." Finally, there is a small garden called Taoyuan.

Address: No.6 Xiatang street, Luzhi Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou (in Luzhi ancient town scenic area)

Longitude: 120.873878479

Latitude: 31.270853042602

Tel: 0512-69007900

Ticket information: no ticket required. Included in the ticket of Luzhi ancient town.

Chinese PinYin : Wang Tao Ji Nian Guan