Wang Yanwei

Wang Yanwei

Wang Yanwei (1842-1904), formerly known as Yutang, was born in Huangyan, Zhejiang Province. In the ninth year of Tongzhi, there were many people. He has successively served as the chief of the Department of trade and industry, the member of the Department of business and repair, wailang, the military plane Zhangjing, the censor of Jiangnan Road, and Taichang Shaoqing. In the 12th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, he was Zhang Jing, the leader of the Han government of the military aircraft department. Compilation of "the beginning and end of preparations for Westernization". His works include the chronicles of the western tour, the anecdotes of the Qing Dynasty, the great canon of the Qing Dynasty, and the notes of Suyuan, etc.

Life history

Since the middle period of Daoguang in Qing Dynasty, there were more and more foreign negotiations, especially in Guangxu Dynasty. However, the diplomatic documents have never been published systematically. Relying on foreign translation, there are many inaccuracies, and the political, military and diplomatic forces are very passive. Wang Yanwei first transcribed the unpublished history of preparing for foreign affairs in Daoguang, Xianfeng and Tongzhi dynasties, and the diplomatic files from the first year of Guangxu to the 12th year. Then from the 12th year, he recorded the imperial edicts, memorials, folding pieces, treaties, notes, telegrams, conference records and "staying in China" every day. The contents include diplomacy, politics, military affairs, education, commerce, industry, transportation, frontier defense, etc. Chronicles should be written in chronological style, carefully selected according to different situations, and the fundamental gist should be the grand plan of customs, the notes from embassies and the signing of treaties. Wang Yanwei compiled in his spare time when he was busy with official business in the military aircraft department. He often reached the end of the night and accumulated his contributions for more than 10 years. In the 26th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Cixi mistakenly listened to the lies of foreign masters who wanted him to be in power. She used the Boxer Rebellion to order the envoys of various countries to return to China on the 3rd, and the order was issued by the military and aircraft department. Wang Yanwei learned that he ran to Ronglu and other important officials and said, "there are many people in disorder inside and outside the capital. Once the envoys come out, they will suffer from their misfortunes. From then on, the diplomatic break is out of control." Cixi's power is in vain. Wang wept bitterly and said, "I hate my inferiority. I have no power to perform. I can't save the country." The Allied forces of the eight countries attacked Beijing, and Cixi fled in a hurry. Wang Yanwei digs deep into the manuscript and accompanies Xi'an. After returning the capital, she was very dissatisfied with Cixi's traitorous behavior. She and her son Wang Liang said: "she did not hesitate to make a alliance in the city, but accepted money and went to bed. If you lose a game of chess, you'll make a wrong Kyushu. " Finally, he became depressed and became ill. In his sickbed, he arranged the manuscript into 182 volumes of the whole story of preparing for the Westernization Movement. In May of the 30th year of Guangxu, he was ill and died. At the age of 63, he was buried in weiyushan. Will Wang Liang: "the body can be killed, the book can not die."

note appended:

(1) Zhang Jing, the leader of the military aircraft department, was the administrative organ assisting the emperor, which was composed of the Minister of military aircraft and Zhang Jing, who was in charge of the state order. Zhang Jing, an important assistant of the Minister of military aircraft, was composed of two classes of Manchu and Han. 2 "stay in China", the memorials were not issued after the emperor's approval.

Stepson Wang Liang

Wang Liang (1881-1966), a nephew of Wang Yanwei, was adopted as his son. He graduated from Beijing University and Nanjing Lushi University in the late Qing Dynasty. He has successively served as a member of the army, Secretary of state, consul in Peru, section chief of the Foreign Affairs Commission, and member of the treaty Committee of the Ministry of foreign affairs. After studying 9 western countries and Japan, and sending missions to 16 countries, we know that diplomacy is arduous. He collected and compiled diplomatic historical materials from the 30th year of Guangxu to the 3rd year of Xuantong (1911). It took 10 years to compile them. Together with the history of preparing for foreign affairs, there were 243 volumes, which were named diplomatic historical materials of the Qing Dynasty, and the index and diplomatic Yearbook were compiled at the end of the book. After more than ten years of failure to publish the book, Wang Liang went on a journey in many ways. Chiang Kai Shek wrote a preface in September 1931. Cai Yuanpei, Xu Shichang, Hu Shi, Jiang Tingfu and Zhang Fu all wrote a preface for the book, which was finally published in the 23rd year of the Republic of China. In 29, Huangyan was hit by floods, droughts and insects, and Wang Liang was appointed member of the food relief committee. For 33 years, he served as the president of the social relief association. After the establishment of the people's government, he served as a member of the 123rd session of the CPPCC.

Other works

Wang Yanwei has also written 12 volumes of the chronicles of the western tour, as well as the anecdotes of the Qing Dynasty, the great canon of the Qing Dynasty, the notes of Shuyuan, the collation of history and Han Dynasty, the picture of qiudengke's poetry house, and the manuscript of Li'an Cong, etc. Wang Liang also wrote 16 frames of "classification table of Qing Dynasty treaty chapters" and "map of Qing Dynasty diplomatic historical materials".

Chinese PinYin : Wang Yan Wei