Wei Guangtao

Wei Guangtao

Wei Guangtao (1837-1916) was born in Longhui, Hunan Province. He was an important political, military and diplomatic figure in the late Qing Dynasty. Li Hongzhang, Zhang Zhidong and Liu Kunyi were the important ministers of the Qing government from the 1980s to the 1990s.

In his early years, Wei Guangtao was a member of Zuo Zongtang's department. He was a Taoist priest at the beginning of the reign of Emperor Guangxu. In 1894, after the outbreak of Sino Japanese War of 1894, he recruited troops to go north to help Liao resist Japan. He fought fiercely with the enemy in Haicheng and other places. In the battle of Niuzhuang, he attacked the Japanese army heavily. After the war, he successively served as the governor of Jiangxi, governor of Shaanxi, governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, and governor of Liangjiang. He once served as the governor of Xinjiang Province, governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and later as governor of Liangjiang, Minister of Nanyang, Premier and Minister of state affairs. During the period of acting governor of Liangjiang, following Liu Kunyi and Zhang Zhidong, Sanjiang normal school was established. In order to open the Boda Academy in Modern Xinjiang, it was an important person in Nanjing University.

Life of the characters

Qing Dynasty Shaoyang County Jintan township (now longhui County) people. It's called Wuzhuang. He was born in October of 1837. He is a new cook. Xianfeng six years (1856) into the Xiang army, from Zeng Guoquan attack Ji'an, run the old Xiang army camp. Later, Zuo Zongtang went to Shaanxi and Gansu to suppress the Hui uprising. Guangxu was promoted to be a Taoist of pingqingjing. During his term of office, he imitated Zuo Zongtang's military and political measures, built roads, planted trees, and advised agriculture and mulberry. Guangxu seven years (1881), promoted to Gansu Province as an envoy. Ten years later, he moved to Gansu and Xinjiang in winter. Good at financial management, diligent in administration, military reimbursement, comprehensive audit. Xinjiang has a wide border with neighboring countries, and has a lot of negotiations with Russia, Britain and other international affairs. With the gradual stability of the political situation, the most difficult problem in the aspect of official administration is the lack of foreign officials. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Xinjiang and the northwest developed slowly, education was backward, and there were almost no educational and scientific research projects. In 1891, Wei Guangtao founded Xinjiang Boda academy and served as the first president, which set a precedent for modern education in Xinjiang and provided valuable experience for early schools in China.

After the Sino Japanese War of 1894-1895 broke out in the 20th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, the Huai army was defeated many times, and the court proposed to use the Xiang army. In November, the Qing government appointed Liu Kunyi, the governor of Liangjiang and Minister of Nanyang, the former general of the Hunan army, as the imperial envoy. Wu Dacheng, the governor of Hunan Province, assisted in the military affairs, supervised the military affairs of the eastern expedition, and controlled the armies inside and outside the pass. Wei Guangtao followed Wu Dacheng to Liaodong. In the middle of the first month of the 21st year of Guangxu, he led two outposts of the 8th Battalion (or 6th battalion) of the Wuwei army out of the pass and arrived at Tianzhuangtai to set up defense. He immediately joined forces with Song Qing, yiketang'a, Changshun and other departments to launch a fourth counter attack against Haicheng. On the fourth day of February, the fifth counter offensive was launched. The fifth division of the Japanese army came out of huanghuadian in the north of Xiuyan from the area of jiuliancheng and made a virtual attack on Liaoyang. The third division of the Japanese army stationed in Haicheng also broke through and went north. The Qing army mistakenly hit the plan, and the Changshun army abandoned Anshan Station and returned to Liaoyang. The Japanese army took Anshan Station and sent the main cavalry force to take Niuzhuang.

On the seventh day of February, Wei Guangtao was rewarded with withdrawing troops from Haicheng and returning to Niuzhuang. On the morning of the eighth day of the lunar new year, 3000 troops resisted 20000 elite Japanese troops and launched a fierce battle. He led the headquarters to lure the enemy into depth, and when the Japanese approached, he launched a fierce counterattack and inflicted heavy damage on the enemy. However, relying on its superior forces, the Japanese army broke into the city. The 11th battalion of the Hunan army was trapped in the urban area. According to the houses, they fought in the streets. They fought hand to hand, and fought hand to hand. The officers and soldiers fought again and again. They fought back and forth, and killed Yu fuzhang and Chen Shengyou. There were 2000 casualties. He went to and fro to supervise the war, but he went to Sanyi to mount. Until late at night, they broke through from the West and only survived. After Niuzhuang was lost, Liaodong Peninsula was occupied one after another. At the end of the campaign, Wei Guangtao was transferred to Jiangxi as the chief envoy. He promoted the governor of Yunnan and changed him to the governor of Shaanxi. In the 26th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1900), the eight countries invaded the Allied forces and invaded Beijing. He led the army to the king Qin, governor of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Gansu, and governor of Xuantiao, Yunnan and Guizhou. In the 29th year, he moved to supervise the two rivers. The next year, when Tieliang went to the south for a military parade, he impeached the general he used, that is, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang. Thirty one years later, Tieliang impeached him again. He was ignorant and incompetent, and was returned to his native country. The appointment of officials in office is mostly based on the local friendship. Baoqing is the most, followed by Xiang nationality.

Xuantong three years (1911), the 1911 revolutionary army. Wei Guangtao was appointed governor of Huguang by the Qing government. He who did not go to his post died at home.

Position

After the founding of Xinjiang Province, the first minister and the second acting chief executive (governor) established Xinjiang Boda academy and served as the first president. Later, he served as governor of Yunnan, Guizhou, Shaanxi and Gansu, and later as governor of Liangjiang, Minister of Nanyang, Premier and Minister of state affairs. In 1891, he founded Boda Academy in Xinjiang and served as the first president, which set a precedent for early education in Xinjiang.

During the period of Wei Guangtao acting as governor of Liangjiang, following Liu Kunyi and Zhang Zhidong, he implemented the preparation of Sanjiang normal school. In order to open modern Boda academy, he was an important person in Nanjing University. Zeng Guofan was the successor of Hunan army and Zuo Zongtang's important assistant. In 1905, he dismissed from office and returned to his hometown. On March 15, 1916 (April 17, 1916), he died at Hushan villa in the eastern suburb of Baoqing city.

Representative works

Wei Guangtao is Wei Yuan's nephew. He contributed to the publication of Wei Yuan's Atlas of the sea and many other works. He himself has also handed down works such as "the investigation of Xinjiang" (Volume 8), "the old man's self account in Hushan" (Home Edition).

Character's former residence

Wei Guangtao's former residence is located in shishanwan village, simenqian Town, longhui County. It is 1.5km away from Weiyuan's former residence in the north. The former residence is located in the west facing east. In front of it is the Jinshui River, which is rich in gold and as soft as a drill. In the west is zhangshuao and maotouzhai. In the north is Shizishan, one of the 24 scenic spots in Jintan (Wenchang Pavilion built in Qing Dynasty), and in the south is wuzhushan.

The former residence is a wooden structure building built in Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty (the year is unknown). It hangs on the top of the mountain and the window pattern of the house is exquisite. It is a relatively complete and representative folk building complex of Qing Dynasty. The courtyard is four fold in front and back, with left and right pavilions and cornices. There are brick walls and trough doors in front of the courtyard. There are 40 buildings in the courtyard, covering an area of about 4000 square meters. The main part is well protected. In 1982, it was announced as a county-level cultural relics protection unit in Longhui County. In 2002, it was announced as a provincial cultural relics protection unit in Hunan Province.

Start Sanjiang

Wei Guangtao: the implementer of Sanjiang Foundation

On the ninth day of November in the 28th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (December 8, 1902), Wei Guangtao was called "the order of the two rivers" (Wei Guangtao: a brief introduction to the old man in Hushan), but he did not go to the post immediately, and Zhang Zhidong still acted as the agent of the two rivers. It was not until February of the following year (March 1903) that Wei Guangtao took up his post in Jiangning.

On February 22 (March 20, 1903), Zhang Zhidong and Wei Guangtao handed over the seal letter and the flag of Wang Ming. The two governors then took a group photo with relevant officials, including officials from Liangjiang school affairs office and Sanjiang normal school. Six days later, Wei Guangtao "Tianfu Liming" went to Xiajiang examination shed to take the screening examination of Zunjing school. However, Wei Guangtao "had to go to Sanjiang normal school to carry out the survey, so he ordered to drive back to Yuan immediately after he wrote the question.". (Shenbao, March 11, 2009) This is Wei Guangtao's first visit to Sanjiang.

On July 22, 1904 (September 1, 1904), Wei Guangtao was appointed governor of Fujian and Zhejiang. He served as governor of Liangjiang for nearly a year and a half. This is the key period for Sanjiang to build and open the school. Wei Guangtao did not change the general plan and principles of Sanjiang normal school. Wei Guangtao actively organized and implemented the complicated preparatory work before the establishment of Sanjiang University and the formal enrollment, which was orderly and effective. Therefore, he is also one of the important figures who founded Sanjiang normal school.

(1) Continue teaching. Sanjiang recruited only 20 Chinese teachers for the first time, but they were not enough. Therefore, Wei Guangtao ordered Liangjiang Academic Affairs Office to issue an edict, instructing all departments, prefectures and prefectures to recommend them again, and gathered in Jiangning at the end of April to "take another exam, so as to make a fair search". (Shenbao, March 28, Guangxu 29) As a matter of fact, in June and September 21, there were one recruitment and one election respectively, and 50 candidates including Lei Heng and Zhang Zhidong were recruited for three consecutive examinations. In addition, 20 candidates were recruited during Zhang Zhidong's term of office, a total of 70 candidates were recruited.

(2) He was appointed as the general teacher of Chinese. Sanjiang's "general teaching and learning of Chinese language" originally intended to employ fan KENTANG, a native of Tongzhou. Because fan had other talents, Wei Guangtao changed his position to Wu Yu, a member of Hunan Jinshi Hanlin, who was appointed by Liangjiang academic affairs office. (Ta Kung Pao on the second and sixth day of may in the 29th year of Guangxu.)

(3) When the school starts, China and Japan will exchange knowledge. In June 1903, 11 Japanese teachers employed by Sanjiang, including Kikuchi chiemuro, arrived in Nanjing. Yang Jingui, the general manager of Sanjiang normal school, convened the "foreign Chinese culture teaching conference" on June 19. In addition to making clear that both Japanese and Chinese teachers undertake their own courses, they also make sure that both Chinese and Japanese teachers are called "alumni". On June 25, Sanjiang normal school opened. Since students have not yet been recruited this year, the so-called "opening of school" means that "Chinese and foreign teachers" coach and exchange knowledge with each other. That is, Japanese teachers learn Chinese language, literature and classics under the guidance of Chinese teachers; Chinese teachers learn Japanese, physics, chemistry and pictures from Japanese teachers. Its purpose is as stated in Zhang Zhidong's book "the creation of Sanjiang normal school": "after one year, the school will be established, and Chinese will be able to teach Eastern language, Oriental Language, physics and chemistry, pictures, etc., and the eastern language will also be able to use Chinese to teach students, and it will be easy to answer questions." At this time, when we recruit normal students, we can not necessarily use translation in teaching, so as to avoid misunderstanding and save time. It should be said that this is a very creative idea, but due to the barrier of language, the one-year "knowledge exchange" between China and Japan has not been realized

Chinese PinYin : Wei Guang Tao