Liu Bingzhang

Liu Bingzhang (Chinese: 刘秉璋; Wade–Giles: Liu Ping-chang; May 20, 1826 – August 23, 1905) was a Qing dynasty Chinese scholar-official and general. He served as Governor of Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces and Viceroy of Sichuan. He was a commander in the civil war against the Taiping Rebellion and Nian Rebellion, and the Battle of Zhenhai during the Sino-French War.

Not to be confused with Liu Bingzhong.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Liu.
Liu Bingzhang
刘秉璋
MonarchGuangxu Emperor
Governor of Jiangxi
In office
1875–1878
Governor of Zhejiang
In office
1882–1886
Viceroy of Sichuan
In office
1886–1895
Personal details
BornMay 20, 1826
Lujiang County, Anhui
DiedAugust 23, 1905
Wuwei County
CitizenshipQing Empire
Children
  • Liu Tiqian (刘体乾)
  • Liu Tiren (刘体仁)
  • Liu Tixin (刘体信)
  • Liu Tizhi (刘体智)
EducationJinshi degree in the Imperial Examination

Early life

Liu passed the imperial civil service examination in 1860 and obtained jinshi, the highest degree.

Career

After obtaining his degree, Liu Bingzhang began his career at the prestigious Hanlin Academy, but was soon sent to the battlefields to help stamp out the Taiping Rebellion. After that, he helped quash the Nian Rebellion. In 1875, he was appointed Governor (xunfu) of Jiangxi Province, but resigned in 1878 in order to return home and fulfill his filial duty for his elderly mother. In 1882, he was appointed Governor of Zhejiang Province, and was responsible for the defense of the Zhejiang coast. In this capacity, he fought in the Battle of Zhenhai against the French fleet.[1] To commemorate the victory, the Chinese government built the Zhenhai Coastal Defense History Museum in Zhenhai, Ningbo in 1997.[2]

He was awarded the position of Viceroy of Sichuan in 1886, and dealt with anti-missionary riots in Sichuan. The Christian missionaries complained that he was not effectively punishing the rioters, and under the pressure of Britain, the Qing court stripped Liu of his position in 1895. He died in 1905.[3][4][5]

Legacy

To commemorate the Battle of Zhenhai, the Chinese government built the Zhenhai Coastal Defense History Museum in Zhenhai, Ningbo in 1997.[6] In 2011, a memorial park was opened in his hometown Wanshan (万山镇), Lujiang County, Anhui Province, to honor his 185th birthday.

References
  1. Biography of Liu Bingzhang, in Draft History of Qing
  2. "Zhenhai Coastal Defense History Museum". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
  3. Ed. John Fairbank, (1975) The I.G. in Peking. Cambridge MA/London: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-44320-9
  4. July 4, 1895. “China Missions Mobbed – Viceroy of Szechuan Accused of Having Organized the Attack”. The New York Times. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  5. August 24, 1895. “A Celestial Inquisitor – Liu to Investigate Massacres of Missionaries – But He Committed Them Himself”. The New York Times. Retrieved 20 August 2015
  6. "Zhenhai Coastal Defense History Museum". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
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