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105 Westernization Movement

Duration: 0:06:58.679002

Welcome to listen to Chinese history, but like this, the author and the node broadcast how to do the Westernization Movement in the early reign of Empress Dowager Cixi. With the assistance of Prince Gong and Prince Chun, they rectified the governance, relied on Han officials such as Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, and Li Hongzhang, and with the support of foreign powers, they successively suppressed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Miao, and Muslim uprisings, which eased the ruling crisis of the Qing Dynasty, temporarily stabilizing the Qing Dynasty. Out of the consideration of maintaining feudal autocratic rule, they once again focused on the Westernization Movement, emphasizing strengthening military power by developing military and civilian industries, training the navy and the army to enhance military strength, thereby objectively promoting modernization in China. The Westernization Movement, which started under the leadership of the Westernization faction, had a positive impact. At the time, the conservative Qing government did not support the Westernization faction, and even strongly opposed it. The Westernization faction had to conduct the Westernization Movement in secret. After Empress Dowager Cixi took over the regency, the key officials such as Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, and Li Hongzhang advocated introducing advanced Western technology to defend the Qing government's position, proposing the idea of "Chinese learning for fundamental principles and Western learning for practical application." On the other hand, the conservative faction led by Empress Dowager Cixi had to rely on firearms and cannons to maintain their rule, thus initiating a significant impact on modern Chinese history. The initial goal of the Westernization Movement, led by Li Hongzhang and others, was to seek wealth through reform, primarily focusing on establishing modern military industries, creating modern armies, purchasing advanced foreign weapons, and systematically introducing Western military technology. In a short period, under the leadership of Li Hongzhang and other Westernization faction ministers, China's modern military industrial system was established, with the capability to manufacture cannons, artillery, ammunition, and steam warships domestically. This marked a significant turning point in modern Chinese history, leading to the emergence of China's capitalist industry and the unprecedented development of the military. However, the ultimate goal of the Westernization Movement was to maintain Qing rule, rather than leading China towards prosperity and strength. As a result, it failed to prevent China's fate of defeat in foreign wars and the process of semi-colonialization. As China was defeated by Japan, the Westernization faction and the Westernization Movement were blamed as the culprits of defeat. While Japan surged to become a world-class power, China fell into decline, remaining backward for a long time. Archives 86: Li Hongzhang, a native of Hefei, Anhui, entered the Hanlin Academy at the age of 24 and rose to become the Governor-General of Zhili and the Minister of Commerce for North China during the reign of Empress Dowager Cixi. He was known as a representative and pioneer of the Westernization Movement, playing a crucial role in modernizing China.

Language: Chinese
Topics: Qing Dynasty

History of Ming and Qing Dynasties 38 Ji Xiaolan's Poetry

Duration: 0:07:33

This is a story about Ji Xiaolan, an outstanding scholar and literary figure during the Qing dynasty. He was known for his wit and humor and had many stories and jokes passed down in folk tales. One time, he accompanied Emperor Qianlong on an outing and saw a white crane flying high in the sky. Qianlong asked Ji Xiaolan to compose 11 poems about it, and Ji immediately recited a couplet. However, before he could finish, Qianlong interrupted him, challenging him to continue with crossed lips.

Language: Chinese
Topics: HistoryLiteratureQing Dynasty

History of Ming and Qing Dynasties. He Shen was killed

Duration: 0:11:44

The story is about He Shen, a Manchu banner person who became an important official during the Qing dynasty. He was clever and sharp-tongued and was appointed as a school officer in the palace. One day, when Emperor Qianlong was reading news about rebellious peasants in Sichuan province, he used a quote from the Analects to express his frustration. He Shen was the only one who understood the emperor's meaning and explained it to him. This impressed the emperor and He Shen was promoted to higher positions, eventually becoming a powerful minister. He received numerous prestigious appointments and awards until he was executed for alleged corruption.

Language: Chinese
Topics: HistoryQing DynastyEmperor Qianlong

107 The Hundred Days' Reform

Duration: 0:07:10.451519

Welcome to listen to Chinese history. In 1894, the Beiyang Fleet of the Qing Dynasty suffered a major defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War, signaling the complete loss of the Qing government's naval power. This also marked the failure of the Self-Strengthening Movement that had been ongoing for 35 years. After defeating Japan, China rapidly became a military power and started down the path of militarism. The country's semi-colonial status and national crisis deepened, leading to a rise of patriotic intellectuals such as Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, and Tan Sitong, who advocated for reforms to save the country. Despite facing opposition from conservative factions, they formed societies and started newspapers to spread their ideas. In 1895, news of the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki by Japan reached Beijing, prompting Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, and others to petition the Emperor Guangxu for reforms. However, their efforts were hindered, and the Emperor was not able to receive their petition. At the time, Yuan Shikai, who worked in military affairs, supported Kang Youwei's ideas and was close to the reformers. The internal conflicts within the Qing court between Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi intensified as the reformist political reforms threatened the interests of the Manchu nobility and traditional forces led by Cixi. On September 18, 1898, Emperor Guangxu secretly sought Kang Youwei's help in response to the impending crisis. A plan was developed to remove the Empress Dowager Cixi from power, with Yuan Shikai playing a crucial role in the unfolding events. Different accounts suggest that Yuan Shikai promised to support the reformists before ultimately siding with the conservative faction, while others argue that his actions were driven by fear of Cixi's power. The coup attempt failed, leading to the downfall of the reformists and the execution of several key figures. This period, known as the Hundred Days' Reform, marked a brief period of political reform in China before ultimately collapsing due to the weakness of the reformist forces. Yuan Shikai, a prominent political and military figure in modern China, played a pivotal role in these events. Born in 1859, Yuan Shikai rose to prominence during the late Qing Dynasty and played a significant role in modernizing the Chinese military. After the downfall of the Qing Dynasty, he helped negotiate the abdication of Emperor Puyi and became the first President of the Republic of China, choosing to establish a constitutional monarchy.

Language: Chinese
Topics: Late Qing DynastyThe Hundred Days' Reform

Ming and Qing History 41 The Jintian Uprising

Duration: 0:09:28

This podcast episode tells the story of the Taiping Rebellion, a peasant uprising against the Qing Dynasty that took place in the mid-19th century. The rebellion was sparked by the corruption of the Qing government and the influx of foreign powers, particularly Britain, into China. The rebellion was led by Hong Xiuquan, who founded a religious movement called the God Worshipers, which blended elements of Christianity and Confucianism and promoted equality and the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty. The rebellion quickly gained momentum, and Hong Xiuquan declared himself the Heavenly King. The Taiping rebels captured several cities, including Nanjing, and declared it the capital of their kingdom. The rebellion lasted for over a decade and resulted in the deaths of millions of people, but ultimately failed in its goal to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.

Language: Chinese
Topics: HistoryQing DynastyTaiping Rebellion

Ming and Qing History 39 Zheng Banqiao

Duration: 0:08:45

This is a Chinese historical story about the silent symbol Zheng Banqiao, who was a prominent calligrapher and literary figure during the Qing Dynasty. One day, his teacher took him on a spring outing and saw a young female body floating under a bridge. Moved by his teacher's sympathy, Zheng spontaneously recited a poem. When his teacher asked him how he knew the woman was 16 years old, he replied that he did not, but the poem was based on his emotions. Impressed by his answer, the teacher commented that Zheng was even better than his own teacher.

Language: Chinese
Topics: HistoryZheng BanqiaoQing DynastyCalligraphy

108 The Boxer Rebellion

Duration: 0:08:01.163900

Welcome to listen to Chinese history, but so, the author and the nodes are wrong, the country changes in the year of 1900. The failure of the reforms did not stop the worsening national crisis in China. In the late 1890s, a large number of foreign missionaries came to China under the guise of preaching, engaging in espionage activities and frequently deceiving the Chinese people. During this period, natural disasters struck the country, causing suffering among the people. American missionaries such as Haines, Fuller, and others established churches in places like Daliuzhuang, leading to the rapid growth of their influence. The behavior of these missionaries and their followers in the local villages became intolerable to the people, who spontaneously organized movements to resist imperialist aggression, giving rise to the Boxer Rebellion and the formation of secret societies in Shandong, Henan, and Zhili provinces. These organizations set up altars, practiced martial arts, and claimed that after drawing symbols and reciting spells, they could call upon spirits to make themselves invulnerable to weapons. In 1898, the members of the 'Righteous and Harmonious Fists' (Boxers) in Guan County, Shandong, under the leadership of Qian Dechang and others, officially initiated the Boxer Rebellion. They established a central altar in the House of Affairs in Hequan, Shandong, with the village as the basic organizational unit. The Boxer members were mainly poor farmers, artisans, urban commoners, small traders, and transport workers. The local population rose up to resist the church's influence in the region, leading to conflicts with the authorities. Eventually, the government sent troops to suppress the uprising, resulting in the Boxers engaging in battles with Qing troops. Following a series of confrontations, the Boxer Rebellion led to the invasion of China by the Eight-Nation Alliance in 1900. The signing of the Boxer Protocol in 1901, also known as the 'Boxer Indemnity,' marked the end of the Boxer Rebellion. This unequal treaty imposed heavy indemnities on China, allowed foreign troops to be stationed in Beijing, and severely restricted Chinese sovereignty, bringing disastrous consequences for the Chinese people and marking the country's transformation into a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society under imperialist rule.

Language: Chinese
Topics: Qing DynastyBoxer Rebellion in Late 19th Century China