January 12, 1875 – Guangxu became Qing Dynasty Emperor of China
The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), was the tenth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China proper.
His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, without Empress Dowager Cixi’s influence, only from 1889 to 1898.
He initiated the Hundred Days’ Reform, but was abruptly stopped when the empress dowager launched a coup in 1898, after which he became powerless and was held under house arrest until his death. His regnal name, “Guangxu”, means “glorious.
In 1912, Sun Yat-sen praised the Guangxu Emperor for his educational reform package that allowed China to learn more about Western culture.
After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, historian Fan Wenlan called the Guangxu Emperor “a Manchu noble who could accept Western ideas”.
Some historians believe that the Guangxu Emperor was the first Chinese leader to implement modernizing reforms and capitalism.
Imperial power in the Qing dynasty saw its nadir under Guangxu, and he was the only Qing emperor to have been put under house arrest during his own reign.
One-Time
Monthly
Yearly
Make a one-time donation
We need your help.
The cost of maintaining a community news site like China News is always increasing.
While access to content will always be free, we would appreciate if you could donate any amount, small or large, to keep us operating.
This is completely optional and won’t affect your ability to read any of our articles.
Thank you.
Make a monthly donation
We need your help.
The cost of maintaining a community news site like China News is always increasing.
While access to content will always be free, we would appreciate if you could donate any amount, small or large, to keep us operating.
This is completely optional and won’t affect your ability to read any of our articles.
Thank you.
Make a yearly donation
We need your help.
The cost of maintaining a community news site like China News is always increasing.
While access to content will always be free, we would appreciate if you could donate any amount, small or large, to keep us operating.
This is completely optional and won’t affect your ability to read any of our articles.
Thank you.
Tony Simon
