Hsiung Hsi-ling (1870-1942), government official, is best known as the premier of the "first caliber cabinet" of 1913-14. Hsiung all but retired from public life in 1914. He later achieved considerable reputation as a philanthropist and sponsor of charitable works. A native of Fenghuang hsien, Hunan, Hsiung Hsi-ling was the son of a military officer […]
Wu Chih-hui (25 March 1864-30 October 1953), scholar and educator, social reformer and revolutionary, anti-Communist and longtime associate of Ts'ai Yuan-p'ei, Chang Jenchieh, and Li Shih-tseng. They came to be identified as the "four elder statesmen" of the Kuomintang. Wu was also known for his efforts to standardize the Chinese spoken language. Yanghu hsien (Wuchin), […]
Wu Yu (1872-1949), scholar and poet whose intensely anti-Confucian writings contributed to the revolution in Chinese thought at the time of the May Fourth Movement. He taught at Peking and Szechwan universities. Little is known about Wu Yü's family background or early life. In his youth he apparently received a traditional education in the Chinese […]
Wu Hsien-tzu (1881-7 October 1959), Confucian scholar who studied under K'ang Yu-wei and Chien Ch'ao-liang. He was long associated with Li Ta-ming in publishing the Chinese World in San Francisco, and he became head of the Constitutionalist party and chief bearer of the political heritage of K'ang Yu-wei. A native of Shun-te (Shuntak), the richest […]
Wen I-to (24 November 1899-15 July 1946), leading Chinese poet of the 1920's . In the 1930's he devoted himself to classical studies and to teaching at Tsinghua University. The outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war galvanized him into political activity, and he became a leader of the China Democratic League. Wen was assassinated in 1946. […]
Wang I-t'ang (6 October 1878-September 1946), political associate of Yuan Shih-k'ai and Tuan Ch'i-jui who later served on the Hopei-Chahar political council. Wang was among the first of the Peiyang politicians to cooperate with the Japanese in 1937. He served as minister of relief and later as chairman of the Japanese-sponsored government in north China. […]
T'ang Yung-t'ung (June 1892-May 1964), leading historian of Chinese Buddhism whose major work was the Han wei liang-chin nan-peicKao fo-chiao shih [history of Buddhism during the Han, Wei, Chin, and Northern and Southern dynasties]. Born in Huaiyuan, Kansu, T'ang Yung-t'ung received a sound classical education, including several years of study with the noted Buddhist scholar […]
Tang Hua-lung (27 November 1874-12 September 1918), leader of the movement to establish constitutional monarchy in China. He supported the revolution in 1911. In 1913-14 and 1916-17 he was speaker of the National Assembly. A leader of the Chin-pu-tang [progressive party] and, later, of the research clique, he also held cabinet posts at Peking. Ch'isui, […]
Su Man-shu (28 September 1884-2 May 1918), poet, translator, journalist, and anti-Manchu revolutionary whose fragments of autobiographical fiction created a legend which captivated a whole generation of Chinese readers. The son of Su Chieh-sheng, a Cantonese agent of the Wan-lung Tea Company, Su Man-shu was born in Yokohama. His mother was a Japanese called O-sen, […]
Shu Hsin-ch'eng (5 July 1893-1960), editor and publisher. He was best known as the chief editor of the famous encyclopedic dictionary Tz'u-hai, published by the Chung-hua Book Company in 1936. Born at Hsüp'u, Hunan, Shu Hsin-ch'eng came from a long line of impoverished tenant farmers. His father had been to school for a few years […]
