Zhang Zhidong was a Chinese politician, writer, and educator who lived during the late Qing dynasty and early Republic of China. He is considered one of the most important figures in modern Chinese history.
Born in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, Zhang Zhidong began his career as a local official in Anhui province. He later served as governor of Hunan and Hubei provinces, where he implemented a series of economic and social reforms. He is also credited with introducing Western technology to China, including the telegraph and the railway.
During the First Sino-Japanese War, Zhang Zhidong was appointed commander-in-chief of the Chinese forces in the East. He was later given the title of “Prince of Wuhan” for his defense of the city against the Japanese.
After the war, Zhang Zhidong served as Viceroy of Liangguang, where he advocated a policy of “using the foreigners to control the foreigners”. This policy led to increased tensions with the foreign powers, and eventually to the outbreak of the Boxer Rebellion.
Zhang Zhidong was forced to resign from all his posts after the suppression of the rebellion, and he died in 1916.
Here are Top 10 Famous Quotes From Zhang Zhidong
1. “Without numerous schools offering hands-on opportunities, no commander will be cultivated.” – Zhang Zhidong
2. “Chinese learning is an internal learning, but Western learning is an external one; Chinese learning is for the cultivation of oneself, just as Western learning is for the handling of worldly affairs.” – Zhang Zhidong
3. “Without knowing about flexibility, one cannot work out strategies to deal with the enemy and prepare for changes, and without knowing about the foundation of one’s own culture, one would be contemptuous of the Confucian ethical codes.” – Zhang Zhidong
4. “Primary education was in the first place to teach people to be good people. Only secondary education teaches people to also be useful people.” – Zhang Zhidong
5. “How can we make sure that Confucianism is to be practiced? One must enforce it with power, and to have power, one must have a strong army.” – Zhang Zhidong
6. “Foreigners can only fight with success in the summer. We can fight during any of the four seasons, so we have the weather on our side.” – Zhang Zhidong
7. “If the Chinese will not learn the true principles of government, all else will be useless. Knowledge is power, and although a country may be weak, still, if it possess but a modicum of knowledge, the enemy will not be able to completely overthrow it; although that country may be in danger, the race will not be extirpated.” – Zhang Zhidong
8. “If, by one determined purpose, the hearts of all the graduates, the officials, and the men of China were united, our country would rest upon a great rock, and we could defy the world to overthrow us. To attain this object, it is necessary first that every man should fulfill his duty to his parents and elders. The country would then be at peace.” – Zhang Zhidong
9. “If, in the schools, the classical language would no longer be taught, whom could we entrust with the writing of memorials, documents, letters and notes in the public service? How could we possibly assign important offices and heavy responsibilities to someone who cannot even write fluently?” – Zhang Zhidong
10. “With foreign officials come foreign merchants, and with foreign merchants come foreign soldiers. They will usurp our authority and influence to begin with, and in the course of time, our guests will have become our hosts.” – Zhang Zhidong