Liang Qichao

Also known as Zi Zhuoru · Haoren Gong

Liang Qichao, courtesy name Zhuoru, styled Rengong, came from Xinhui in Guangdong. He passed the provincial examination in 1889 and the next year became a pupil of Kang Youwei. In 1895 he joined Kang's petition of examination candidates against the peace terms with Japan, and from 1896 he edited the reformist Shiwu bao in Shanghai. During the reforms of 1898 he was put in charge of a translation bureau; after the coup he fled to Japan and in Yokohama founded the Qingyi bao and then the New Citizen journal (Xinmin congbao). Back home in 1912, he served as minister of justice and later of finance, wrote against Yuan Shikai's plan to become emperor in 1915 and helped Cai E organize the National Protection campaign. In his last years he taught at the Tsinghua research institute, and he died in Beijing in January 1929. Lin Zhijun's edition of his works, Yinbingshi heji, was published by Zhonghua Book Company in 1936.