Li Hongzao (; 1820–1897), styled Lansun (),

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

Shisun (), was a high government official towards the end of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

. One of his sons was

Li Shizeng Li Shizeng (; 29 May 1881 – 30 September 1973), born Li Yuying, was an educator, promoter of anarchist doctrines, political activist, and member of the Chinese Nationalist Party in early Republican China. After coming to Paris in 1902, Li to ...

, a prominent politician in the

Chinese Nationalist Party The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Ta ...

Draft History of Qing The ''Draft History of Qing'' () is a draft of the official history of the Qing dynasty compiled and written by a team of over 100 historians led by Zhao Erxun who were hired by the Beiyang government of the Republic of China. The draft was publ ...

- Biographies Chapter 223rd: 《清史稿·列傳二百二十三》：李鴻藻，字蘭孫，直隸高陽人。 ("Li Hongzao, Courtesy name Lansun, is from Gaoyang of

Zhili Zhili, alternately romanized as Chihli, was a northern administrative region of China since the 14th-century that lasted through the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty until 1911, when the region was dissolved, converted to a province, and renamed ...

Province.")

Official career

Li was born in

Gaoyang County Gaoyang County () is a county in the central part of Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Baoding and has an area of . The county seat is in Gaoyang Town (). Administrative divi ...

, in present-day

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and 0 ...

province. In 1861, the two dowagers empresses chose Li Hongzao,

Qi Junzao Qi Junzao (; July 11, 1793 – October 22, 1866) was a Chinese politician and calligrapher. Considered one of the "four great calligraphers" of the 1800s in China, he was also a prominent poet. He later became leader of the Grand Council of t ...

, and Weng Xincun, who were all Imperial teachers, to instruct the newly enthroned

Tongzhi Emperor The Tongzhi Emperor (27 April 1856 – 12 January 1875), born Zaichun of the Aisin Gioro clan, was the ninth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign, from 1861 to 1875, which effectively laste ...

in the classics. The Emperor, who was less than five years old at the time, displayed little or no interest in his studies, and would concentrate only when Li was instructing him. Li rose to be vice-president of the Board of Revenue and

Grand Councilor The grand chancellor (''zaixiang, tsai-hsiang''), also translated as counselor-in-chief, chancellor, chief councillor, chief minister, imperial chancellor, lieutenant chancellor and prime minister, was the highest-ranking executive official in th ...

, and in 1872 became head of the Board of Works. He then retired for a three-year period, 1877-1880, as required by custom and statute at the death of his mother. Upon his return to office, he resumed his post with the Grand Council and the

Zongli Yamen The ''Zongli Yamen'' (), short for Office for the General Management of Affairs Concerning the Various Countries (), also known as Prime Minister's Office, Office of General Management, was the government body in charge of foreign policy in imp ...

, which was in effect the dynasty's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1884, Li and all the Grand Councillors, such as Yixin, who had been supported by the Empress Dowager,

Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; mnc, Tsysi taiheo; formerly romanised as Empress Dowager T'zu-hsi; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908), of the Manchu Yehe Nara clan, was a Chinese noblewoman, concubine and later regent who effectively controlled ...

, were dismissed in a dispute with a group of conservative officials. He was gradually given permission to resume responsibilities, but often criticized for not carrying them out promptly. After the outbreak of the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the ...

in 1894, he was given even greater duties, but died in 1897.

Family

* Son:

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Hongzao 1820 births 1897 deaths Qing dynasty diplomats Qing dynasty politicians from Hebei Politicians from Baoding Grand Councillors of the Qing dynasty Assistant Grand Secretaries Ministers of Zongli Yamen Imperial tutors in Qing dynasty