History is engraved on old photographs.
It gives us a glimpse of what the ruling class of the Qing Dynasty really looked like more than 100 years ago.
The Ministry of Law, the Governor of Liangjiang.
All reveal the power and prestige of a stock.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Dai Hongci, the secretary of the Ministry of Law, and Duanfang, the governor of Liangjiang
In 1905, the Qing government launched the "Five Ministers Going to Sea" inspection activities.
Among them were Dai Hongci, the secretary of the ministry, and Duan Fang, the governor of Liangjiang.
This visit,
They were dressed in ornate and elaborate costumes, showing the reverence of the ruling class.
After returning home, they were also promoted as a result.
This historical photograph vividly records the key moment of political reform in the late Qing Dynasty.
He was the first president of Shandong University
This old photo of the Qing Dynasty.
It records the images of Tang Shaoyi, a famous political activist in the late Qing Dynasty, and his wife.
Tang Shaoyi was dressed in a neat robe, and her expression was calm.
In 1874, he became one of the third "toddler" students to study in the United States, and later entered Columbia University.
After returning to China, he served as consul and consul general in Seoul, North Korea.
He also participated in the North-South peace talks.
After that, he became the first prime minister of the Republic of China and made important efforts to promote the cause of democracy and republic in China.
The lady next to him was also in high spirits and dressed gorgeously.
This group photo records the resume of an outstanding politician.
It reflects the progressive side of Chinese society in the late Qing Dynasty.
Cai Xiyong, General Office of Hubei Railway Political Bureau
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Cai Xiyong was an outstanding official reformer.
Cai Xiyong graduated from the Tongwen Museum in Guangzhou in 1867.
In the past ten years, under the assignment of Zhang Zhidong.
He presided over the operation of the Guangdong Foreign Affairs Bureau, was responsible for the handling of negotiation affairs, and prepared for the construction of many facilities such as the Silver Dollar Bureau, the Gun Factory, and the Naval and Land Divisional Academy.
Later, Cai Xiyong was transferred to the General Office of the Hubei Railway Political Bureau.
It is worth mentioning that
Cai Xiyong's deeds vividly illustrate the efforts of the late Qing rulers to promote the modernization of the country through the Westernization Movement when faced with a crisis.
Although the results were limited, their explorations paved the way for subsequent changes.
The scene of the Xincho Treaty
On September 7, 1901, under the armed oppression of the Eight-Nation Alliance.
The Qing government's representatives, Yifu and Li Hongzhang, had to sign the disgraceful "Xinchou Treaty" with 11 countries.
Yifu and Li Hongzhang's expressions were solemn and helpless.
They had to,
The signing of the Xincho Treaty caused China to suffer heavy losses of sovereignty and territory.
The huge indemnity aggravated the financial difficulties of the feudal government and triggered the continuous intensification of social contradictions.
This humiliating history has become a heavy haze on the road of the Chinese nation's advancement.
The first Chinese person to step on the Harvard podium
On October 22, 1879, Ge Kunhua officially began teaching at Harvard.
In the course of teaching, he asked the students to respect their teachers, and also set up special lectures on Chinese poetry and literature for the professors, and was sometimes invited to give lectures at the professors' club.
As a pioneer in the history of cultural exchanges between China and the United States, Ge Kunhua has made outstanding contributions.
At that time, he traveled thousands of miles to the United States to spread Chinese culture to the local people.
His footsteps witnessed the beginning of an era and laid the foundation for later scholars.
Li Hongzhang visited Germany
This precious historical photo.
Li Hongzhang was one of the important leaders of the Westernization Movement and held important positions.
He fought alongside Zeng Guofan in the suppression of the Taiping Rebellion, and later formed the Huai Army and the Beiyang Naval Division, making significant contributions to the military construction of the Qing government.
However, Li Hongzhang also directly participated in some unequal treaties that humiliated the country.
Such as the Treaty of Xincho and the Treaty of Shimonoseki.
The prefect of Teochew was executed
The name Chen Zhaotang has become a microcosm of the boiling public grievances in this historical period.
As the prefect of Teochew,
The masses called him a "thief of the people" and hated his brutal rule.
According to records, during the period of "control of banditry".
Chen Zhaotang even killed more than 3,000 people, making the local people terrified.
On November 22, 1911, the revolutionary army finally brought the former Chaozhou prefect to justice.
Under the photo wall in front of the office, Chen Zhaotang was shot in public for public display.
Historical photographs record this tragic scene - with the words "Execute the thief Chen Zhaotang to thank God" written on it.
Before his execution, Chen Zhaotang wrote his last words in despair:
"Don't die from the king, don't die from the country, die from cause and effect".
His mouth was also stuffed with dry dung, which shows the extreme anger of the people at that time.
This serious crisis of rule eventually led to the fall of the feudal dynasty.
Historical images of the late Qing Dynasty.
We can see that the ruling class is facing a crisis.
There is one side of actively promoting reform, and the other side of stubbornly sticking to the old ways.
In terms of political reform,
Dai Hongci, the secretary of the Ministry of Justice, and Duan Fang, the governor of Liangjiang, took a group photo, vividly presenting this reform attempt.
However, under the military pressure of the powerful powers, the Qing government eventually had to submit to reality.
In the event of an unequal treaty,
These images vividly reflect the predicament of internal and external troubles in the late Qing Dynasty.
The rulers, who tried to maintain their dominance through reforms, ended up being vassals of the great powers.
The rotten system, which has accumulated deep defects, cannot fundamentally solve social problems.