Xiong Xiling, courtesy name Bingsan, art name Shuangqing Jushi, was a statesman, educator, industrialist and philanthropist in the Republic of China. He was the fourth prime minister of Beiyang Government.
On July 23, 1870, Xiong Xiling was born in a military family of three generations in Fenghuang County of Hunan Province. Xiong Xiling became famous as a “child prodigy in Hunan Province” in his youth because of his outstanding talent and diligence.
Xiong Xiling passed the Jinshi examination (the national-level examination) of the Qing Dynasty. He became a member of the Imperial Academy, participated in the Hundred Days of Reform (1898) and was dismissed by the Qing Government.
During the Revolution of 1911, he held a senior position because of his support for Yuan Shikai, and later served as prime minister of Beiyang Government. After being forced to leave his post, he mainly engaged in charity and education. On December 25,1937, Xiong Xiling died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Hong Kong at the age of 68.
Xiong Xiling was a famous educator, social activist and philanthropist in modern Chinese history, as well as outstanding patriot. He devoted his lifetime to charity education, pursuing brightness and progress.
Shen Congwen
Shen Congwen, formerly named Shen Yuehuan, was born on December 28, 1902 in Fenghuang County of Hunan Province. He was a famous Chinese writer and researcher of historical relics.
At the age of 14, Shen Congwen joined the army and went to the border areas of Hunan, Sichuan and Guizhou. In 1924, he began to write and publish novels such as “The Long River” and “The Border Town”. Shen Congwen served as a teacher at the National Qingdao University from 1931 to 1933, went to the National Southwest Associated University after the outbreak of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and returned to Peking University in 1946.
Shen Congwen was a writer, historian and archaeologist. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he worked in the National Museum of China and the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, mainly engaged in the research of ancient Chinese history and cultural relics, and wrote the “Research on Ancient Chinese Costumes”. He died in Beijing on May 10, 1988 at the age of 86.
Shen Congwen’s literary works such as “The Border Town”, “Xiangxi” and “The Autobiography of Shen Congwen” have great influence at home and abroad. His works have not only been translated into the languages of more than 40 countries like Japan, the United States as well as the United Kingdom and been published, but also been selected into university textbooks by more than 10 countries and regions including the United States, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom. Shen Congwen was twice nominated as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Chen Quzhen
Chen Quzhen was born in 1882, whose ancestral home was in Jiangxi Province and then was moved to Fenghuang County. He studied in Yuanshui Academy when he was 16 years old. He graduated from Hunan Military School in 1906 and served in the New Army of Imperial China & Beiyang Army.
He once joined the United League of China. He was a legendary officer and wrote a novel, in which he recorded his experiences during the wars and the love story between himself and a Tibetan girl called Xiyuan, who was indelibly imprinted on his mind.
He was not only a wonder who walked across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau more than 90 years ago, but also great contributor to the Xiangxi peaceful uprising before the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Chen Quzhen (the King of Xiangxi), Xiong Xiling (prime minister of the Republic of China) and Shen Congwen (a famous writer) are renowned as the Three Great Heroes of Fenghuang County.
Luo Rongguang
Luo Rongguang was born in Yaxi Village, Qiancheng County (today’s Jishou City) in the 13th year of Emperor Daoguang’s reign in the Qing Dynasty (1833). Luo Rongguang served as the commander-in-chief of Tianjin General Army to guard Dagukou Fort at Beijing-Tianjin Gate for 24 years.
Prince Chun of the Qing Government praised Dagukou Fort as “the best coastal defense in the world” when inspecting Beiyang Army.
In the 26th year of Emperor Guangxu’s reign in the Qing Dynasty (1900), the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded China. The 67-year-old Luo Rongguang led 3,000 brave soldiers to defend Dagukou Fort. He died bravely because of the huge disparity in military strength.
Tian Xingshu
Tian Xingshu, courtesy name Zhongpu, was a native of Zhengan (today’s Fenghuang) of Hunan Province and famous general in the late Qing Dynasty. When he was young, he suffered from hardships.
After joining the army, he made many contributions to suppressing the peasant uprisings of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851-1864). The troops he led were awarded the title as the “intrepid army”. Under the leadership of Tian Xingshu, the troops went to more than ten provinces and won over 200 wars. Zeng Guofan spoke highly of Tian Xingshu’s troops.
Zheng Guohong
Zheng Guohong, born in 1777 in Tuojiang Town of Fenghuang County, was a patriotic general of the Qing Dynasty.
Because of generations of military achievements, Zheng Guohong inherited the title of Yunqi Wei, a military rank. In 1840, he was promoted to the commander-in-chief of Chuzhou Town, Zhejiang. The Qing Government declared war on Britain in January 1841. Zheng Guohong was assigned to drive the British army out of the sea together with the commander-in-chiefs Ge Yunfei and Wang Xipeng in Zhenhai and Shouchun respectively. 20,000 British soldiers and 29 British ships attacked 5,000 defenders in Dinghai on the afternoon of September 26. At that time, Zheng Guohong alone defended Zhushan Gate in the southwest of urban areas. He fought with the British forces for six days and nights, and sank more than 10 British ships. After the fort was broken, the officers and soldiers blocked enemies with swords and spears. The 65-year-old general Zheng Guohong killed several enemies and then died in this war.