Kang Youwei
	¡¡Kang Youwei(1858-1927), native of Nahai, originally named Zuyi, also called Guangxia, alias Changsu, also alias Gengsheng, was a leader of modern times gourgeois reform. He was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) of Guangxu period. In 1888, he first submitted a statement to Guangxu Emperor, stating three suggestions for reformation (to change the existing laws, to understand the people¡¯s situation and to be careful about the attendands), which failed to reach the Emperor due to obstruction. In 1890, he set Wanmucaotang School in Guangzhou to give lectures so as to train reformation cardremen. His pupils include Liang Qichao, Chen Qianqiu and Xu Qin etc. In 1895, they went to Beijing for examinations. At that moment, in Jiawu War Qing Dyansty was defeated and the ¡°Maguang Treaty¡± was to be signed. He and Liang Qichang gathered the 1300 candidates from 18 provinces submitted a statement of more than ten thousand words, requesting decline of signature of Treaty, move of capital and political reform, which was called ¡°Gongche Submitting Statement¡± in the history. But this statement also failed to reach the Emperor. Later he passed the examination and was granted the Director of Board of Works, but he refused to take up the appointment. In May of the same year, the submitted statement for the third time and was praised by Guangxu Emperor. In July of the year, he and Liang Qichao promoted ¡°Sino-Foreign News¡±. In August of the year, he and Wen Tingshi and Chen Zhi organized Qiangxue Society in Beijing. Later he also set up Qiangxue Soceity in Shanghai, where he published ¡°Qiangxue Paper¡± to promote reform in the whole country. In January 1898, he submitted ¡°Overall Coordinating Under Emperor¡¯s Order¡±, asserting that the officers shall be examined to make decisions of the country, that counselor bureau shall be established to attract talents and that legislative bureau shall be set up to formulate constitution. In April, he and Liang Qichao organized Baoguo Society in Beijing to call on saving and invigorating the country. In June, Guangxu Emperor issued the ¡°State Affair Edict¡±, and he was appointed as Zhangjing of Ministry of Foreign Affairs to plan political form. After failure of polipolitical reform, he escapted to Japan. In 1899, he set up Baohuang Society, with branches in America, Southeast Asia and Japan, advocating constitutional monarchy against the bourgeois democratic revolution led by Sun Yat-sen. In 1913, he returned to China to supervise the publication of ¡°Buren¡± magazine, advocating reverence to Confucianism and restoration of the old order. In 1917, he colluded with Zhang Xun in restoring imperilization and failed, and finally he became a politician of the Northern Warlords. In 1927, he died in illness in Qingdao. His works include ¡°Investigation on Forged ScripturesNew Learning¡±, ¡°Investigation on Political Reform by Confucius¡± and ¡°On Great Harmony¡± etc. Reference: ¡°Foshan History and Culture Dictionry¡±.