Xiangdian Liu Family Ancestral Hall

　　   Liu Guangdi (1859–1898), a native of Zhaohua Town, Fushun County (now part of Zigong City), Sichuan Province, traced his ancestral roots to Wuping, Fujian. His fifth-generation ancestor, Liu Yonglin, migrated from Wuping to Fushun County, Sichuan, in the early Qing Dynasty and was known as Peicun. The family was poor, and Liu lost his father at a young age. Intelligent and diligent in his studies, he ranked first in the county’s child scholar examination at the age of 19, became a xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the county level) at 21, passed the Sichuan provincial examination at 23, and at 24 (1883) achieved the degree of jinshi (advanced scholar), earning an appointment as a provisional principal clerk in the Ministry of Punishments.

　　   During his time as an official in the capital, despite living a frugal life, he remained incorruptible and untainted by misconduct. He was dedicated, diligent, and prudent, achieving excellent performance in his duties. In his spare time, he kept to himself to study and avoided associating with the powerful. Although he had a good reputation among officials and smooth prospects for promotion, he often worried about the national crisis, leading to sleepless nights and little food. He pondered strategies to save the nation and its people, concluding that reforming corrupt policies, promoting new education, and implementing new policies were essential.

　　   In the year of the Jiawu (1894), at the risk of being dismissed and investigated, he urged the Empress Dowager not to interfere in politics, prompting the Emperor to issue a decree of self-criticism. In 1898, when Kang Youwei established the Baoguo Society, Liu Guangdi “readily joined as a member.” Together with fellow Sichuanese officials in the capital, he advocated for the establishment of the Shuxue Society to study current affairs and repeatedly organized discussions among Sichuanese officials and metropolitan graduates, emphasizing that given the dire times, urgent measures were needed for national prosperity and strength, which must begin with education.

　　   In June 1898, Emperor Guangxu issued the edict defining the state policy, initiating the Reform Movement of 1898, and ordered Chen Baozhen, the governor of Hunan, to recommend talented individuals. Though they had never met, Chen, having heard of Liu’s reputation, recommended him. On September 4, Emperor Guangxu summoned Liu, who spoke forcefully about the critical situation and entrenched problems both domestically and internationally. The next day, Guangxu issued an edict awarding Liu Guangdi, along with Tan Sitong, Yang Rui, and Lin Xu, the rank of fourth-rank Qing official, assigning them to serve as secretaries in the Grand Council to participate in the reforms. In the Grand Council, Liu worked the same shift as Tan Sitong, “sharing deep mutual understanding,” and together they co-signed documents vouching for Kang Youwei’s integrity with the backing of their families. When reviewing memorials and signing off on opinions, Liu was fair and impartial.

　　   When the political coup occurred, the four secretaries along with Kang Guangren and Yang Shenxiu were arrested and executed at Caishikou on September 28 (the 13th day of the eighth lunar month), historically known as the “Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days’ Reform.” At the execution, Liu Guangdi refused to kneel, questioning why he had not been tried before being sentenced to death. He remained calm and faced death with composure.

　　   Liu Guangdi excelled in prose, poetry, and calligraphy. He once said, “If one’s poetry and prose contain no false words, then it can be considered a fine work.” Though he had few social connections, his aspirations were often reflected in his writings. Later generations compiled his works into two volumes of Collected Prose from Zhongsheng Studio and two volumes of Poems, and in 1986, the Zhonghua Book Company published a selected collection of his poetry and prose titled Collected Works of Liu Guangdi.

　　

　　Liu Guangdi (1859~1898)　　   Liu Guangdi (1859–1898), courtesy name Pei?, was a native of Fushun County, Zigong City, Sichuan Province. He was one of the “Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days’ Reform” and a renowned patriotic poet of the late Qing Dynasty’s reformist faction.    His ancestral home was Wuping County, Fujian Province. A Hakka, he was born in Zhaohua, Fushun, Sichuan, as the seventh-generation descendant of Hakka migrants during the Ming-Qing era’s westward expansion into Sichuan. Coming from a poor family, he studied diligently and in 1883, the ninth year of the Guangxu reign, ranked 88th among the second-class jinshi degree holders in the imperial examination, earning an appointment as a provisional principal clerk in the Ministry of Punishments. During his time as an official in the capital, despite living a frugal life, he remained incorruptible and untainted by misconduct. He was dedicated, diligent, and prudent, achieving excellent performance in his duties. In his spare time, he kept to himself to study and avoided associating with the powerful. Although he had a good reputation among officials and smooth prospects for promotion, he ... Details+