Zhang Zhidong, known as Zhang Xiangshuai, is an ice-holding old man from Nanpi, the founder of Sanjiang Normal School, the predecessor of Nanjing University, the originator of China Higher Normal School and the founder of China Kindergarten (the first kindergarten hired three Japanese nannies). Founder of China Heavy Industry. Zhang Zhidong 13 years old Jinshi, 16 years old (Xie Yuan) won the first place in Shuntian Township Examination and the third place in Flower Examination at the age of 26.
Zhang Zhidong was first known for daring to remonstrate with the clean stream, and was called the "horn". His fighting capacity was very fierce. Later, he served as the governor of Shanxi Province and local academic officials, and later served as the governor for a long time. After 1907, he served as a college student and minister of military aircraft, and died in 1909. Posthumous title is "Wen Xiang".
Zhang Zhidong mainly did three things in his life: first, to run a new education, second, to run an industry, and third, to train a new army.
Zhang Zhidong's industry is mainly composed of two parts, one is to supervise the Luhan Railway (Lugouqiao-Wuhan, the famous Han Jing Railway, remember, the Han Jing Railway went on strike during the Northern Expedition), and the other is to build the inland Wuhan into the largest heavy industry base in China at that time.
Taking the construction of Luhan Railway as an opportunity, Zhang Zhidong tried to "strive for self-improvement and resist foreign aggression; During his 18 years in power, he promoted industry, education, training new troops, coping with commercial wars, persuading farmers to mulberry new cities, and vigorously promoted the "Hubei New Deal".
With Wuhan as the center, a number of modern industrialized enterprises, such as Hanyang Iron Works, Hubei Guns Works, Daye Iron Mine, Hanyang Iron Works Machine Works, Rail Works, Hubei Weaving Layout, Reeling Bureau, Spinning Bureau, Hemp Making Bureau, Tannery Factory, etc., have been established successively, ranking first in the country in scale, with a total capital of about11.3000 silver. Hanyang Iron and Steel Plant became the largest iron and steel complex in Asia at that time, and formed the internal structure of Hubei industry with heavy industry, especially military industry, and Wuhan also became the national heavy industry base. Some influential private enterprises have sprung up in China. Hubei's modern industrial system was initially laid. Hubei economy has thus entered a new stage of modernization. Hankou has jumped from a commercial center to one of the few international trade ports in China.
From 65438 to 0889, after being transferred to the governor of Huguang, he presided over the construction of heavy enterprises such as Hanyang Iron Works and Daye Iron Mine in Hubei. Hanyang Iron Works was completed and put into operation on 1894, and steelmaking began. There are 6 large factories, 4 small factories, 2 steelmaking furnaces, 3,000 workers and 40 foreign technicians in the ironmaking factory, ironmaking factory, machinery factory, rail making factory and ironmaking factory. This is the first large-scale steel plant in China in modern times. Iron-making needs raw materials and fuels such as iron ore and coal, so Zhang Zhidong sent German technicians to visit Daye and found that iron ore is abundant here, thus using modern technology to build the first open-pit iron mine in China-Daye Iron Mine. Zhang Zhidong successively ordered the development of Shisan Coal Mine in Daye, Daoshi Fuzhuan Coal Mine, Maanshan Coal Mine in Jiangxia and Pingxiang Coal Mine in Jiangxi (Anyuan Coal Mine, the sacred place where Taizu made his fortune). In this way, taking the ironworks as the center, integrating iron mining, coal mining and steelmaking, the first iron and steel joint enterprise in modern China and the first in the Far East was established. Its completion marks the rise of modern iron and steel industry in China, creating a precedent for heavy industry in China. In addition, Zhang Zhidong also founded the first perfect arsenal in China-Hanyang Arsenal, which became famous all over the world (remember that War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression used Hanyang rifles for eight years) and played an important role in China's modern military construction and national defense.
The completion of Lu Han Railway is also the beginning of Zhang Zhidong's supervision of Guangdong-Han and Sichuan-Han railways.
During his administration in Hubei, Wuhan, Hubei Province, made great progress in commerce, industry, education, finance and transportation, and became an important symbol of Wuhan's early modernization. In addition, institutional innovation is the key to the success of Hubei's New Deal. According to statistics, during Zhang Zhidong's supervision of Hubei, 36 new institutions were established, of which 25% were established according to the instructions of the Qing court and 75% were established according to Zhang Zhidong. It clearly marks Zhang Zhidong's independent innovation. The establishment of the new institution is not only a sign of Zhang Zhidong's determination to innovate, but also an important means for Zhang Zhidong to carry out the "New Deal".
The social productive forces, national bourgeoisie, new intellectuals and revolutionary soldiers hatched by "Hubei New Deal" eventually became grave diggers of feudal dynasties.
Run a new army, run a new school, and vigorously introduce talents, especially international students. For international students, Zhang Zhidong has always been polite. Zhang Zhidong is eager to learn from Japan, and hundreds of students have been sent to Japan to study. Although the atmosphere was open at that time, there was still great resistance to going abroad. Zhang Zhidong strongly advocated sending several of his descendants to Japan to study. When students go abroad, they will be seen off in their caves, and when they return home, they will be given a banquet. There is a water bearer in the governor's yamen. It is said that the governor received a banquet from an international student XXX today. The bearer said, "This student is my son!" "
Zhang Zhidong likes students very much. Whenever there is a dispute between students and officials, Zhang Zhidong tends to be partial to students. Note that at that time, overseas students 1/4 did not return to China, and three quarters stayed. It is conceivable that the atmosphere in Wuhan at that time! By the way, Zhang Zhidong is also the teacher of Yang Rui, one of the six gentlemen.
Zhang Zhidong founded a new army (remember, Double Tenth Festival, Wuchang Uprising! Chu Wangtai! ) On the eve of returning to Huguang, 500 people from the former camp of Jiangnan Self-improvement Army were transferred to Hubei to "teach foreign countries to practice".