Feng Guifen

Feng Guifen (Chinese: 馮桂芬; pinyin: Féng Guìfēn; Wade–Giles: Feng² Kuei³-fen¹; 1809 – May 28, 1874,^[1] courtesy name Linyi (Chinese: 林一; pinyin: Línyī), art name Jingting (Chinese: 景亭; pinyin: Jǐngtíng), later art name Dengweishanren (Chinese: 鄧尉山人; pinyin: Dèngwèishānrén), jinshi degree 1840) was a scholar during the Qing Dynasty that was a strong contributor to the philosophy of the Self-Strengthening Movement undertaken in the late 19th century. Born to a family of wealthy Suzhou landowners, Feng served as a compiler in Beijing's Hanlin Academy before finally serving as a private secretary to the Viceroy of Liangjiang, Li Hongzhang.^[2]

In his capacity, Feng argued for self-strengthening and industrialization by borrowing western technology and military systems, while retaining core Neo-Confucian principles. In his essay, On The Manufacture of Foreign Weapons, he was famously quoted as saying: "what we have to learn from the barbarians is only the one thing - solid ships and effective guns", though in reality his proposals were a little more extensive.^[3][4] Although many of his reforms were never fully enacted, they were circulated for later generations of political reformers. They contributed to the Hundred Days Reform of 1898.

References

1. Encyclopedia Britannica Online
2. Rowe, W. T. (2009) China’s Last Empire: The Great Qing. Harvard University Press. p. 208.
3. Fairbank, J. & Teng, S. (1979, Nov 15) China’s Response to the West: A Documentary Survey. Harvard University Press. Page 53.
4. Wealth and Power