Chen Huancheng (; 1776–1842) was a 19th-century military leader of Qing China. He served as the provincial military leader in

Jiangnan Jiangnan or Jiang Nan (; formerly romanized Kiang-nan, literally "South of the River" meaning "South of the Yangtze") is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, incl ...

Province before being killed in the First Opium War.

Biography

Chen joined the Imperial Army at a young age, in which he served as a standard bearer. Unlike some of his contemporaries, he rose from the ranks of the army to a command position without taking the customary Wu Keju Imperial Examinations. His early promotions were due to his success in suppressing piracy.National Palace Museum Library and Literature Department Qing Dynasty History Museum package, 702003435-5 number In 1830 Chen was promoted to Admiral of

Fujian Province Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...

by the

Daoguang Emperor The Daoguang Emperor (; 16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), also known by his temple name Emperor Xuanxong of Qing, born Mianning, was the seventh Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning ...

. During this time he was stationed in

Xiamen Xiamen ( , ; ), also known as Amoy (, from Hokkien pronunciation ), is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an ...

. He was promoted again in 1840 when he became a Jiangnan Admiral, the highest rank in the Imperial Navy. During the First Opium War Chen commanded the Chinese defenses at the mouth of the

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...

. He swore to defend the waterway and began to fortify his position against British incursions. On 16 June 1842 a British fleet sailed up the Yangtze and began to bombard Huacheng's position at Wusong. While commanding the Chinese fort there, Chen was killed by either naval artillery or in hand-to-hand combat with the British.

Legacy

Chen was declared a national hero after his death. A tomb and museum are erected in his honor in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Huacheng 1776 births 1842 deaths People of the First Opium War Qing military personnel killed in action Qing dynasty admirals Deified Chinese people