Chen Huancheng (; 1776–1842) was a 19th-century military leader of

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

China. He served as the provincial military leader in

Jiangnan Jiangnan is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including the southern part of its delta. The region encompasses the city of Shanghai, the southern part of Jiangsu ...

Province before being killed in the

First Opium War The First Opium War ( zh, t=第一次鴉片戰爭, p=Dìyīcì yāpiàn zhànzhēng), also known as the Anglo-Chinese War, was a series of military engagements fought between the British Empire and the Chinese Qing dynasty between 1839 and 1 ...

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 is a province in southeastern 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 capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefecture city by population is Qua ...

by the

Daoguang Emperor The Daoguang Emperor (16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), also known by his temple name Emperor Xuanzong of Qing, personal name Mianning, was the seventh List of emperors of the Qing dynasty, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing e ...

. During this time, he was stationed in

Xiamen Xiamen,), also known as Amoy ( ; from the Zhangzhou Hokkien pronunciation, zh, c=, s=, t=, p=, poj=Ē͘-mûi, historically romanized as Amoy, is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Stra ...

. 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 river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...

. 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, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

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 men