Huang Yuanyong
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Huang Yuanyong (黃遠庸), (Pen name: Huang Yuansheng 黃遠生, Wade-Giles: "Huang Yüan-yung") (15 January 1885 – 25 December 1915) was a renowned Chinese author and
journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
during the late
Qing dynasty 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 ...
(清朝) and early
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
(民國初年). Huang made significant contributions to
journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
and
literacy Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...
in China, particularly as an innovator in both journalistic methodology and writing style. His unsolved assassination while visiting
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, United States, was suspected of having been a KMT operation.


Early life

Huang Yuanyong (Given name: Huang Weiji 黃為基) was born to an educated family in
Jiujiang Jiujiang, formerly transliterated Kiukiang and Kew-Keang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the second-largest prefecture-level ...
(),
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Province () in China. His father was a
scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...
and an officer in charge of foreign affairs in
Ningbo Ningbo is a sub-provincial city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises six urban districts, two satellite county-level cities, and two rural counties, including several islands in Hangzhou Bay and the Eas ...
(), and a number of his family members were government officials. Influenced by his family, Huang immersed himself in
Chinese classics The Chinese classics or canonical texts are the works of Chinese literature authored prior to the establishment of the imperial Qin dynasty in 221 BC. Prominent examples include the Four Books and Five Classics in the Neo-Confucian traditi ...
when he grew up. To improve his English, his family hired a foreign tutor to teach him the language. Huang completed secondary schooling in the
Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...
() province. During his studies at ''Zhejiang Huxing Nanxun Government School'' (), he was involved in
educational reform Education reform is the goal of changing public education. The meaning and educational methods have changed through debates over what content or experiences result in an educated individual or an educated society. Historically, the motivations for ...
campaigns and became a member of the ''Progressive Party'' (). In 1903, Huang came in seventh place in the regional examination in Jiangxi (). Nevertheless, the 19-year-old Huang did not follow the custom of becoming a government official, instead continuing his legal study at
Chuo University , commonly referred to as or , is a private research university in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan. The university finds its roots in a school called Igirisu Hōritsu Gakkō (English Law School), which was founded in 1885, and became a university in 1 ...
in
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan. Six years later, he returned to China and started working at the ''Civil Postal Department'' (). Later on, he became a
journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
and worked for several different papers and news agencies. Huang was particularly famous for his discussions of
politics Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
and
social issue A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...
s.


Life as a journalist


Background

Following the collapse of the
Qing dynasty 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 ...
, Huang ceased his work as an officer in the new government of the Republic of China. Li Shengduo (), one of the
Beiyang The term Beiyang (; pinyin: Běiyáng; Wade-Giles: Peiyang) literally means Northern Ocean. Initially a purely geographic term, it originated toward the end of the Qing dynasty, and it referred to the coastal provinces of Zhili (Traditional Chin ...
five ministers (), played an influential role for Huang. He advised Huang to enter
journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
, saying that "In western countries, the majority of journalists are familiar with
history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
and
international affairs International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...
. If you choose to work in this field, there is no doubt you will become a famous reporter." After receiving Li's advice, Huang began his career as a journalist. Huang soon won recognition for his abilities as a journalist. In 1912, the founding year of the Republic of China, Huang, Lan Gongwu () and Zhang Junmai (), who were known as "The trio of youth for modern China" (), first published ''Shao Nian Zhong Guo Weekly'' 《少年中國周刊》 to criticise politics. Later on, Huang and two other young journalists, Liu Shaoshao () and Ding Foyan (), were entitled '"The outstanding trio of journalism" (). Huang was also regarded as "The first genuine reporter in the modern context in China" () and his ''Yuansheng Tongxun'' (), a special column of news dispatch, became the most popular and famous brand in Chinese journalism.


Contribution to newspapers and Magazines

Huang's first job was to write articles for the ''Ya Shi Ya' Daily News'' () in Shanghai. The positions at
newspapers A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
and
magazines A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
that he later served include: * ''Shen Bao'' () - newspaper reporter * ''Shi Bao'' () - newspaper reporter *''Dong Fang'' Daily News () - newspaper reporter *''Shao Nian Zhong Guo ''Weekly () - founder and magazine editor *''Yong Yan'' () - magazine editor *''Dong Fang'' Magazine () - writer *''Lun Heng'' () - writer *''Guo Min Gong Bao'' () - writer With his academic background and work experiences, Huang took up a number of roles in the field. He worked as a chief editor (), an appointed regional reporter in
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
() and Shanghai, and a freelance article writer (). He was well known for being diversified and productive. In 1915, Huang's clash with Yuan Shikai () eventually cost him his job. The news of Huang being shot to death in the United States shortly after his arrival shocked the
press Press may refer to: Media * Publisher * News media * Printing press, commonly called "the press" * Press TV, an Iranian television network Newspapers United States * ''The Press'', a former name of ''The Press-Enterprise'', Riverside, California ...
and
literary Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, plays, and poems. It includes both print and digital writing. In recent centuries, ...
circles of China.


Publications

Among Huang's publications,''Yuansheng yi zhu'' is a collection which consists of 239 pieces of his posthumous articles. It was published by Huang's friend, Lin Zhijun (), after Huang's death in 1919. From 1920 to 1927, four editions of this book were published by the
Commercial Press
of Shanghai (). It was the first collection of news articles in Chinese publishing history. Huang's articles included news reporting, political analysis, and the like. The majority of Huang's articles were reports of major events and influential people in the turbulent politics of China at the time. His publications on political issues include: *''A Warning to the Trio Superpower'' 《對於三大勢力之警告》 *''An Overview of Current Politics'' 《最近之大勢》 *''Astray Official'' 《官迷論》 *''Conflict between Traditional and Contemporary Thoughts'' 《新舊思想之衝突》 *''New Year in Beijing'' 《北京之新年》 *''Three Days' Astronomy'' 《三日觀天記》 *''The Chef of the Ambassador'' 《外交部之厨子》 His other publications include: * ''My Confession'' 《懺悔錄》 * ''Introspection'' 《反省》 * ''Passive Optimism'' 《消極之樂觀》 As a journalist, he interviewed many important figures of the time, including: *
Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-senUsually known as Sun Zhongshan () in Chinese; also known by Names of Sun Yat-sen, several other names. (; 12 November 186612 March 1925) was a Chinese physician, revolutionary, statesman, and political philosopher who founded the Republ ...
() *
Huang Xing Huang Xing or Huang Hsing (; 25 October 1874 – 31 October 1916) was a Chinese revolutionary leader and politician, and the first commander-in-chief of the Republic of China. As one of the founders of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Republic of ...
() *
Song Jiaoren Song Jiaoren (, ; Chinese name, Given name at birth: Liàn 鍊; Courtesy name: Dùnchū 鈍初; 5 April 1882 – 22 March 1913) was a Republic of China (1912–1949), Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuom ...
() *Chang Taiyen () *
Cai Yuanpei Cai Yuanpei (; 1868–1940) was a Chinese philosopher and politician who was an influential figure in the history of Chinese modern education. He made contributions to education reform with his own education ideology. He was the president of Peki ...
() *
Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 18596 June 1916) was a Chinese general and statesman who served as the second provisional president and the first official president of the Republic of China, head of the Beiyang government from 1912 to 1916 and ...
() *
Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong (; courtesy name ; October 19, 1864 – June 3, 1928) was a prominent Chinese military and political leader during the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. He was the Provisional Vice President of the Republic of China from 191 ...
() *Tang Shaoyi () * Lu Zhengxiang () *Zhao Bingkwun () *Xiong Xiling () *
Duan Qirui Duan Qirui (, pronounced ) (March 6, 1865 – November 2, 1936) was a Chinese warlord, politician and commander of the Beiyang Army who ruled as the effective dictator of northern China in the late 1910s. He was the Premier of the Republic of C ...
() Huang reported on many important events in China. For example: *The assassination of Song Jiaoren () *The resignation of Yuan Shikai () *The signing of ''The Twenty-One Demands'' () *The resignation of Tang Shaoyi ()


Clash with Yuan Shikai

Huang initially supported the creation of the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
under
Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 18596 June 1916) was a Chinese general and statesman who served as the second provisional president and the first official president of the Republic of China, head of the Beiyang government from 1912 to 1916 and ...
's leadership. However, the new government became a great disappointment to Huang. He felt that despite the Progressive Party's rhetoric it was still a corrupt organization. In the articles entitled ''Big Loan Incident'' () and ''The Twenty-One Demands'' (), Huang described Yuan's alleged secret deals with foreign powers and betrayal of the nation's interest for his own sake. Huang once described the status of the
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
as "idealess, dead-ended and hopeless" (). However, what most upset Huang was the threat to the
freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic Media (communication), media, especially publication, published materials, shoul ...
that he felt Yuan represented. Under Yuan, journalists were prohibited from attending political meetings () and the censorship of
newspapers A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
also became the custody of the Police Authority (). Between 1912 and 1916 Yuan and his party extended their control over the news media, banning 71 newspapers and arresting more than 60 journalists. These events left Huang with a much more pessimistic view of the importance of journalism. The incident which triggered the final clash of Huang and Yuan occurred in 1915. At that time, news media sympathetic to Yuan had been promoting his plan to revive the monarchic system in China. At first, he offered
Liang Qichao Liang Qichao (Chinese: 梁啓超; Wade–Giles: ''Liang2 Chʻi3-chʻao1''; Yale romanization of Cantonese, Yale: ''Lèuhng Kái-chīu''; ) (February 23, 1873 – January 19, 1929) was a Chinese politician, social and political activist, jour ...
() two hundred thousand dollars to write an article in favour of him, but Liang refused. Then he approached Huang due to Huang's reputation. Yuan offered him ten thousand dollars to become a minister and the chief
editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...
of ''Ya Shi Ya Daily News'' (), which was under his control. Still, Huang was unwilling to violate his principles as a journalist. Huang posted his announcement entitled ''My declaration of opposing the monarchic system and resignation from all positions of Yuan's group of publishers'' 《黃遠生反對帝制並辭去袁系報紙聘約啟事》 in most major newspapers in Shanghai, including ''Shen Bao'' (). Huang published further similar announcements in several papers, including ''Shen Bao'' () and ''Shi Shi Xin Bao'' () to clarify his political break from Yuan. Yuan maintained pressure on Huang by naming him chief editor of ''Ya Shi Ya Daily News'' against his will, a position which Huang rejected. Eventually, though, Huang tried to escape this political battle, devoting himself to further academic studies.


Influence on China


Journalism

Huang's writings were an important element in transforming traditional China into its modern form. Huang and other famous journalists such as
Kang Youwei Kang Youwei (; Cantonese: ''Hōng Yáuh-wàih''; 19March 185831March 1927) was a political thinker and reformer in China of the late Qing dynasty. His increasing closeness to and influence over the young Guangxu Emperor sparked confli ...
() and
Liang Qichao Liang Qichao (Chinese: 梁啓超; Wade–Giles: ''Liang2 Chʻi3-chʻao1''; Yale romanization of Cantonese, Yale: ''Lèuhng Kái-chīu''; ) (February 23, 1873 – January 19, 1929) was a Chinese politician, social and political activist, jour ...
() formed the ''Group of Journalists'' (), which played an important role in late Qing dynasty. As the educated ones, the group's opinions towards the society would be released to the public so that the dark side of the nation could be disclosed, enhancing the public's awareness of social issues. The group was undeniably a major breakthrough in China's journalistic history. Huang was most active before and after the
Xinhai Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). The revolution was the culmination of a decade ...
(). That period was a dark age for cultural development in China, with interference from the past and the present, China and the West. Huang showed his concern and worries in that period through his writings. Strictly speaking, there was nobody who would write as many articles as Huang did at that time. Huang emphasized that a journalist should be equipped with four important abilities: *The ability to think critically () *The ability to run () - to develop and broaden interpersonal network to enrich news sources *The ability to listen () - to analyze and co-ordinate trivial pieces into consequence *The ability to write () directly, without distortion


Literature

Many
intellectuals An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and Human self-reflection, reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society and proposed solutions for its normative problems. Coming from the wor ...
such as
Chen Duxiu Chen Duxiu ( zh, t=陳獨秀, p=Chén Dúxiù, w=Ch'en Tu-hsiu; 9 October 1879 – 27 May 1942) was a Chinese revolutionary, writer, educator, and political philosopher who co-founded the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1921, serving as its fi ...
() were influenced by Huang's ideas. They organized and published "
New Youths ''New Youth'', also known as La Jeunesse, was a Chinese literary magazine founded by Chen Duxiu and published between 1915 and 1926. It strongly influenced both the New Culture Movement and the later May Fourth Movement. Publishing history ...
" 《新青年》 and "New current of ideas" 《新潮》, which were largely promoted 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 ...
. More than thirty articles in the two publications mentioned Huang's name and his innovative ideas. One famous intellectual,
Hu Shih Hu Shih ( zh, t=胡適; 17 December 189124 February 1962) was a Chinese academic, writer, and politician. Hu contributed to Chinese liberalism and language reform, and was a leading advocate for the use of written vernacular Chinese. He part ...
(), even considered Huang as the "First Voice" of promoting a new type of
literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
in his book ''Wu shi nian lai zhi wen xue'' (Literature within fifty years) 《五十年來之文學》. Huang has been regarded as the pioneer of the
May Fourth Movement The May Fourth Movement was a Chinese cultural and anti-imperialist political movement which grew out of student protests in Beijing on May 4, 1919. Students gathered in front of Tiananmen to protest the Chinese government's weak response ...
(). He termed the movement a "Chinese Renaissance" in 1915 before it had actually started.Chow, Tse-tung. "The May Fourth Movement: Intellectual Revolution in Modern China". Harvard University Press, 1960, p.338. He advocated the ''Literary Enlightenment Movement'' () by promoting modern Chinese literature and introducing Western ideas to China. In his article, ''My Confession'' 《懺悔錄》, he argued that a prerequisite for the betterment of the society is to improve the personality and quality of citizens. ("今日無論何等方面,自以改革為第一要義", 要改革國家).


Education

Although Huang achieved a good result in the
Imperial Examination The imperial examination was a civil service examination system in History of China#Imperial China, Imperial China administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the Civil service#China, state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureau ...
himself, he was highly critical of the system. Instead, he stated that after the collapse of the Qing dynasty, the examination system should also eventually be removed. Although new examination systems and schools were immediately introduced to China following the collapse, there were still a large number of people who gained nothing in the old system and could not fit into the new one. Huang argued that these people would become a threat to society.


Writing

Before becoming a journalist Huang immersed himself in writing literature, as
classical Chinese literature The Chinese classics or canonical texts are the works of Chinese literature authored prior to the establishment of the imperial Qin dynasty in 221 BC. Prominent examples include the Four Books and Five Classics in the Neo-Confucian traditi ...
was still popular in the late Qing dynasty. He was known for writing fluently, with major use of rhetoric and allusion. However, Huang realized that news articles should be comprehensible enough to be read by many people and that the use of classical
Chinese language Chinese ( or ) is a group of languages spoken natively by the ethnic Han Chinese majority and List of ethnic groups in China, many minority ethnic groups in China, as well as by various communities of the Chinese diaspora. Approximately 1.39& ...
might obstruct the flow of expression. He therefore decided to change his style of writing. By writing in simple and colloquial language, Huang's articles magnified his critical and satirical attitude.


Mystery of his death

Huang was assassinated while visiting
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, United States on Christmas Day, 25 December 1915, at the age of 30. The circumstances of Huang's death remain a mystery, not only because there was political instability in China, but also because he was assassinated in San Francisco, far from his home. As a result, there are several possible explanations for the incident. There were two versions of the story of the murder of Huang. One possibility is that Huang was shot by a killer sent by Yuan Shikai as payback for Huang's opposition to Yuan's monarchic system. Another version was that he was mistakenly assassinated by Liu Beihai (), a member of the Zhonghua Revolutionary Party (), which was later known as the Nationalist Party (). The Party suspected that Huang was indeed working for Yuan, and his purpose for visiting the U.S. was to promote the monarchic system. However, there is still not enough evidence to prove that Huang's death was related to Yuan, even today. The date of Huang's assassination has also been called into some doubt. In the introduction of ''Yuansheng yi zhu'' 《遠生遺著》, a posthumous collection of Huang's articles, Lin Zhijun () recalled that he had heard the news on the night of 27 December 1915, and gives this date as the day of Huang's death. However, some scholars, including Li Shengduo (), believed that Huang was indeed killed on 25 December, as the date the news came did not necessarily have to be the day of the assassination. Therefore, generally, it has been accepted that the date of Huang's death was 25 December 1915.


See also

*
List of journalists killed in the United States Numerous journalists have been murdered or killed in the United States while reporting, covering a military conflict, or because of their status as a journalist. At least 39 of these have been directly targeted as a result of their journalistic i ...
*
List of unsolved murders These lists of unsolved murders include notable cases where victims were murdered in unknown circumstances. * List of unsolved murders (before 1900) * List of unsolved murders (1900–1979) * List of unsolved murders (1980–1999) * List of unsol ...


References


External links

*Yang, Zongsheng. ''Famous Chinese People and the Mass Media.'' Xianggang : Xianggang Journalistic Publication, 2002. *Li, Longmu. ''Facts about Journalism in China.'' Shanghai: Shanghai People Publication, 1985. *Li, Liangrong. ''The Development of Newspaper in China and the Problems arose.'' Fuzhou: Fujian Peoples Publication, 2002. *Zhang, Jinglu. ''Newspapers in China.'' Shanghai : Guang hua, 1928. *He, Jingzhong. ''A hundred years of Journalism.'' Beijing: China Economics Publication, 2001. *Fang Hanqi, Zhang Zhihua. ''The Illustration of Journalism in China.'' Beijing: Peoples University Press, 1995. *Tang, Zhenchang. ''Shi hai xun du.'' Xianggang: Tian di Publication Company Limited, 2000. *Lin, Zhijun. ''Yuansheng Yizhu (The last work of Huang Yuansheng).'' Taipei: Wenhai Publication, 1968.


External links


The Wuchang Uprising - in 1911
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huang, Yuanyong 1885 births 1915 deaths 20th-century Chinese journalists Assassinated Chinese journalists Chinese people murdered abroad Qing dynasty writers People from Jiujiang Writers from Jiangxi Deaths by firearm in California Unsolved murders in California People murdered in 1915 People murdered in California