Shi Liangcai (Chinese: 史量才; pinyin: Shǐ Liàngcái; Wade–Giles: Shih Liang-ts'ai) (January 2, 1880 – November 13, 1934) was a Chinese journalist best known for his ownership of Shen Bao and for his murder at the hands of Chiang Kai-shek's henchmen.
Shi was born in Qingpu, now part of Shanghai. He studied at the Sericultural School in Hangzhou and in 1904 founded a sericultural school for women in Shanghai;[1] (in 1912 the school moved to Hushuguan, a few miles northwest of Suzhou[2]). He lived in a graceful villa at what is now No. 257, Tongren Road, Shanghai from 1904 until his death.[3]
Along with journalists from the Shanghai newspaper Shibao (Eastern Times), by 1909 "the most widely circulated newspaper in the Shanghai region,"[4] Shi was a regular visitor to "an association known as the Xilou (Resting Place), which Shibao sponsored and where several items of the late-Qing reformist agenda were argued and shaped."[5] When he took over Shen Bao in 1912, he furthered its liberal orientation; he also began a career as a press magnate, and from 1927, he bought up most of the stock of Shishi and Xinwen newspapers.[3] He also expanded his range of business interests, with investments in cotton textiles.
He was the leader of the Jiangningtongxianghui (native place association) until his death; such associations in this period frequently "provided shelter and resources for anti-Japanese activists," and this one did not officially call a meeting between 1928 and 1933 because of a desire to avoid having to comply with oppressive Kuomintang regulations.[6] "In the 1930s, Shi was a strong supporter of the Human Rights Defence Alliance established by Madam Soong Qing Ling, the second wife of revolutionary leader Dr Sun Yat-sen, with Cai Yuanpei and Lu Xun."[7] He "had remained aloof from the initial phase of the Anti-Japanese National Salvation Association promoted in July 1931 by the Shanghai KMT and its auxiliary Chamber of Commerce,"[8] but after the Mukden Incident in September he became more involved, and in January 1932 "offered his nonpartisan leadership over a reconstituted anti-Japanese association and use of his Shenpao newspaper."[9]
A courageous man, he responded to his political enemies with the saying, "You have a gun. I have a pen."[10] His opposition to power had fatal consequences:
Shi Liangcai incurred Chiang's wrath for his newspaper's vociferous condemnation of the government's assassination of Yang Xingfo, for his vigorous public support for strong resistance against Japanese aggression, and for his spirited opposition to the crackdown on students and universities orchestrated by Minister of Education Zhu Jiahua. The conjunction of all three causes, and especially Shen Bao's dramatic analytical linkage of internal persecution of liberal human rights proponents to external appeasement of the Japanese, constituted a direct provocation to Chiang Kai-shek. Sometime in the fall or early winter of 1933, consequently, Chiang commanded Dai Li to prepare to assassinate Shi, who was then serving in one of the most prominent public positions in Shanghai as head of the Chinese Municipal Council.
Dai Li originally planned to carry out the operation against Shi in Shanghai, but the courageous editor lived in the International Settlement where police protection was difficult to circumvent... On November 13, 1934, Shi Liangcai and his family wound up their holidays and prepared to return to their Shanghai residence by automobile. Shi's party — his wife Shen Qiushui, his son Shi Yonggeng, his niece Shen Lijuan, and the son's schoolmate Deng Zuxun — took the Hu-Hang highway. When the car drew near Boai zhen, not far from the harbor of Wenjia in Haining county, they came across another automobile drawn across the highway. As Shi's chauffeur slowed down, the doors of the other car opened and the assassins jumped out with drawn guns. In the first hail of bullets the chauffeur and school-chum were shot down dead. The others tried to flee across a nearby field. Mrs. Shi was hit and fell wounded, as did her niece Shen Lijuan. Shi Yonggeng, the son, managed to run to safety. But Shi Liangcai was killed on the spot, and his body was dropped into a dry cistern.[11]
The killing caused a tremendous public outcry — the entire Municipal Council resigned in protest — and the provincial governor of Zhejiang, Lu Diping, was eventually forced to resign.
Referencesedit
^Joan Judge, Print and Politics: 'Shibao' and the Culture of Reform in Late Qing China (Stanford University Press, 1996: ISBN0-8047-2741-4), p. 211
^Lynda Schaefer Bell, One Industry, Two Chinas: Silk Filatures and Peasant-Family Production in Wuxi County, 1865-1937 (Stanford University Press, 1999: ISBN0-8047-2998-0), p. 135.
^ abTour of Jingan District——The Golden Tour Archived 2011-07-07 at archive.today.
^William Theodore De Bary, Sources of East Asian Tradition: The Modern Period (Columbia University Press, 2008: ISBN0-231-14323-0), p. 673.
^Perry Link, review of Joan Judge, Print and Politics, Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 58 (1998): 581.
^Gail Hershatter, Remapping China: Fissures in Historical Terrain (Stanford University Press, 1996: ISBN0-8047-2509-8), pp. 167 and 311.
^Patsy Yang and Jolin Ng, "Cheers for favorite old bars and some newbies in Tongren Road 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine," Shanghai Daily, July 13, 2009.
^Donald A. Jordan, China's Trial by Fire: The Shanghai War of 1932 (University of Michigan Press, 2001: ISBN0-472-11165-5), p. 70.
^Gao Yu, "Courage Acceptance Speech 2009-12-30 at the Wayback Machine," 2006.
^Frederic E. Wakeman, Policing Shanghai, 1927-1937 (University of California Press, 1996: ISBN0-520-20761-0), pp. 257-258.
Literatureedit
Pang Rongdi (庞荣棣), Shi Liangcai: Xiandai baoye juzi (史量才 : 现代报业巨子) [Shi Liangcai: great man of the modern Chinese press], Shanghai: Shanghai jiaoyu chubanshe, 1999.
April 10, 2024
liangcai, this, chinese, name, family, name, chinese, 史量才, pinyin, shǐ, liàngcái, wade, giles, shih, liang, january, 1880, november, 1934, chinese, journalist, best, known, ownership, shen, murder, hands, chiang, shek, henchmen, born, qingpu, part, shanghai, s. In this Chinese name the family name is Shi Shi Liangcai Chinese 史量才 pinyin Shǐ Liangcai Wade Giles Shih Liang ts ai January 2 1880 November 13 1934 was a Chinese journalist best known for his ownership of Shen Bao and for his murder at the hands of Chiang Kai shek s henchmen Shi was born in Qingpu now part of Shanghai He studied at the Sericultural School in Hangzhou and in 1904 founded a sericultural school for women in Shanghai 1 in 1912 the school moved to Hushuguan a few miles northwest of Suzhou 2 He lived in a graceful villa at what is now No 257 Tongren Road Shanghai from 1904 until his death 3 Shi Liangcai lower left with John Dewey lower right and Dewey s wife Alice along with back row left to right Hu Shih Jiang Menglin Tao Xingzhi and Zhang Zuoping in Shanghai in 1919 Along with journalists from the Shanghai newspaper Shibao Eastern Times by 1909 the most widely circulated newspaper in the Shanghai region 4 Shi was a regular visitor to an association known as the Xilou Resting Place which Shibao sponsored and where several items of the late Qing reformist agenda were argued and shaped 5 When he took over Shen Bao in 1912 he furthered its liberal orientation he also began a career as a press magnate and from 1927 he bought up most of the stock of Shishi and Xinwen newspapers 3 He also expanded his range of business interests with investments in cotton textiles He was the leader of the Jiangning tongxianghui native place association until his death such associations in this period frequently provided shelter and resources for anti Japanese activists and this one did not officially call a meeting between 1928 and 1933 because of a desire to avoid having to comply with oppressive Kuomintang regulations 6 In the 1930s Shi was a strong supporter of the Human Rights Defence Alliance established by Madam Soong Qing Ling the second wife of revolutionary leader Dr Sun Yat sen with Cai Yuanpei and Lu Xun 7 He had remained aloof from the initial phase of the Anti Japanese National Salvation Association promoted in July 1931 by the Shanghai KMT and its auxiliary Chamber of Commerce 8 but after the Mukden Incident in September he became more involved and in January 1932 offered his nonpartisan leadership over a reconstituted anti Japanese association and use of his Shenpao newspaper 9 A courageous man he responded to his political enemies with the saying You have a gun I have a pen 10 His opposition to power had fatal consequences Shi Liangcai incurred Chiang s wrath for his newspaper s vociferous condemnation of the government s assassination of Yang Xingfo for his vigorous public support for strong resistance against Japanese aggression and for his spirited opposition to the crackdown on students and universities orchestrated by Minister of Education Zhu Jiahua The conjunction of all three causes and especially Shen Bao s dramatic analytical linkage of internal persecution of liberal human rights proponents to external appeasement of the Japanese constituted a direct provocation to Chiang Kai shek Sometime in the fall or early winter of 1933 consequently Chiang commanded Dai Li to prepare to assassinate Shi who was then serving in one of the most prominent public positions in Shanghai as head of the Chinese Municipal Council Dai Li originally planned to carry out the operation against Shi in Shanghai but the courageous editor lived in the International Settlement where police protection was difficult to circumvent On November 13 1934 Shi Liangcai and his family wound up their holidays and prepared to return to their Shanghai residence by automobile Shi s party his wife Shen Qiushui his son Shi Yonggeng his niece Shen Lijuan and the son s schoolmate Deng Zuxun took the Hu Hang highway When the car drew near Boai zhen not far from the harbor of Wenjia in Haining county they came across another automobile drawn across the highway As Shi s chauffeur slowed down the doors of the other car opened and the assassins jumped out with drawn guns In the first hail of bullets the chauffeur and school chum were shot down dead The others tried to flee across a nearby field Mrs Shi was hit and fell wounded as did her niece Shen Lijuan Shi Yonggeng the son managed to run to safety But Shi Liangcai was killed on the spot and his body was dropped into a dry cistern 11 The killing caused a tremendous public outcry the entire Municipal Council resigned in protest and the provincial governor of Zhejiang Lu Diping was eventually forced to resign References edit Joan Judge Print and Politics Shibao and the Culture of Reform in Late Qing China Stanford University Press 1996 ISBN 0 8047 2741 4 p 211 Lynda Schaefer Bell One Industry Two Chinas Silk Filatures and Peasant Family Production in Wuxi County 1865 1937 Stanford University Press 1999 ISBN 0 8047 2998 0 p 135 a b Tour of Jingan District The Golden Tour Archived 2011 07 07 at archive today William Theodore De Bary Sources of East Asian Tradition The Modern Period Columbia University Press 2008 ISBN 0 231 14323 0 p 673 Perry Link review of Joan Judge Print and Politics Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 58 1998 581 Gail Hershatter Remapping China Fissures in Historical Terrain Stanford University Press 1996 ISBN 0 8047 2509 8 pp 167 and 311 Patsy Yang and Jolin Ng Cheers for favorite old bars and some newbies in Tongren Road Archived 2011 07 16 at the Wayback Machine Shanghai Daily July 13 2009 Donald A Jordan China s Trial by Fire The Shanghai War of 1932 University of Michigan Press 2001 ISBN 0 472 11165 5 p 70 Jordan China s Trial by Fire p 69 Gao Yu Courage Acceptance Speech Archived 2009 12 30 at the Wayback Machine 2006 Frederic E Wakeman Policing Shanghai 1927 1937 University of California Press 1996 ISBN 0 520 20761 0 pp 257 258 Literature editPang Rongdi 庞荣棣 Shi Liangcai Xiandai baoye juzi 史量才 现代报业巨子 Shi Liangcai great man of the modern Chinese press Shanghai Shanghai jiaoyu chubanshe 1999 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Shi Liangcai amp oldid 1217093328, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
