Sheng Xuanhuai was born on November 4, 1844 in Wujin County, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. He was a representative figure of the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty. He was the key driver of China's learning from the West and moving towards modernization, which led to

Sheng Xuanhuai was born on November 4, 1844 in Wujin County, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. He is a representative figure of the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty. He was the key driver of China's learning from the West and moving towards modernization, which led to the rejuvenation of the late Qing Dynasty.

But in the end, he tried to nationalize the railway, triggering the Wuchang Uprising , which directly led to the demise of Qing Dynasty . His family has a huge amount of money, but because of his inability to educate his children, his family has suffered a decline.

Sheng Xuanhuai attached great importance to the education and cultivation of his subordinates. His family had more than 300 servants, all of whom were well-educated, and two of them later became famous figures. One was named Ni Guizhen . He was the common mother-in-law of Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek and Kong Xiangxi .

Another one is called Lu Baozhen. Her fourth daughter is Zhao Yidi. Later, he married Zhang Xueliang .

Sheng Xuanhuai was 16 years old when the Taiping Army attacked Changzhou . He followed his father Shengkang and fled everywhere, and later went to Hubei to live. After the failure of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Sheng Kang brought his son Sheng Xuanhuai back to Changzhou to live.

In 1870, 26-year-old Sheng Xuanhuai served as a staff member (staff) in the shogunate of Li Hongzhang , and was appreciated by Li Hongzhang and later became Li Hongzhang's most capable assistant to establish the Westernization Movement.

In addition, Sheng Xuanhuai also helped Li Hongzhang do many major things and founded China's eleven firsts. They are: China's first ship shipping company and China Merchants Group has many ships, breaking the situation where foreign shipping dominates Yangtze River . That year, he was only 28 years old.

China's first steel and coal joint enterprise and China's first bank. He founded Beiyang University Hall (Today’s Tianjin University) and Nanyang Public School (Today’s Xi’an Jiaotong University , Shanghai Jiaotong University , National Jiaotong University ).

In 1871, a flood occurred in Beijing and Tianjin. His father donated a large amount of clothing and food, and transported it to Tianjin by Sheng Xuanhuai. This is Sheng Xuanhuai's first time doing charity. More than 30 years later, Sheng Xuanhuai opened China's first Red Cross Society in Shanghai (1905).

In 1881, 37-year-old Sheng Xuanhuai was appointed as the General Office of the Tianjin-Shanghai Telecommunications Land Line, and since then China has entered the era of telecommunications industry. In 1882, Sheng Xuanhuai successively established telegram lines from Shanghai to Guangzhou, Ningbo , Fuzhou, Xiamen and other places, and established a telegram network along the coast of China.

In 1895, 51-year-old Sheng Xuanhuai requested the establishment of a new school, which was approved by Emperor Guangxu and named Beiyang University Hall. This is the first official university in China and the predecessor of today's Tianjin University .

The following year, Sheng Xuanhuai founded Nanyang Public School in Shanghai and served as the supervisor. This school has a huge impact on China. Well-known students include: Cai E , Cai Yuanpei, Huang Yanpei , Li Shutong , Shao Lizi, Zou Taofen, Mao Yisheng , etc.

Nanyang Public School is the predecessor of today's Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Taiwan's National Jiaotong University.

In 1896, 52-year-old Sheng Xuanhuai was responsible for handling Hubei coal and iron mine affairs, and successively took over the management of Hubei Hanyang Iron Plant and Pingxiang Coal Mine. Twelve years later, he merged Hanyang Iron Plant , Daye Iron Mine and Pingxiang Coal Mine (in 1908), and established China's first steel and coal joint enterprise - Hanye Ping Coal and Iron Plant Mine Company .

At the same time, Sheng Xuanhuai supervised the railway and built the first railway trunk line — Jinghan Railway . In 1897, 53-year-old Sheng Xuanhuai opened China's first bank - China Commercial Bank on the Bund in Shanghai.

In 1900 (age 56 years old), the Boxer Rebellion emerged. Under the contact of Sheng Xuanhuai, the governors and governors of the Yangtze River Basin signed the "Southeast Mutual Protection Treaty" with the great powers. From then on, the relationship between the southern provinces and the Qing government was closely separated, which was the beginning of the rise of local warlords.

Because Sheng Xuanhuai controls the financial lifelines of telegraphs, mining, customs, railways, etc., the Qing government has no choice but to give him the title of Prince Taibao.

In 1911, the Qing government vigorously reformed and established the first modern cabinet in Chinese history. Sheng Xuanhuai was appointed Minister of the Ministry of Posts and Communications. He ordered all railways and postal services in all provinces to be nationalized, resulting in the road protection campaign in Sichuan, Guangdong, Hunan and Hubei.

On October 10, the new army planned to be sent to Sichuan to suppress the road protection movement and launched the Wuchang Uprising. Subsequently, in just one month, southern provinces declared independence. Sheng Xuanhuai was impeached and dismissed on October 26. He will never be used again and fled to Japan. During his time in Japan, he funded Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary cause.

Subsequently, Yuan Shikai talked about peace with the revolutionary party, the Qing Dynasty perished and the Republic of China was established. In the autumn of 1912, Sheng Xuanhuai was invited by Sun Yat-sen to return to Shanghai. In Shanghai Concession , he continued to host Shipbuilding China Merchants Bank and Hanyeping Company .

On April 27, 1916, Sheng Xuanhuai died of illness in Shanghai at the age of 72. The funeral was extremely grand and caused a sensation in Shanghai, costing 300,000 taels of silver. The funeral procession lined up from Xieqiao Lane (Wujiang Road) to Bund . The concession authorities had to arrange traffic control specifically.

In Suzhou , there is a private garden called "Liuyuan ", which is a must-visit place for Suzhou tourism. The pavilions, towers, small bridges and flowing water in the garden are very luxurious and spectacular, and are called "the crown of gardens in the world". Its owner is Sheng Xuanhuai.

Sheng Enyi is Sheng Xuanhuai's favorite son, and his name was given by Empress Dowager Cixi. Sheng Xuanhuai later left the house in Suzhou to his fourth son Sheng Enyi.

Sheng Enyi went to study in the UK and the United States in her early years and was a famous playboy. Later, she married the daughter of Sun Baoqi, the Prime Minister of the Republic of China.

Sheng Enyi was spoiled since childhood and developed a bad habit of extravagance. He spent money and was famous in Shanghai because he was ranked fourth in the second, and his license plate number was four "4", nicknamed Sheng Laosi.

Sheng Laosi also equipped each of his concubines with a villa and an imported luxury car, and sent a large number of servants to serve them. Sheng Xuanhuai's first three sons died early, so he had high expectations for the fourth son and carefully cultivated them, but his son was not good at doing well and had fun all day.

After the end of the War of Resistance Against Japan , Sheng Enyi fell into poverty and could not even afford the ticket to the park. In 1958, Sheng Enyi died in Liuyuan, Suzhou at the age of 66.