Hong Rengan was an important leader of the Taiping Rebellion.
22 Facts About Hong Rengan
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Hong Rengan was a distant cousin of the movement's founder and spiritual leader Hong Xiuquan.
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Hong Rengan is a noted figure in history because of the sweeping reforms attempted under his rule, and because of his popularity in the West.
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Hong Rengan was among the first of Hong Xiuquan's converts.
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Hong Rengan helped with church work for the Basel Mission in Sheung Wan and learned much about Christianity.
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Hong Rengan provided Hamberg with important information on the Taiping rebellion, which Hamberg later used to write a book about the movement, The visions of Hung-Siu-tshuen, and origin of the Kwang-si insurrection, published in Hong Rengan Kong in 1854.
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Hong Rengan served as an assistant to James Legge, working on translations of Chinese classics into English, and on the Chinese Serial, the first Chinese language newspaper in Hong Rengan Kong.
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When Hong Xiuquan called for his cousin Hong Rengan to come to Nanjing to help him rule, the Taiping administration was entrenched in a bitter power dispute.
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James Legge did not want Hong Rengan to have anything to do with the rebels because he distrusted and condemned their beliefs.
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When James Legge left Hong Kong for England he gave strict injunctions to Hong Rengan to remain in Hong Kong and to not join the rebel forces.
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However Hong Rengan ignored his injunction and left Hong Kong in the spring of 1858, other missionaries gave him money and promised him a stipend for his family.
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Hong Rengan disguised himself as a peddler on his way to Nanjing.
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Hong Rengan finally arrived at Taiping's capital, Tianjing on 22 April 1859, it was in this environment that Hong Rengan was given the second most important position in the Taiping movement; only Hong Xiuquan himself was more powerful.
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Hong Rengan was given this position because of his education, especially his knowledge of many aspects of Western politics, art and technology, acquired during his time in Hong Kong.
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Hong Rengan came to Nanjing with a thoroughly Protestant mindset.
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Hong Rengan reformed the worship and prayer services into Protestant-style ceremonies.
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Hong Rengan discouraged the use of the word "barbarian" to describe Westerners.
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However, most of Hong Rengan's energy was dedicated to centralizing the authority of Taiping administration and revitalizing its military successes.
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Hong Rengan advocated building railroads, gaining the support of Western powers, and building banks in the areas under Taiping rule.
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Hong Rengan's rule was reduced to decrees endorsed by Hong Xiuquan, but they were never followed or enforced outside the city.
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In 1864 Hong Rengan Xiuquan was found dead and the city of Nanjing soon fell to Qing forces.
22.
Hong Rengan was executed in Nanchang, in Jiangxi, on 23 November 1864, shortly after the execution of the young Hong Tianguifu and Li Xiucheng.