11 Facts About Tan Yankai

Tan Yankai was a Chinese politician who briefly served as its head of state and premier.

Tan Yankai was born on 25 January 1880 in Hangzhou during the waning decades of the Qing dynasty.

Tan Yankai was the son of the Qing minister Tan Zhonglin.

Tan Yankai left and joined the Kuomintang and became military governor of his home province.

Tan Yankai remained neutral during Sun Yatsen's attempt to overthrow President Yuan Shikai in the 1913 Second Revolution, but Yuan removed him anyway.

Tan Yankai returned to power after Yuan's death and led his province into resisting the Beiyang Army in 1917's Constitutional Protection War, which saved Sun's Guangdong base.

When Chen Jiongming was driven out of Guangzhou, Tan was made home minister by Sun.

Tan Yankai served as Chairman of the National Government during the first half of the Northern Expedition and again during its conclusion.

Tan Yankai was a member of Wang Jingwei's Wuhan faction and was the first internationally recognized head of state of the Nanjing-based Kuomintang government.

Tan Yankai then became premier, a post he would hold until he died in office.

Tan Yankai is entombed in the grounds of the Linggu Temple, near the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing.