Shi Liangcai
Encyclopedia
Shi Liangcai (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; (in 1912 the school moved to Hushuguan, a few miles northwest of Suzhou
). He lived in a graceful villa at what is now No. 257, Tongren Road, Shanghai from 1904 until his death.
Along with journalists from the Shanghai newspaper Shibao (Eastern Times), by 1909 "the most widely circulated newspaper in the Shanghai region," 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." 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. 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. "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
." 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," 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."
A courageous man, he responded to his political enemies with the saying, "You have a gun. I have a pen." His opposition to power had fatal consequences:
, Lu Diping
, was eventually forced to resign.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
journalist best known for his ownership of Shen Bao
Shen Bao
Shen Bao, formerly transliterated as Shun Pao or Shen-pao , known in English as Shanghai News, was a newspaper published from April 30, 1872 to May 27, 1949 in Shanghai, China...
and for his murder at the hands of Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
's henchmen.
Shi was born in Qingpu, now part of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. He studied at the Sericultural
Sericulture
Sericulture, or silk farming, is the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk.Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, Bombyx mori is the most widely used and intensively studied. According to Confucian texts, the discovery of silk production by B...
School in Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
and in 1904 founded a sericultural school for women in Shanghai; (in 1912 the school moved to Hushuguan, a few miles northwest of Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
). He lived in a graceful villa at what is now No. 257, Tongren Road, Shanghai from 1904 until his death.
Along with journalists from the Shanghai newspaper Shibao (Eastern Times), by 1909 "the most widely circulated newspaper in the Shanghai region," 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." 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. He also expanded his range of business interests, with investments in cotton textiles.
He was the leader of the Jiangning
Jiangning District
Jiangning District is an administrative district in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. The District has a population of 760,000 and an area of 1600 square kilometers. It includes southern and south-eastern suburbs of Nanjing....
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
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
regulations. "In the 1930s, Shi was a strong supporter of the Human Rights Defence Alliance established by Madam Soong Qing Ling
Soong Ching-ling
Soong Ching-ling , also known as Madame Sun Yat-sen, was one of the three Soong sisters—who, along with their husbands, were amongst China's most significant political figures of the early 20th century. She was the Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China...
, the second wife of revolutionary leader Dr Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
, with Cai Yuanpei
Cai Yuanpei
Cai Yuanpei was a Chinese educator and the president of Peking University. He was known for his critical evaluation of the Chinese culture that led to the influential May Fourth Movement...
and Lu Xun
Lu Xun
Lu Xun or Lu Hsün , was the pen name of Zhou Shuren , one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the leading figure of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua as well as classical Chinese...
." 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," but after the Mukden Incident
Mukden Incident
The Mukden Incident, also known as the Manchurian Incident, was a staged event that was engineered by Japanese military personnel as a pretext for invading the northern part of China known as Manchuria in 1931....
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."
A courageous man, he responded to his political enemies with the saying, "You have a gun. I have a pen." His opposition to power had fatal consequences:
The killing caused a tremendous public outcry — the entire Municipal Council resigned in protest — and the provincial governor of Zhejiang
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 Baos 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 LiDai LiMajor General Dai Li was born Dai Chunfeng with the courtesy name of Yunong in Baoan, Jiangshan, Zhejiang, China. He studied at the Whampoa Military Academy, where Chiang served as Chief Commandant, and later became head of Chiang's Military Intelligence Service.-Early life:At age four, his...
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 SettlementShanghai International SettlementThe Shanghai International Settlement began originally as a purely British settlement. It was one of the original five treaty ports which were established under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking at the end of the first opium war in the year 1842...
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 HainingHainingHaining is a county-level city in Zhejiang Province, China, and under the jurisdiction of Jiaxing. It is in the south side of Yangtze River Delta, and in the north of Zhejiang. It is 125 kilometers west of Shanghai, and 61.5 kilometers east of Hangzhou, the capital of the province. To its south...
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.
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, Lu Diping
Lu Diping
Lu Diping was a Chinese general and politician. Born in Ningxiang, Hunan, China, he was a graduate of Hunan Military College and a participant of the Wuchang Uprising. He commanded the 2nd Army and of the 18th Division. Lu was allied with Wang Jingwei and the left wing faction of the KMT...
, was eventually forced to resign.
Literature
- 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.