Second Guangzhou Uprising
Encyclopedia
The Yellow Flower Mound revolt also known as the Second Guangzhou uprising is an uprising led by Huang Xing
and his fellow revolutionaries against the Qing Dynasty
in Guangzhou
.
, which included what is now Peninsular Malaysia
and Singapore
, had the largest Overseas Chinese population
outside of China itself. Many of them were rich and carried out activities for the revolutionaries
. On November 13, 1910, Sun Yat-sen, along with several leading figures of the Tongmenhui, gathered at the Penang conference
to draw up plan for a decisive battle.
Originally planned to occur on April 13, 1911, the preparations on April 8 did not go as planned, delaying the date to April 27 instead.
Huang Xing and nearly a hundred fellow revolutionaries forced their way into the residence of the viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. The uprising was successful in the beginning, but reinforcements of the opposing Qing soldiers then heavily outnumbered them. The uprising turned into a catastrophic defeat. Most revolutionaries were killed, only few managed to escape. Huang Xing was wounded during the battle; he lost one of his fingers when it was hit by a bullet.
Only 86 bodies were found (only 72 could be identified), and the bodies of others could never be found. The dead were mostly youths with all kinds of social backgrounds, former students, teachers, journalists, and oversea Chinese. Some of them were of high rank in the Alliance.
Before the battle, most of the revolutionaries knew that the battle would probably be lost, since they were heavily outnumbered, but they went into battle anyway. The mission was carried like that of a suicide squad. Their letters to their loved ones were later found.
s."
Some historians believe that the uprising was a direct cause of the Wuchang uprising
, which eventually led to the Xinhai Revolution
and the founding of the Republic of China
. Among the Martrs who sacrificed is Revolutionary Lin Jue-min (林覺民). Lin is known for writing the legendary "A Letter to My Wife" (與妻訣別書), considered to be a Chinese literature masterpiece. While Lin did not make it out alive, one of the most famous descendent from Lin's family is Maya Lin
, designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
.
Huang Xing
Huang Xing or Huang Hsing , was a Chinese revolutionary leader, militarist, and statesman, was the first army commander-in-chief of the Republic of China. As one of the founders of the Kuomintang and the Republic of China, his position was next to Sun Yat-sen. Together they were known as...
and his fellow revolutionaries against the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
in Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
.
The Uprising
At this time MalayaBritish Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
, which included what is now Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, had the largest Overseas Chinese population
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
outside of China itself. Many of them were rich and carried out activities for the revolutionaries
Chinese revolutionary activities in Malaya
Sun Yat-sen along with Tong Meng Hui were not all that successful in holding revolutionary activities in Malaya, which consists of present-day Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore...
. On November 13, 1910, Sun Yat-sen, along with several leading figures of the Tongmenhui, gathered at the Penang conference
1910 Penang conference
The 1910 Penang conference was a meeting held in Penang 404 Dato' Kramat road on November 13, 1910 by Sun Yat-sen to stage a major revolt...
to draw up plan for a decisive battle.
Originally planned to occur on April 13, 1911, the preparations on April 8 did not go as planned, delaying the date to April 27 instead.
Huang Xing and nearly a hundred fellow revolutionaries forced their way into the residence of the viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. The uprising was successful in the beginning, but reinforcements of the opposing Qing soldiers then heavily outnumbered them. The uprising turned into a catastrophic defeat. Most revolutionaries were killed, only few managed to escape. Huang Xing was wounded during the battle; he lost one of his fingers when it was hit by a bullet.
Only 86 bodies were found (only 72 could be identified), and the bodies of others could never be found. The dead were mostly youths with all kinds of social backgrounds, former students, teachers, journalists, and oversea Chinese. Some of them were of high rank in the Alliance.
Before the battle, most of the revolutionaries knew that the battle would probably be lost, since they were heavily outnumbered, but they went into battle anyway. The mission was carried like that of a suicide squad. Their letters to their loved ones were later found.
Aftermath
The dead were buried together in one grave on the Yellow Flower Mound, a mound near where they fought and died which has lent its name to the uprising. After the Chinese revolution, a cemetery was built on the mound with the names of those 72 revolutionary nationalists. They were commemorated as the "72 martyrMartyrdom in Chinese culture
The concept of martyrdom in China was largely developed by the Tongmenghui and the Kuomintang party during the Xinhai Revolution, Northern Expedition, and Second Sino-Japanese War.- Modern Development :...
s."
Some historians believe that the uprising was a direct cause of the Wuchang uprising
Wuchang Uprising
The Wuchang Uprising began with the dissatisfaction of the handling of a railway crisis. The crisis then escalated to an uprising where the revolutionaries went up against Qing government officials. The uprising was then assisted by the New Army in a coup against their own authorities in the city...
, which eventually led to the Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
and the founding of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. Among the Martrs who sacrificed is Revolutionary Lin Jue-min (林覺民). Lin is known for writing the legendary "A Letter to My Wife" (與妻訣別書), considered to be a Chinese literature masterpiece. While Lin did not make it out alive, one of the most famous descendent from Lin's family is Maya Lin
Maya Lin
Maya Ying Lin is an American artist who is known for her work in sculpture and landscape art. She is the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Personal life:...
, designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors U.S. service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia, and those service members who were unaccounted for during the War.Its...
.