China Honors Qing Dynasty General Who Defended Taiwan Against Invaders

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 ◆ China Honors Qing Dynasty General Who Defended Taiwan Against Invaders

The former residence of Liu Mingchuan, a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) general who successfully defended Taiwan against a French invasion in 1884, will be renovated by the government of his hometown this year, after lying in disrepair for decades.

In addition, the government of Hefei City, capital of Anhui Province in east China, will also build a tomb for the general, whose remains are now kept in the house of a descendant, after being disinterred in December 2000 to make way for a highway.

Before that, Liu's remains had been moved five times. The last time was in 1964, when they were buried in the suburbs of Hefei in secret.

The renovation and the tomb will cost about 15 million yuan, according to Hefei Mayor Guo Wanqing.

Liu's residence is located in Feixi County about 40 kilometers to the southwest of Hefei. The compound covers six hectares and includes several hundred rooms and is surrounded by ditches and ponds.

The old house was used as a military warehouse for a long period of time over the past five decades. The compound is now in bad condition, with many ancient and rare trees withered.

General Liu Mingchuan, who was appointed governor of Taiwan in 1885, died at the age of 60 in 1896, when the then Qing rulers surrendered Taiwan to Japan after a war.