Not all reform in this period came from the ranks of the literati. It should not be forgotten that revolution includes force of arms, and that military men could be supporters of reform as well as being its opponents. Similarly, some statesmen became reformers through their actions, rather than through their writings. Although their approach to the problem was less idealistic than that of the educational reformers or the writers of the New Culture Movement, these men were as involved in the struggle over China’s future as any vernacular novelist, archaeologist or university president.
left: Lin Zexu
below, left to right:
Yuan Shikai, couplet
Chiang Kai-shek, calligraphy: After Qi Jiguang
Zuo Zongtang, couplet
Li Yuanhong, couplet
Zuo Zongtang, couplet
Xu Shichang, "Orchids"
Xu Shichang, couplet
