# Wenxiang

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{{Short description|Manchu statesman of the Qing dynasty}}
{{family name hatnote|Wenxiang|[Gūwalgiya](/source/G%C5%ABwalgiya)|lang=Manchu}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name=Wenxiang
|image=Wen Xiang.jpg

| order            = [Grand Councilor](/source/Grand_Council_(Qing_dynasty))
| term_start       = 1858
| term_end         = 1876
| predecessor      = 
| successor        =

| order1            = [Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall](/source/Grand_Secretariat)<!--武英殿大學士-->
| term_start1       = 1874
| term_end1         = 1876
| predecessor1      = 
| successor1        =

| order2            = [Grand Secretary of the Tiren Library](/source/Grand_Secretariat)<!--體仁閣大學士-->
| term_start2       = 1872
| term_end2         = 1874
| predecessor2      = 
| successor2        =

| order3            = [Assistant Grand Secretary](/source/Grand_Secretariat)<!--協辦大學士-->
| term_start3       = 1871
| term_end3         = 1872
| predecessor3      = 
| successor3        =

| office4           = [Minister of Personnel](/source/Ministry_of_Personnel_(imperial_China))
| term_start4       = March 31, 1866
| term_end4         = July 16, 1872
| alongside4        = Zhu Fengbiao (until 1868), Shan Maoqian (since 1868)
| predecessor4      = Ruichang
| successor4        = Baoyun

| office5           = [Minister of Works](/source/Ministry_of_Works_(imperial_China))
| term_start5       = October 9, 1862
| term_end5         = March 31, 1866
| alongside5        = Li Han (until 1863), Li Tangjie (1863–1864), Shan Maoqian (since 1864)
| predecessor5      = [Wesin](/source/Wesin)
| successor5        = Ruichang

| office6           = Minister of [Zongli Yamen](/source/Zongli_Yamen)
| term_start6       = January 20, 1861
| term_end6         = May 26, 1876
| alongside6        = 
| predecessor6      = 
| successor6        =

|birth_date={{Birth date|1818|10|16|mf=y}}
|birth_place = [Liaoning](/source/Liaoning), [Manchuria](/source/Manchuria_under_Qing_rule), [Qing China](/source/Qing_dynasty)
|death_date={{death date and age|1876|5|26|1818|10|16|mf=y}}
|education=''[jinshi](/source/jinshi)'' degree
}}
'''Wenxiang''' ({{lang-zh|c=文祥|p=Wénxiáng}}, {{lang-mnc|m={{ManchuSibeUnicode|ᠸᡝᠨᠰᡳᠶᠠᠩ}}|v=Wensiyang|a=Wensiyang}}), [courtesy name](/source/courtesy_name) '''Bochuan''' (博川), [art name](/source/art_name) '''Zishan''' (子山), [posthumous name](/source/posthumous_name) '''Wenzhong''' (文忠), was an ethnic [Manchu](/source/Manchu_people) statesman of the [Qing dynasty](/source/Qing_dynasty) of China. Wenxiang hailed from the [Gūwalgiya clan](/source/G%C5%ABwalgiya) and belonged to the Plain Red Banner in the [Eight Banners](/source/Eight_Banners) in [Mukden](/source/Shenyang). In 1845, he obtained the highest degree (''[jinshi](/source/jinshi)'') in the [imperial examination](/source/imperial_examination) and four years later he was appointed to the Board of Works. He advanced through the ranks and in 1858, he was appointed vice president to the [Board of Rites](/source/Ministry_of_Rites) and also became a member of the [Grand Council](/source/Grand_Council_(Qing_dynasty)), the highest policy-making organ in the Empire. He subsequently held a number of prominent posts in the central government and became a key player in court politics.

As foreign troops invaded Beijing during the [Second Opium War](/source/Second_Opium_War) and the [Xianfeng Emperor](/source/Xianfeng_Emperor) fled to [Chengde](/source/Chengde), Wenxiang remained in the capital and took part in negotiating with the British and French. Following the peace settlement, he became one of the founders of the new Qing foreign office, the [Zongli Yamen](/source/Zongli_Yamen). He was one of the architects behind the [Self-strengthening movement](/source/Self-strengthening_movement) and was instrumental in devising the Qing government's cooperative policy towards the Western powers in the period between 1861 and 1876.

==References==
*{{cite ECCP |title=Wên-hsiang |last=Fang |first=Chao-Ying}}
* Crossley, Pamela Kyle, ''Orphan Warriors'' (1990), 141–146..
* "Wen-hsiang." ''Encyclopedia of World Biography'', 2nd ed., vol. 16, Gale, 2004, pp.&nbsp;202–203. ''Gale eBooks'', link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3404706807/GVRL?u=sacr16736&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=e037079c. Accessed 15 Aug. 2023.

{{Authority control}}

Category:1818 births
Category:1876 deaths
Category:Manchu Plain Red Bannermen
Category:Manchu politicians
Category:Grand Councillors of the Qing dynasty
Category:Politicians from Liaoyang
Category:Grand secretaries of the Qing dynasty
Category:Assistant grand secretaries
Category:Ministers of Zongli Yamen

{{China-politician-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wenxiang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenxiang) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenxiang?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.