A famous minister in the late Qing Dynasty and a representative of the Westernization School in the Qing Dynasty. Xianfeng two years (1852), 16 years old Shuntianfu altogether, Tongzhi two years (1863), 27-year-old third flower exploration champion, was awarded editing by imperial academy. He has served as a teacher, waiter, lecturer, bachelor of cabinet, governor of Shanxi, governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, governor of Huguang and governor of Liangjiang (acting for many times).
Zhang Zhidong was the leader of the Qing school in his early years and later became the main representative of the Westernization School. In education, Qiangzi School (predecessor of Wuhan University), Sanjiang Normal School (predecessor of Nanjing University), Hubei Agricultural School (predecessor of Huazhong Agricultural University), Hubei Wuchang Mengyang College, Hubei Technical School, Ci 'en School (Nanpi No.1 Middle School), Guangya Academy, etc.
Politically, it advocates that "middle school is the body and western learning is the use". In industry, Hanyang Iron Works, Daye Iron Mine and Hubei Gun Works have been established. When Eight-Nation Alliance invaded, Dagubao fell, and Zhang Zhidong, together with Liu Kunyi, Governor of Liangjiang, negotiated with the consul in Shanghai about "mutual protection in the southeast" and suppressed the independent army uprisings of the reformists such as Tang, Gui Lin and Qin Lishan.
In the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu (1908)10/month, in order to take care of the life of the minister, Prince Jin Taibao, he died the following year in Shi Wenxiang. There are complete works of Zhang Wenxiang. Zhang Zhidong, Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang and Zuo are called "four famous ministers of ZTE in the late Qing Dynasty".