Sheng Xuanhuai was an extraordinary person who was born in an extraordinary world and did extraordinary things in modern China. 1844, Sheng Xuanhuai, born in Wujin, Jiangsu Province (now Changzhou City), is a generation of official families, with the word Yu Zhai. At the age of 22, he was a scholar, but he failed in Sun Shan after taking the provincial examinations twice in a row, so he decided to give up the imperial examination, give up his studies and become a scholar. 1870 became the aide of Li Hongzhang, the leader of Westernization School, with his father Kang Sheng, and soon gained trust and promotion. From then on, he began a lifelong westernization career, and devoted himself to the capitalist industry and commerce that was most urgently needed in China at that time.

Because of his good handling of Westernization, Sheng Xuanhuai was appreciated by other important figures of Westernization School, such as Zhang Zhidong and Liu Kunyi. 1896, Zhang Zhidong invited him to take over Hanyang Ironmaking Plant and sponsored him to be the supervisor of the Railway Corporation. 1897 Sheng Xuanhuai presided over the opening of China commercial bank, the first new state-owned bank in China. After 1898, he was in charge of Hanyeping Company. By the end of 19, he controlled a number of important enterprises in China's modern industry, such as ships, telegrams, railways, banks and textiles. And control almost half of China's economy, which is omnipotent.

With the great increase of economic strength and the protection of Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong, Sheng Xuanhuai gradually gained the favor of the Qing government. From 1896, Sheng Xuanhuai was awarded the important posts of Shao Qing, Shaobao, Minister of Commerce, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications in Taichang Temple, and became a powerful figure with both financial power and power in the late Qing Dynasty. Zhang Zhidong called him a rare expert in the field of government and business, who can communicate with North and South, China and foreign countries, government and business. Jing Yuanshan, a giant businessman in Shanghai, vividly called Sheng Xuanhuai "grasping sixteen night pearls with one hand". Sheng Xuanhuai himself once proudly said: "There are ten prosperous suns and dozens of industries in the world."

1895 10 Sheng Xuanhuai, who works in Tianjin Customs Road, obtained the consent of Wang Wenshao, the governor of Zhili, and with the assistance of Tenney Charles Daniel, an American, founded Beiyang Western Learning School in Tianjin (renamed Beiyang University Hall the following year, the predecessor of Tianjin University).

1In March, 896, Sheng Xuanhuai accepted the invitation of Liu Kunyi, a local powerful figure and governor of Liangjiang, and went to Nanjing to discuss the New Deal. Taking this opportunity, Sheng Xuanhuai got to know Liu Chenkun Yi, and prepared to donate a base in Shanghai to raise funds to start a new school-Nanyang Public School.

1896 10, Sheng Xuanhuai stepped down from Tianjin Customs Road, transferred to the supervision of the Railway Corporation, and lived in Shanghai. With the transfer of his career, Sheng Xuanhuai turned his energy to the establishment of Nanyang Public School. Sheng Xuanhuai told Liu Kun, the governor of Liangjiang, that he had some money to discuss the construction of Nanyang Public School, which was approved by the court. He donated 65,438+2 million yuan to China Merchants and Telegraph Bureau every year, and founded a school in Xujiahui, Shanghai, where "middle school is a teacher and western learning is used". This is the predecessor of Shanghai Jiaotong University.

1896 65438+On February 6th, Emperor Guangxu issued an imperial edict: "Cultivating talents is an urgent task at present, and the imperial edict ordered all provinces to set up new schools." It is agreed to establish a new school-Nanyang Public School in Sheng Xuanhuai. ?