This Month in History

February 28, 202 B.C.

Liu Bang (256 - 195 B.C.) founded the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.- A..D. 9), choosing Chang’an (present-day Xi’an) as its capital. China reached a new peak in economic, political, scientific and cultural development, growing into one of the most powerful empires of the era. The opening of the “Silk Road” enabled trade between China and regions as far as Rome and India and facilitated the proliferation of Chinese culture in the West. The world’s earliest records on the existence of sunspots appeared during this period, as well as the development of acupuncture and papermaking. It is also during the Western Han Dynasty that Confucianism was made the official underlining philosophy, becoming an integral part of the Chinese society.

February 12, 712

Du Fu (712-770), a prominent poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), was born. His influence on Chinese literature was far-reaching, and he is still referred to as the “Poet Sage.” His over 1,400 poems are poignant in their concern with the human experience, as well as refined in language. His scathing words toward the corrupt and callous officials of a declining regime, and his deep-felt sympathies for the destitute and oppressed, were rarely found in other intellectuals of the age.

February 9, 1234

Jurchen Emperor Wanyan Shouxu (1198-1234) committed suicide after a series of crushing defeats by Mongolian forces that ended the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). The Jin showed signs of rejuvenation after Wanyan Shouxu took power and launched a string of measures to enhance agriculture and build peace with neighboring regimes. But unfortunately, his efforts were in vain as the Mongols reached a military might that few could challenge at the time.

February 17, 1616

Aisin Gioro Nurhaci (1559-1626) declared himself Khan, and founded the Jin Dynasty, often referred to as the Later Jin. The monarchy later changed its name to Qing in 1636, and seized Beijing in 1644, marking the formal establishment of the Qing Empire, the last feudal rule in Chinese history.

February 1, 1662

Zheng Chenggong (1624-1662) reclaimed Taiwan from Dutch occupiers, bringing the 38-year colonial rule to an end. The national hero died soon after the victory due to the humid climate and poor sanitation conditions on the island.

February 1, 1902

Emperor Guangxu (1871-1908) of the Qing Dynasty gave the order to repeal the centuries-old ban on intermarriage between Manchus and Hans to woo the Han’s support for his rule. The move was just part of a series of “new policies” that the imperial court enacted in order to preserve its waning rule over the nation.

February 5, 1912

The government of the Republic of China established the Bank of China, the oldest bank in the nation. It grew out of the central bank of the Qing Dynasty, a shareholding business in which the imperial court and local businesspeople held the stocks 50/50. Now one of China’s four state-owned commercial banks, it was ranked10th among the world’s top banks by The Banker magazine in 2008.

February 12, 1912

Puyi (1906-1967), widely known as the Last Emperor, signed the “Act of Abdication of the Emperor of the Great Qing,” signaling the conclusion of China’s feudal history. The little emperor was selected heir to the throne at the age of three by Empress Dowager Cixi on her deathbed. Only two years later the 1911 Revolution broke out, leading to the founding of the Republic in 1912.

February 22, 1974

Chairman Mao Zedong (1893-1976) published his theory on the division of three worlds during his meeting with Zambian President Kenneth David Kaunda. He exclaimed that the United States and the Soviet Union belong to the first world; the in-between nations like Japan, France, Australia and Canada constitute the second world; and all other nations in Asia (exclusive of Japan), Africa and Latin America belong to the third world.

February 20, 1985

The Great Wall Station, the first Chinese scientific research station based in Antarctica, was put into operation.

February 15, 1995

A boy named Zhao Xu, born in Beijing Obstetrics and Genecology Hospital, brought the population in China’s mainland to 1.2 billion.

February 19, 1997

Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997), chief architect of China’s reforms and opening-up, passed away at the age of 92. He opened China to foreign investment and advanced it into one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

February 17, 2002

Yang Yang won China’s first Winter Olympic gold for 500-meter short track speed skating in Salt Lake City. One week later she won another gold in the 1,000-meter race.