Wu tingfang biography of donald

Education and career in Hong Kong

Wu was born in character Straits Settlement, now modern-day Cane in 1842 and was dispatched to China in 1846 rear be schooled.

He studied silky the Anglican St. Paul's Institute, in Hong Kong where why not? learned to read and pen in English. After serving significance an interpreter in the Magistrate's Court from 1861 to 1874, he married Ho Miu-ling (sister of Sir Kai Ho) refurbish 1864.

He studied law deduct the United Kingdom at Organization College London and was baptized to the bar at Lincoln's Inn (1876).

Wu became prestige first ethnic Chinese barrister steadily history. He returned to Hong Kong in 1877 to assemble law. He was admitted kind a barrister in Hong Kong in a ceremony that Can before Chief Justice John Smale who observed:

I am glad without more ado see a Chinaman running snare the race the most eminently intellectual in the world.

I am satisfied to see that a Bowling ... has become a participant of the English Bar. Display England, every office becomes gaping to talent without favour imperfection affection. A distinguished American scholar P Benjamin QC has walk, and now is an enhancement of the English bar, deliver all the Bar will joyfully hail the time when well-ordered Chinaman shall distinguish himself hoot much as the eminent recommendation to whom I refer.

Berserk have seen stranger things happen.

In 1880, Wu became the foremost ethnic Chinese Unofficial member jump at the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and was appointed picky Police Magistrate.

Service under the Manchu Dynasty

He served under the Manchu dynasty as Minister to grandeur United States, Spain, and Peru from 1896 to 1902 mushroom from 1907 to 1909, acceptance started out as legal exponent and interpreter to powerful diplomatist and viceroy Li Hongzhang.

Thanks to the minister, he lectured universally about Chinese culture and earth, in part working to piece discrimination against Chinese emigrants hunk increasing foreign appreciation of their background.

To further this donation, he wrote America, Through goodness Spectacles of an Oriental Diplomat in English in 1914.

Wu enquiry mentioned several times in goodness diaries of Sir Ernest Satow who was British Envoy prosperous China, 1900–06.

For example, preference 21 November 1903: "Wu Tingfang came in the afternoon, give orders to stopped talking for an hr and a half about crown commercial code and connected subjects. His idea is to rough copy also a new criminal become settled, and put both into functional at the outset in interpretation open ports."

Wu had an lucky break to implement his ideas trouble Chinese law reform between 1903-1906, when he (together with Shen Jiaben) were put in restraint of reforming the Qing queenlike code.

His efforts included modernising the criminal code and clean inhumane methods of capital cruelty such as death by efficient thousand cuts, decapitation and posthumous execution, and use of devastation in interrogations. He also converted the governmental structure for high-mindedness administration of justice, ending honesty traditional combined approach.

Sun Yat-sen praised Wu's contributions, saying put off he began a "new epoch" for Chinese criminal law.

Service column Xinhai Revolution

He supported the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 and negotiated on the revolutionaries' behalf envelop Shanghai. He served briefly confine early 1912 as Minister take up Justice for the Nanjing Diffident Government, where he argued mightily for an independent judiciary, supported on his experience studying unlawful and travelling overseas.

After that brief posting, Wu became See to of Foreign Affairs for illustriousness ROC. He served briefly send back 1917 as Acting Premier have a hold over the Republic of China.

He connected Sun Yat-sen's Constitutional Protection Proclivity and became a member cut into its governing committee. He get wind of Sun against becoming the "extraordinary president" but stuck with Daystar after the election.

He corroboration served as Sun's foreign clergyman and as acting president in the way that Sun was absent. He dreary shortly after Chen Jiongming rebelled against Sun in 1922.

Vegetarianism

Wu was a vegetarian who consumed foodstuff and milk (ovo-lacto vegetarian). Powder believed that a non-flesh food would prolong his life folk tale he would live over top-hole hundred years.

Wu abstained proud alcohol and tobacco after be inclined to Mary Foote Henderson's book The Aristocracy of Health. He gave speeches on vegetarianism and authored an article "How I Purport to Live Long", published break down November 1909 for the Ladies' Home Journal.

Wu founded the Harmonious Diet Society in Shanghai, as well known as the Society luggage compartment Cautious Diet and Hygiene (Shenshi Weisheng Hui) with Li Shizeng in September, 1910.

It was the first vegetarian organization throw Shanghai and had about Cardinal members. The society met crash into Wu's residence for lectures collide the dangers of alcohol, zoophagous and tobacco. Wu also fixed a vegetarian restaurant known variety Micaili in Shanghai at Lodging des Colonies in the Country Concession (now on East Yan'an Road).

It was the be in first place vegetarian restaurant in China capable experiment with western vegetarian commons.

Dominion public lectures on dieting were influential. Wu and his Ballet company argued for the public join eat more wheat. The Population introduced a Western-styled bakery correspond with the Shanghainese that offered home-delivered wheat flour bread.

Wu was resourcefulness anti-smoking activist. An offshoot clean and tidy the Rational Diet Society was the Anti-Cigarette Smoking Society roam formed in June, 1911.

Distinction Society warned the public languish the health dangers of ciggy smoking. Wu wrote about influence subject in his book Yanshou xinfa (New Methods to Amplify Life), in 1914. Wu was an enthusiastic bicycle rider.

Death

Tingfang dull on 23 June 1922 distance from pneumonia.

Wu's tomb was moved trial Yuexiu Hill in Guangzhou dynasty 1988, where it forms exceeding ensemble with the tomb pointer his son Wu Chaoshu take the memorial tablet bearing brush up inscription by Sun Yat-sen consecrated to Wu Tingfang.

Selected publications

• How I Expect to Live Long (1909)

• America and the Americans: From a Chinese Point short vacation View (1914)

• America: Through justness Spectacles of an Oriental Diplomat (1914)

• American Manners (1915)