Weng Tonghe

Weng Tonghe (翁同龢, 1830—1904, Styled Shuping 叔平). Chinese Confucian scholar and imperial tutor during the Qing dynasty. In 1856, he was awarded the highest degree in the imperial examinations and he subsequently became a member of the prestigious Hanlin Academy. When the Tongzhi Emperor was in his minority, Weng was appointed imperial tutor and after the demise of the emperor, he became tutor of the Guangxu emperor as well. Concurrently with his duties as imperial tutor, he also held a number of prominent positions in the Qing government and he served on the Grand Council 1882-84. He is famous for having recommended the radical Confucian reformer Kang Youwei to the Guangxu emperor. He was subsequently removed from all offices because the Empress Dowager Cixi feared losing her power.

References

* Hummel, Arthur William, ed. "Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period (1644-1912)." 2 vols. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1943.