Past Exhibitions>
Liang Qichao (February 23, 1873 - January 19, 1929), whose courtesy names were Zhuoru and Renfu, also held titles such as Rengong, New Citizen of China, Master of Ice-Drinker’s Studio, Ice-Drinker, Guest of Sorrowful Time, and Master of Freedom Study. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Liang Qichao drank ice from Western learning externally while engaged passionately in current affairs domestically. He coined the term Zhonghua minzu and shaped the spirit of the "new citizen" and "national citizen”. Whether in politics or literature, in reform or revolution, from sunrise to sunset, he applied himself tirelessly. On the bathing tub of Tang, the following words were engraved: "If you can improve yourself in a day, do so each day, forever building on improvement”. The chapter Kanggao in Shangshu (Book of Documents) announced, “renovate the people”. In Shijing (The Classic of Poetry), it is said, “though Zhou is an old state, its (heavenly) mandate is new”. On the 150th anniversary of Liang Qichao's birth, "New Citizen of China" is more than how Liang styled himself; it is also a testament to his fundamental contributions to China’s nation-building and modernization.
