Lufei Kui
Encyclopedia
Lufei Kui was a Chinese
educationist and publisher. His courtesy name was Bo hong (伯鸿). He is known in his advocacy for simplified Chinese characters.
, Shaanxi
, though his parents had come from from Zhejiang
. His mother was a niece of Li Hongzhang
, a famous Chinese politician during the Qing Dynasty
. In his early years, Lufei was taught in classical Chinese
. Beginning in 1898, he attended to Nanchang English School (南昌英语学塾) and started to learn English
and Japanese
. He was influenced by new thought and thus pro-revolutionary.
he fled to Shanghai
. There, he was employed as the manager and editor of a publishing company. In late 1906, Lufei became the headmaster of Wenming Primary School. He started to make a figure in Shanghai. http://chinese.cersp.com/sJdcd/sJyjd/200802/6575.html
In 1908, Lufei started the first professional magazine in education in China, the Jiaoyu Zazhi. Lufei believed that education is the key in making a better nation. He published many essays and thesis on the magazine to introduce his ideas in education reforming.
In 1909, Lufei published a thesis titled General Education Should Use Vernacular Characters(《普通教育应当采用俗体字》）, on Jiaoyu Zazhi. This is the first time in history to advocate the promotion of simplified Chinese characters. In 1922, Lufei published another thesis Deliverance on Coordinating Chinese Characters(《整理汉字的意见》), in which he suggests that educators should respect the simplified characters invented by the folk and should adopt these characters in their teaching. He also proposes to simplify complex characters systematically. http://www.xys.org/fang/doc/history/jianhua.txt
Lufei is also known as the founder of Zhonghua Book Company, one of the most influential contemporary publishing company in classical Chinese
and Chinese historical publication. In the 1930s, Zhonghua was the most successful publishing company in East Asia. By the Second Sino-Japanese War
, the annual income of Zhonghua was over 10,000,000 yuan and had over 40 branches throughout China. In Shanghai and Hongkong, it had over 3,000 employees. Under the management of Lufei, Zhonghua published a series of important books for Chinese cultural and historical studies, such as Cihai(《辞海》), Gujin Tushu Jicheng(《古今图书集成》）, etc. http://www.zhbc.com.cn/enindex.asp
During the war, due to the his influence, Lufei's life was threatened by Japanese agencies. He moved the headquarter of Zhonghua to Kunming
. Then he went to Hongkong in order to produce enough books for the endangered nation.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
educationist and publisher. His courtesy name was Bo hong (伯鸿). He is known in his advocacy for simplified Chinese characters.
Early life
Lufei was born in a noble family in HanzhongHanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
, though his parents had come from from Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
. His mother was a niece of Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
, a famous Chinese politician during the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. In his early years, Lufei was taught in classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...
. Beginning in 1898, he attended to Nanchang English School (南昌英语学塾) and started to learn English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. He was influenced by new thought and thus pro-revolutionary.
Career
In the spring of 1903, Lufei went to Wuchang, where he launched Xinxuejie Bookstore(新学界书店). As the manager, he sold many pro-revolution books and booklets. He joined the underground revolution movement and became a surveillant. In 1905 he became the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Chubao(《楚报》) and after the closing down of the newspaper under the pressure of Governor Zhang ZhidongZhang Zhidong
Zhang Zhidong ; Pseudonyms: Xiāngtāo , Xiāngyán , Yīgōng , Wújìng-Jūshì , later Bàobīng ; Posthumous name: Wénxiāng ) was an eminent Chinese politician during the late Qing Dynasty who advocated for controlled reform...
he fled to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. There, he was employed as the manager and editor of a publishing company. In late 1906, Lufei became the headmaster of Wenming Primary School. He started to make a figure in Shanghai. http://chinese.cersp.com/sJdcd/sJyjd/200802/6575.html
In 1908, Lufei started the first professional magazine in education in China, the Jiaoyu Zazhi. Lufei believed that education is the key in making a better nation. He published many essays and thesis on the magazine to introduce his ideas in education reforming.
In 1909, Lufei published a thesis titled General Education Should Use Vernacular Characters(《普通教育应当采用俗体字》）, on Jiaoyu Zazhi. This is the first time in history to advocate the promotion of simplified Chinese characters. In 1922, Lufei published another thesis Deliverance on Coordinating Chinese Characters(《整理汉字的意见》), in which he suggests that educators should respect the simplified characters invented by the folk and should adopt these characters in their teaching. He also proposes to simplify complex characters systematically. http://www.xys.org/fang/doc/history/jianhua.txt
Lufei is also known as the founder of Zhonghua Book Company, one of the most influential contemporary publishing company in classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...
and Chinese historical publication. In the 1930s, Zhonghua was the most successful publishing company in East Asia. By the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, the annual income of Zhonghua was over 10,000,000 yuan and had over 40 branches throughout China. In Shanghai and Hongkong, it had over 3,000 employees. Under the management of Lufei, Zhonghua published a series of important books for Chinese cultural and historical studies, such as Cihai(《辞海》), Gujin Tushu Jicheng(《古今图书集成》）, etc. http://www.zhbc.com.cn/enindex.asp
During the war, due to the his influence, Lufei's life was threatened by Japanese agencies. He moved the headquarter of Zhonghua to Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
. Then he went to Hongkong in order to produce enough books for the endangered nation.