Tianjin, a city boomed because of water transportation, has been developed for over 600 years. A lot of gripping and legendary stories happened on the land because of these influential celebrities.

Liang Qichao - A great ideologist in the age of turbulence

Liang Qichao (1873-1929), who styled himself Zhuo Ru, was born in Xinhui, Guangdong. As a student of Kang Youwei, he was an ideologist, politician, educator, historian and litterateur in modern China. In 1895, he joined in the famous "Gongche Shangshu Movement" with his teacher when he took his metropolitan examination in Beijing; in 1896, he established the Current Affairs Newspaper (an important journey of the reformers) in Shanghai and took up the post of Chief Editor.

Many reports and regulations about New Policy during the famous "Hundred Days of Reform" were written by Liang Qichao. After Hundred Days' Reform was defeated, he went to Japan and established Xinmin Congbao to publicize the constitutional monarchy. In 1915, after he failed to remonstrate Yuan Shih-kai to proclaim himself emperor, Liang Qichao planned with Cai E the anti-Yuan "National Protection War" in Tianjin.

In 1920, he came back from Europe and worked with great concentration in his "Ice-drinking Room" in Tianjin. In 1936, he published his "Ice-drinking Room Collection" which is honored as an important reference about the politics, thought and culture of modern China.

Zhang Boling - A creator of Chinese modern education

Zhang Boling (1876-1951), who styled himself Boling ahead of his old name Shouchun, was a famous patriotic educator and the founder of private Nankai series schools. He was born in Tianjin, graduated from Beiyang Marine College in 1895 and then joined in the navy. When China was defeated in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, he decided to save the country by education.

1904, he established Jingye Middle School with Yan Xiu after they came back from their educational investment journey in Japan. They realized that colleges and universities are the base to develop the country. So he went to America to study and investigate, then established Nankai University in Tianjin.

Zhang Boling was also the pioneer to bring Olympic concept into China and the leading person to help Liu Changchun to be the first person of China attending the Olympic Games.

Li Shutong - The pioneer of Chinese New Culture Movement

Li Shutong (1880-1942), who styled himself Hong Yi, was the famous musician, arts educationalist, calligrapher, and dramatic activist. He was born in Tianjin and one of the pioneers of Chinese drama.

In 1898, he went to Shanghai and organized Calligraphy Society; in 1905, he studied western painting and music in Tokyo, Japan. Since then, he had become a pursuer of western arts more than a traditional Confucian scholar. In 1918, he became a Buddhist monk in Hupao Temple, Hangzhou and was then conferred the 11th patriarch of Nanshan Lvzong.

Relying on excellent artistic attainments, Li Shutong trained several cultural celebrities such as Feng Zikai, the famous painter, and Liu Zhiping, the musician.

Hua Shikui -- The head of four famous calligraphers in modern Tianjin

Hua Shikui (1863-1941), who styled himself Qi Chen, was a famous calligrapher in modern China. His calligraphy is majestic and powerful with the soul of Yan style.

As a famous calligrapher, he often got "orders of writing". He profited greatly from Yan Zhenqing's work Xiaomagu Xiantanji and was honored as the No.1 calligrapher in modern China to write Yan style. Signboards of many famous trade names, like "Quan Ye Chang", were all inscribed by him.

At present, the signboard of "Tianjin Quanye Chang" is put on the top floor of the mall and admired for people as a piece of national cultural relic.