- Chan Siu-bak
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Chan Siu-bak, sitting at the second from the right, as one of the Four Bandits
Chan Siu-bak (陳少白) (20 July 1869 – 23 December 1934), born Chan Siu-man (陳紹聞), styled Siu-bak (少白), art-named Kwai-shek (夔石), was a Chinese revolutionary from Sanwui, Kwangtung. He was one of the Four Bandits, together with Sun Yat-sen, Yau Lit and Yeung Hok-ling.
Contents
Early life
Chan was born to a family of Christian scholars, and entered a private school at the age of 6. When he was young, he learned about western knowledge from the translated books brought by his uncle Chan Mung-nam (陳夢南), a Christian preacher. In 1888, Chan became one of the first students to study at Christian College in China (格致書院) founded by Andrew P. Happer. He met Au Fung-chi (區鳳墀), who introduced him to Sun Yat-sen, a medical student at Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese. Chan and Sun found revolution as a common interest between themselves.
Revolution
With Sun's suggestion, Chan changed to study at Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese in January 1890. In Hong Kong, Sun introduced him to Yau Lit and Yeung Hok-ling. The four frequently met at Yeung Yiu Kee (楊耀記), Yeung's family shop at 24 Gough Street, to discuss a revolution against the Qing Dynasty, and were collectively called the Four Bandits by their neighbours. As Sun began his commitment to revolution upon graudation, Chan dropped out of the medical school to follow him.
In 1895, the Revive China Society in Hong Kong was founded by Sun, and Chan became a member of the society. Chan and Sun set up the headquarters of the society at 13 Staunton Street, Central, Hong Kong. Following the failure of the Canton Uprising of 1895, Chan fleed to Yokohama, Japan with Sun and Cheng Si-leung. He would stay there for 2 years until he went to Taiwan to set up the Taiwan Chapter of Revive China Society.
In 1899, he returned to Hong Kong to reform the Chung-wo Tong (中和堂) founded by Yau Lit earlier. In 1900, he founded the China Daily to spread the idea of revolution. In 1905 he became the president of the Hong Kong Chinese Revolutionary Alliance. As Kwangtung declared independence from Qing government shortly after the Wuchang Uprising in October 1911, Chan was appointed by the Kwangtung military government as the foreign minister, until the Republic of China was established in Nanking on 1 January 1912.
After the revolution
After resigning from the government, Chan founded the Yuethong Shipping Company (粵航公司) and regained several piers in Canton from foreign companies. Yuethong lasted until 1919.
When Sun Yat-sen established the Government in Canton in 1921, the Three Bandits were appointed as Sun's consultants and Chan also as the advisor at the base camp. In 1923 the Canton Government was forced to dissolve due to Chen Jiongming's rebellion, and Chan returned to develop Sanwui. He died in Peking on 23 December 1934.
References
Categories:- Chinese revolutionaries
- Politicians of the Republic of China
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