Liu Mingchuan

Who was Liu Mingchuan?

Liu Mingchuan, courtesy name Xingsan, was a Chinese official in the Qing Dynasty. He was born in Hefei, Anhui. Liu became involved in the suppression of the Taiping rebellion at an early age, and worked closely with Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang as he emerged as an important Huai Army officer. In the aftermath of the Sino-French War, he was appointed the first governor of the newly established province of Taiwan. Today he is remembered for his efforts in modernizing Taiwan during his tenure as governor, and several institutions have been given his name, including Ming Chuan University in Taipei.