Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Furen Literary Society

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Traditional Chinese
  
輔仁文社

Yale Romanization
  
Fuh yàhn màhn séh

Hanyu Pinyin
  
Fǔ rén wén shè

Jyutping
  
Fu jan man se

Furen Literary Society

The Furen Literary Society, also known as the Chinese Patriotic Mutual Improvement Association, or the 'Furen Cultural Society Restoration Association (Foo Yan Man Ser Kwong Fook Hui)', was founded in Colonial Hong Kong in 1892 to spread ideas of revolution against the Qing dynasty and establishing a republic in China.

It was founded by Yeung Ku-wan, together with Tse Tsan-tai and others, with Yeung as their leader. The guiding principles of the society were: "Open up the people's minds" (開通民智) and "Ducit Amor Patriae" (盡心愛國, "Love your country with all your heart"). Other tenets were:

  • To purify the character in the highest possible degree
  • To prohibit indulgences in the vices of the world
  • To set an example for future young Chinese
  • To improve in all possible ways Chinese and foreign knowledge both in a civil and a military point of view
  • To obtain a good knowledge of western science and learning: and
  • To learn how to be and act as a patriot and how to wipe out the unjust wrong our country has suffered.

    • The society met in Pak Tsz Lane, Central, Hong Kong, and released books and papers discussing the future of China and advocating the overthrow of the Qing dynasty government and establishment of a republic in China.

    In November 1894, Sun Yat-sen founded the Revive China Society in Honolulu, Hawaii, and, in 1895, the Furen Literary Society was merged into the Hong Kong chapter of the Revive China Society, with help from Yau Lit. Yeung Kui-wan and Sun became respectively President and Secretary of the Revive China Society.

    A memorial park (Pak Tsz Lane Park) to the early revolutionists of the Furen Literary was opened in May, 2011 - just in time for the centenary anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution, which realised the dreams of the members of the Furen Literary Society.

    Members

    The Society had 16 members, the details of whom 14 are known:

    References

    Furen Literary Society Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA