Liang Lingguang

Liang Lingguang (; November 1916 – 25 February 2006) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and politician. An anti-Japanese activist in the 1930s, he led a guerrilla force in Central Jiangsu under the New Fourth Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and rose to Chief of Staff of the 29th Corps of the People's Liberation Army during the Chinese Civil War.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Liang served as the first Mayor of Xiamen, Vice Governor of Fujian, and later Minister of Light Industry (1977–1980). During the reform and opening era, he was transferred to Guangdong province, where he served as Mayor of Guangzhou (1980–1983), Governor of Guangdong (1983–1985), and President of Jinan University (1983–1985). He was one of the pioneering reformist leaders who propelled Guangdong's economic rise in the 1980s.

Early life Liang was born in November 1916 in Wufeng Town , Yongchun County, Fujian, Republic of China. His father, a merchant, died when he was young. His older brother Liang Piyun , who had studied in Japan, brought him to Shanghai to study at Lida School .

Anti-Japanese activism When the Empire of Japan occupied Northeast China in 1931 following the Mukden Incident, Liang participated in anti-Japanese activities organized by the underground Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and was expelled by his high school. He moved to Xiamen, Fujian, where he worked as an editor at the magazine Pinghua and published articles condemning Japanese aggression.

In the summer of 1936, Liang moved to Kuala Lumpur, British Malaya. There he taught at Zunkong Middle School founded by his brother Piyun,

People's Republic of China After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Liang was appointed the first Mayor of Xiamen, Fujian, and worked to restore industrial production after the end of the civil war. In March 1956, he became Vice Governor of Fujian and a member of its provincial party standing committee. Liang served as First Party Secretary and Mayor of Guangzhou, the provincial capital, while Ren was appointed the provincial Party Chief. In March 1983, Liang was promoted to Governor of Guangdong, succeeding Liu Tianfu. He concurrently served as President of Jinan University, which had been reestablished in Guangzhou. Ren, Liu, Liang, and Ye were all considered reform pioneers who propelled the economic development of Guangdong in the 1980s.