Biography.guide
Home › People › Politician › Sun Shiyi
Portrait of Sun Shiyi

Sun Shiyi

1720 – 1796

Qing Dynasty official

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Sun Shiyi

Lived 1720 – 1796 (aged 75–76). Sun Shiyi was a Chinese politician.

Sun Shiyi (, Vietnamese: Tôn Sĩ Nghị; 1720 – 1796), courtesy name Zhizhi , pseudonym Bushan , was an official of the Qing dynasty who served as the Viceroy of Liangguang and of Liangjiang during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.

A native of Renhe (present-day Yuhang District, Zhejiang), as a youth, Sun was devoted to study and was said to have prevented drowsiness by knocking his head against a wall. Awarded a jinshi degree in the imperial examination in 1761, he was secretary to Fuheng during his Burmese expedition, and in 1770 had risen to be Treasurer of Guangxi, when he was cashiered for want of energy, and orders were given to confiscate his property. Struck with the fact that nothing was found to confiscate, the Qianlong Emperor re-employed him.

In 1788, as Viceroy of Liangguang, he invaded Annam and reinstalled the emperor Lê Chiêu Thống, who had fled in fear of the rebel Nguyễn Huệ. No sooner had the Chinese withdrawn than another revolution took place, and it was ultimately decided to leave Annam alone. He was sent to Sichuan to see the supplies of the army fighting in Tibet, into which country he advanced over terrible mountains as far as Chamdo. In 1792, on the conclusion of the war with Nepal, the suppression of the White Lotus Rebellion occupied his last days. His physical powers were marvellous, and he required hardly any sleep. He was a great collector of ancient inscriptions. He was ennobled as Duke Mouyong of the First Class .

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1720, Hangzhou
Birth century
Died
1796, Hubei, Laifeng County
Occupation
Nationality
Positions held
Minister of War (imperial China), Minister of Rites, Liangguang Governor, Junji dachen
Also known as
Zhiyuan, Baiyishanfang, Bushan, Zhizhi, Wenjing, Zhiye

People in Sun Shiyi's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Sun Shiyi's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Sun Shiyi?

Qing Dynasty official

When was Sun Shiyi born?

Sun Shiyi was born in 1720 in Hangzhou.

When did Sun Shiyi die?

Sun Shiyi died in 1796 in Hubei, Laifeng County.

What was Sun Shiyi's occupation?

Sun Shiyi was a politician.

What nationality was Sun Shiyi?

Sun Shiyi was Chinese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Sun Shiyi

· Wikidata: Q7638500

· DBpedia: Sun Shiyi

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sun Shiyi. https://biography.guide/sun-shiyi/

MLA: "Sun Shiyi." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sun-shiyi/.

Chicago: "Sun Shiyi." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sun-shiyi/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:08 UTC