Yao Zhiqiang

Yao Yongchen (1880 – July 1915) was a Chinese revolutionary, writer, and one of the key early members of the Guangfuhui and the Tongmenghui. He was one of the first representatives of the Republic of China (ROC). He was an active participant in the anti-Qing revolutionary movement and later an opponent of Yuan Shikai's authoritarian regime. Yao was arrested and executed with his comrade Wang Jinfa by pro-Yuan authorities in 1915.

Early life Yao Yongchen was born in 1880 in Zhili Village (now Zhili Town), Wucheng County, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, during the Qing Dynasty. His name was Yao Zhiqiang (姚志強), while he is well known by one of his courtesy names, Yongchen (勇忱). He also had other courtesy names of Yongzhen (永貞) and Yongcheng (永成), and the art name Yizhong (弋仲). He hailed from a well-off family; his grandfather had served as a candidate Daotai (circuit intendant), while his father was a Xiucai. Orphaned at an early age, Yao assumed the responsibility of raising his younger brother while pursuing his studies.

Despite suffering from chronic lung disease and a stutter, Yao was keen on reading Chinese classics and revolutionary literature. In 1904, he enrolled in the Sericulture School of Hangzhou, where he became increasingly disillusioned with Qing rule after witnessing foreign aggression and governmental corruption.

Legacy In the years following their deaths, Yao Yongchen and Wang Jinfa were officially recognized as martyrs by the government and were buried side by side near West Lake in Hangzhou. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in 1952, authorities ordered the relocation of their graves. In October 1992, Wang Jinfa's remains were reinterred in his hometown, Shengzhou, Zhejiang. Yao Yongchen's tomb, however, remained in relocation until 2006, when it was finally moved to the Xinhai Revolution Martyrs' Cemetery in Hangzhou.

In Zhili Town, Huzhou — Yao Yongchen's hometown — a statue of Yao has been erected to commemorate his contributions and sacrifice.

Works Experimental Methods in Silkworm Rearing (實驗養蠶法) Methods for Preventing Silkworm Diseases (蠶病預防法)