The Research Of Views Of Enlightenment On The Government Officials Published On Ta Kung Pao During Ying Lianzhi Period

The late Qing Dynasty is a special period in modern history of China, when the government was worn out by internal and external problems, and voices of revolution were on the rise in China. A large number of advanced Chinese people began to wake up, who devoted themselves to saving the country and the people in many ways, with running newspapers always being their first choice. Ta Kung Pao, run by Ying Lianzhi, came out against such historical background. Similar to lots of people with vision, Ying Lianzhi firmly believed that enlightenment on the general public and the government could save the country, and only by achieving both goals could Chinarejuvenate itself. Ta Kung Pao played a better role than other newspapers, especially in showering enlightenment on the government officials, and became the main force in this area in the late Qing Dynasty.Ta Kung Pao of Ying Lianzhi time exhorted government officials to enhance their own qualities, and it set higher requirements for officers in terms of their moral integrity, knowledge, and diplomatic ability, urging them to raise democratic consciousness and get rid of bad habits. But Ta Kung Pao was acutely aware that inspiring the wisdom of government officials was a serious and complicated issue, and efforts made by the officials alone were far from enough. It must rely on governmental implementation of all kinds of measures and institutional reforms. The newspaper suggested that Qing Dynasty should give warnings to corrupts and establish a good political environment by means of enacting laws, setting up newspaper offices, running schools, and changing bureaucratic systems, so as to educate the government officials. Besides, Ta Kung Pao deemed thatthe role of newspaper offices should not be ignored in the enlightenment on government officials. As the supervisor and facilitator of the campaigns for enlightenment on government officials, newspaper offices should supervise the government, daring to fight with the vicious power, maintain a fair position, not be tempted by profits, have the courage to stand up against the tyranny and despotism of the government and redress the grievances and injustices suffered by people. Only when the government officials, the government and newspaper offices jointly took the responsibilities, the aim to shine enlightenment on the officials could be achieved.Articles published on Ta Kung Pao of Ying Lianzhi time dedicated to enlightenment on government officials were characterized by the writing style of blunt speaking, rich contents, profound viewpoints and clear positions. Moreover, flexible use of allegories and allusions, vivid manifestation, and sharp but humorous language all brought a breath of fresh air to the press at that time.In all, the discussions initiated by Ta Kung Pao to shower enlightenment on government officials exerted a positive impact, not only facilitating the awakening of officers and the public, but also leading the trend of inspiring officials’wisdom and promoting the development of New Policy in the late Qing Dynasty. However, restricted by lots of conditions, Ta Kung Pao also had limitations. The thoughts and suggestions generated by the newspaper were ahead of time, which was unrealistic for the government and political environment. Hence, its impacts were limited. At the meantime, Ta Kung Pao still kept itsroyalist position, failing to recognize the root cause of its failure in inspiring officials’wisdom from beginning to the end. But Ta Kung Pao never lost its practical value as time went by. Understanding the discussions held by Ta Kung Pao in enlightenment of the government officials still serves useful reference for construction of the cadre teams, improvement of the political environment, and promotion of officials’qualities from the perspectives of their knowledge, morality and the political system.