Feng Guifen
Feng Guifen (; 1809 – May 28, 1874, courtesy name Linyi (), art name Jingting (), later art name Dengweishanren (), jinshi degree 1840) was a scholar during the Qing Dynasty. He was also a teacher, and a government official, serving as adviser to leading statesmen of his time. Feng is known for his interest in techniques by which states had become wealthy and strong, highlighting these subjects in the essay he wrote to propose reforms for the Chinese empire. He was the originator of the philosophy of the Self-Strengthening Movement undertaken in the late 19th century. Life and career Feng was born to a family of wealthy Suzhou landowners in Wuxian in China's Jainsu Province in 1809. After passing the imperial examination ranking the second, he started working as a compiler at the Hanlin Academy in 1840 and later became the civil service examination supervisor in Guangxi Province. He also finally served as a private secretary to the Viceroy of Liangjiang, Li Hongzhang. During the Taiping Rebellion, Feng organized a local militia to fight the rebels. He fled to Shanghai when the rebels occupied Suzhou. Later in his life, Feng became the leader of the jingshi school during the