Early History
A native of Huangpi, Hubei, he was the son of a Qing veteran of the Taiping Rebellion. He graduated from Tianjin's naval academy in 1889 and served as an engineer in the First Sino-Japanese war. His cruiser was sunk and he survived because of his life belt, since he could not swim. He later joined the army and became senior military officer in Hankou. In 1910, he attempted to break up revolutionary rings that infiltrated his 21st Mixed Brigade. He did not arrest anyone caught in subversive activities, but simply dismissed them.
Read more about this topic: Li Yuanhong
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