Abstract:

In his collection of poems, entided Luofu Daiheshanren Shicao, Zheng Guanying expressed his claims to uphold reform and self - strengthening. He put forward his conception of history and conception of current situation concerning change, based on which he insisted that reform should be carried out immediately. He constantly suggested that the first of all be to reform the conventional national examination system, set up schools, and bring up qualified talents. In the meanwhile he advocated training troops and manufacturing military weapons. Also, he emphasized that the triumph of commercial trade depended on market competition. Another special feature of his thought was that he regarded the improvement of bureaucracy as the core of political reforms. With his poems he attacked autocracy and longed for civil rights. And in his poems he claimed that China might be cooperative with Russia and Japan in reforms. Zheng's tone was quite similar to those reformists', but he was only a thinker of reform other than a reformist, for he wanted a devoted spirit and subjective consciousness in practicing reform.

Key words: Luofu Daiheshanren Shicao, refonnative and self-strengthening thought