Wang Boqiu

Wang Boqiu, courtesy name Chuntuo, was born in the ninth year of the Guangxu reign (1883) in Xiangxiang City, Hunan Province. His ancestral home was a family of officials, and his family background influenced his early education. In childhood, he studied under the renowned Xiangxiang scholar Peng Chuqiao, learning classical texts, history, poetry, and eight-legged essays. After reaching adulthood, Wang Boqiu attended the Military Academy in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. In 1905, he went to Japan to study abroad, initially learning Japanese at Hongwen Institute in Tokyo, then receiving specialized training at a railway school, and eventually entering Waseda University’s Department of Political Science and Law, where he completed his studies and earned a bachelor's degree.

After returning to China, Wang Boqiu dedicated himself to education, serving as dean of academic affairs at Jiangsu Political Law University, dean of academic affairs at Southeast University, acting president, and a professor at Jinan University. In 1913, he went to the United States as a government-funded student from Jiangsu Province, enrolling at Harvard University in the Department of Politics, where he obtained a bachelor's degree. During this period, he also participated as a volunteer overseas soldier during the First World War in 1914.

In 1915, Wang Boqiu married Wang Wan in the United States, and they had a daughter, Wang Xianghui, and a son, Wang Hongzhi. In 1919, he returned to China to continue his work in education. Later, he served as president of the Jiangsu Civic Education Promotion Association, director of the China Vocational Education Society, member of the National Government's legislative council, inspector of Fuzhou's first administrative district in Fujian Province, and held various security and administrative positions. Alongside his academic and administrative work, he actively engaged in social and political affairs.

In 1934, Wang Boqiu was appointed as the first administrative inspector of Fujian Province and concurrently served as the prefectural governor of Changle County. His office was located in Changle. During his tenure, he promoted urban renovations and infrastructure development, including demolishing old houses, rebuilding brick walls into two-story buildings, constructing Zhongshan Road and greening the streets, and building public facilities such as Zhongshan Hall, Tashan Park, and Riverside Park. He also paved several roads, including main arteries from Chengguan to Yingqian, Jinfeng, and Jiangtian, to improve transportation in Changle.

In 1938, Wang Boqiu stepped down from his position as prefectural governor of Changle County. He died on May 17, 1939, in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, at the age of 56, due to carcinoma of the left knee. He was buried on Baihuashan in Guiyang.