Wuchang Uprising

Wuchang Uprising
Part of the 1911 Revolution

Establishment of the Hubei Military Government
Date10 October – 1 December 1911
Location
Result
  • The revolutionary army initially tasted victory but ultimately met with defeat; after capturing the three towns of Wuhan and establishing the Hubei Military Government, they were driven back by a counterattack and lost Hankou and Hanyang
  • The revolution received widespread support across various parts of China, marking the beginning of the 1911 Revolution in its narrow sense
Belligerents
Qing dynasty Tongmenghui
Hubei Military Government
Commanders and leaders
Strength
10,000 troops 2,000 troops
Casualties and losses
~4,000 killed ~1,000 killed
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese武昌起義
Simplified Chinese武昌起义
Hanyu PinyinWǔchāng qǐyì
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinWǔchāng qǐyì
Bopomofoㄨˇ ㄔㄤ ㄑㄧˇ ㄧˋ
Wade–Giles Wu3-chʻang1 Chʻi3-i4
Tongyong PinyinWǔchang cǐyì
IPA[ù.ʈʂʰáŋ tɕʰì.î]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationMóuh chēung héi yih
JyutpingMou5 coeng1 hei2 ji6
IPA[mɔw˩˧ tsʰœŋ˥ hej˧˥ ji˨]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJBú-chhiong khí-gī

The Wuchang Uprising was an armed rebellion against the ruling Qing dynasty that took place in Wuchang (now Wuchang District of Wuhan) in the Chinese province of Hubei on 10 October 1911, beginning the 1911 Revolution that successfully overthrew China's last imperial dynasty. It was led by elements of the New Army, influenced by revolutionary ideas from Tongmenghui. The uprising and the eventual revolution led to the downfall of the Qing dynasty after almost three centuries of imperial rule, and the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). Taiwan commemorates the anniversary of the uprising's outbreak on 10 October as the National Day of the Republic of China.

The uprising originated from popular unrest about a railway crisis, and the planning process took advantage of the situation. On 10 October 1911, the New Army stationed in Wuchang launched an assault on the residence of the Viceroy of Huguang. The viceroy Ruicheng quickly fled from the residence, and the revolutionaries soon took control of the entire city.