xīnhài gémìng: 辛亥革命 - Xinhai Revolution, Revolution of 1911

• Keywords: Xinhai Revolution, 1911 Revolution, 辛亥革命, xinhai geming, end of Qing Dynasty, Sun Yat-sen, Republic of China, Chinese history, Double Ten Day, Wuchang Uprising, overthrow of the emperor.
• Summary: The 辛亥革命 (Xīnhài Gémìng), known in English as the Xinhai Revolution or the Revolution of 1911, was the pivotal event that ended over two thousand years of imperial rule in China. It led to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, China's last imperial dynasty, and the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). This revolution is a cornerstone of modern Chinese history and national identity, profoundly shaping the country's political path in the 20th century.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): Xīnhài Gémìng
• Part of Speech: Proper Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: The Chinese revolution of 1911 which overthrew the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty and established the Republic of China.
• In a Nutshell: “Xīnhài Gémìng” is the specific name for a monumental historical event. The name itself tells you the “when” and the “what”. Xīnhài (辛亥) refers to the year 1911 in the traditional Chinese sexagenary cycle calendar. Gémìng (革命) means “revolution”. So, the term literally translates to “The Revolution of the Xinhai Year”. It marks the watershed moment when China transitioned from an ancient empire to a modern republic, an event celebrated by Chinese people worldwide, though in different ways.

• 辛 (xīn): This character represents the 8th of the ten Heavenly Stems (天干, tiāngān), an ancient system used for counting and naming years. On its own, it can mean “spicy” or “hardship,” but here its meaning is purely calendrical.
• 亥 (hài): This character is the 12th and final of the twelve Earthly Branches (地支, dìzhī), which corresponds to the Pig in the Chinese zodiac. Like `辛`, its meaning here is purely for dating the year. Together, `辛亥` refers to the specific year 1911.
• 革 (gé): This character means “to change,” “to reform,” or “revolution.” Its ancient meaning was “animal hide” or “leather.” The metaphorical leap is that of shedding one's skin—a complete and fundamental transformation, which is why it's used in the word for revolution.
• 命 (mìng): This character means “life,” “fate,” or a “mandate.” When combined with `革`, it forms `革命 (gémìng)`, which literally means to “change the mandate” or “change fate.” This powerfully evokes the traditional Chinese concept of the “Mandate of Heaven” (天命, Tiānmìng), where a ruler's right to rule was granted by a divine power and could be revoked if they ruled poorly. A revolution was thus seen as the “revoking of the mandate.”

The characters combine to form a very precise historical term: The Revolution (革命) of the year 1911 (辛亥).

The Xinhai Revolution is arguably one of the most important events in modern Chinese history. Its significance lies in what it ended and what it began. It terminated over 2,000 years of imperial dynastic rule, a system that had defined Chinese civilization for millennia. This was not just a change in government but a seismic shift in the nation's political and cultural identity. A useful comparison for Western learners is the American Revolution. Both revolutions were foundational events that overthrew a distant, and what was perceived as an unjust, ruling power (the British Monarchy vs. the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty) and established a republic. Both are seen as the birth of their modern nations. However, the contrast is just as important. The American Revolution led to a relatively stable, continuous political entity. The Xinhai Revolution, while successful in toppling the Qing, ushered in a period of profound instability known as the Warlord Era, followed by the Chinese Civil War. Its legacy is therefore more complex and contested. Today, the revolution holds a unique position. It is celebrated by both the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland and the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan.

• In the PRC, it's viewed as a critical bourgeois-democratic revolution that paved the way for the later Communist revolution.
• In Taiwan, it's celebrated as the founding of their state, the Republic of China. The anniversary of the Wuchang Uprising on October 10th is the ROC's National Day, known as 双十节 (Shuāng Shí Jié), or Double Ten Day.

This dual commemoration highlights the event's central and unifying—yet also divisive—role in the modern Chinese-speaking world.

As a historical term, “Xīnhài Gémìng” is used in formal and educational contexts. You won't hear it in casual daily chatter unless the topic is specifically about history or politics.

• Historical and Academic Context: It is a standard term in all history books, documentaries, university lectures, and museum exhibits concerning the period.
• Political Discourse: Political leaders on both sides of the Taiwan Strait may reference the “spirit of the Xinhai Revolution” in speeches, usually to invoke themes of patriotism, national rejuvenation, and modernization.
• Media and Film: The revolution is a popular subject for historical dramas and films, such as the 2011 movie “1911”.

The term has a formal and neutral-to-positive connotation. It is a factual, historical label. There is no informal or slang version of the term.

• Example 1:
  • 辛亥革命是中国近代史上的一个里程碑。
  • Pinyin: Xīnhài Gémìng shì Zhōngguó jìndài shǐshàng de yí ge lǐchéngbēi.
  • English: The Xinhai Revolution is a milestone in modern Chinese history.
  • Analysis: This is a typical, factual statement you would find in a textbook. `里程碑 (lǐchéngbēi)` means “milestone.”
• Example 2:
  • 辛亥革命成功推翻了统治中国几百年的清朝。
  • Pinyin: Xīnhài Gémìng chénggōng tuīfān le tǒngzhì Zhōngguó jǐ bǎi nián de Qīngcháo.
  • English: The Xinhai Revolution successfully overthrew the Qing Dynasty, which had ruled China for several hundred years.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the key outcome of the revolution. `推翻 (tuīfān)` means “to overthrow.”
• Example 3:
  • 孙中山先生被尊为“辛亥革命的伟大先行者”。
  • Pinyin: Sūn Zhōngshān xiānsheng bèi zūnwéi “Xīnhài Gémìng de wěidà xiānxíngzhě”.
  • English: Mr. Sun Yat-sen is revered as “the great forerunner of the Xinhai Revolution.”
  • Analysis: This sentence connects the event to its most famous leader. `先行者 (xiānxíngzhě)` means “forerunner” or “pioneer.”
• Example 4:
  • 辛亥革命爆发于公元1911年。
  • Pinyin: Xīnhài Gémìng bàofā yú gōngyuán yī jiǔ yī yī nián.
  • English: The Xinhai Revolution broke out in the year 1911 AD.
  • Analysis: `爆发 (bàofā)` means “to break out” or “to erupt,” often used for wars, revolutions, or epidemics.
• Example 5:
  • 历史老师要求我们写一篇关于辛亥革命的论文。
  • Pinyin: Lìshǐ lǎoshī yāoqiú wǒmen xiě yī piān guānyú Xīnhài Gémìng de lùnwén.
  • English: The history teacher asked us to write an essay about the Xinhai Revolution.
  • Analysis: This shows how a student would use the term in a school context. `论文 (lùnwén)` is an essay or thesis.
• Example 6:
  • 辛亥革命之后，亚洲第一个共和国——中华民国成立了。
  • Pinyin: Xīnhài Gémìng zhīhòu, Yàzhōu dì yī ge gònghéguó — Zhōnghuá Mínguó chénglì le.
  • English: After the Xinhai Revolution, Asia's first republic—the Republic of China—was established.
  • Analysis: This sentence emphasizes the groundbreaking nature of the event in a regional context.
• Example 7:
  • 武昌起义打响了辛亥革命的第一枪。
  • Pinyin: Wǔchāng Qǐyì dǎxiǎng le Xīnhài Gémìng de dì yī qiāng.
  • English: The Wuchang Uprising fired the first shot of the Xinhai Revolution.
  • Analysis: A common and vivid expression. `打响第一枪 (dǎxiǎng dì yī qiāng)` is a set phrase meaning “to fire the first shot,” signaling the start of a conflict.
• Example 8:
  • 辛亥革命的意义在于它结束了中国两千多年的封建帝制。
  • Pinyin: Xīnhài Gémìng de yìyì zàiyú tā jiéshù le Zhōngguó liǎng qiān duō nián de fēngjiàn dìzhì.
  • English: The significance of the Xinhai Revolution lies in its ending of China's more than two thousand years of feudal monarchy.
  • Analysis: `意义在于 (yìyì zàiyú)` means “the significance lies in…” `封建帝制 (fēngjiàn dìzhì)` refers to the imperial system.
• Example 9:
  • 这部电影深刻地描绘了辛亥革命时期的社会动荡。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bù diànyǐng shēnkè de miáohuì le Xīnhài Gémìng shíqī de shèhuì dòngdàng.
  • English: This movie profoundly depicts the social turmoil of the Xinhai Revolution period.
  • Analysis: This shows how the term is used to define a historical period. `社会动荡 (shèhuì dòngdàng)` means “social turmoil/unrest.”
• Example 10:
  • 许多海外华人也积极支持了辛亥革命。
  • Pinyin: Xǔduō hǎiwài Huárén yě jījí zhīchí le Xīnhài Gémìng.
  • English: Many overseas Chinese also actively supported the Xinhai Revolution.
  • Analysis: This points to the global nature of the revolution's support base. `海外华人 (hǎiwài Huárén)` means overseas Chinese.

• Mistake 1: Confusing it with the Communist Revolution. This is the most critical distinction. The 辛亥革命 (Xīnhài Gémìng) of 1911 overthrew the emperor and founded the Republic of China (ROC), led by the Nationalists (KMT). The Communist Revolution, culminating in 1949, was the result of the Chinese Civil War, where the Communists defeated the Nationalists and founded the People's Republic of China (PRC). They are two completely different events separated by almost 40 years of conflict.
• Mistake 2: Literal Translation of “Xīnhài”. A beginner might see `辛 (xīn)` and think “spicy,” and see `亥 (hài)` and think of the Pig zodiac. This is incorrect. In this context, `辛亥` is a proper name for the year 1911 based on the traditional sexagenary cycle calendar. It has no descriptive meaning.
• Mistake 3: Misunderstanding Sun Yat-sen's Role. Many Westerners unfamiliar with the details might incorrectly associate Sun Yat-sen with communism. He was the founder of the Kuomintang (KMT), or the Nationalist Party, which was the primary rival of the Communist Party. While respected in the PRC as a revolutionary forerunner, his political ideology was not communist.

• `孙中山 (Sūn Zhōngshān)` - Sun Yat-sen, revered as the “Father of the Nation” in the ROC and the “Forerunner of the Revolution” in the PRC. He was the ideological leader of the revolution.
• `清朝 (Qīngcháo)` - The Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), the last imperial dynasty of China, which was overthrown by the revolution.
• `中华民国 (Zhōnghuá Mínguó)` - The Republic of China (ROC), the state founded in 1912 as a result of the revolution. Its government relocated to Taiwan in 1949.
• `双十节 (Shuāng Shí Jié)` - Double Ten Day (October 10th), the anniversary of the Wuchang Uprising. It is the National Day of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
• `武昌起义 (Wǔchāng Qǐyì)` - The Wuchang Uprising. The armed rebellion on October 10, 1911, that served as the catalyst for the nationwide Xinhai Revolution.
• `国民党 (Guómíndǎng)` - The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party, the political party founded by Sun Yat-sen.
• `三民主义 (Sān Mín Zhǔyì)` - The Three Principles of the People (Nationalism, Democracy, and the People's Livelihood), the core political philosophy of Sun Yat-sen that guided the revolution.
• `溥仪 (Pǔyí)` - Puyi, the last Emperor of China, who was forced to abdicate the throne as a child in 1912.
• `革命 (gémìng)` - The general word for “revolution,” as opposed to the specific event of `辛亥革命`.