Li Hongzhang successively served as governor of Jiangsu, crown prince, governor of Liangjiang, governor of Huguang, governor of Zhili, governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and minister of Beiyang. He is a figure who has an important influence on China's modern history. He entered the political arena through the imperial examination, was both civil and military, and dominated the scene for decades in the late Qing Dynasty.