Biography

Lin Xu was born in Houguan (侯官), which is now Fuzhou, Fujian. He took the imperial examination locally and obtained the position of a "Jieyuan" (解元) in 1893. In 1895, he was appointed as an official in the Qing imperial court by the Guangxu Emperor.

In April 1898, in response to foreign imperialism and internal political turmoil within the Qing government, Lin co-founded the State Protection Association (保國會) with others to oppose colonialism. He fought for radical social, educational and political reforms in China. As one of the Six Gentlemen who attempted to implement the Hundred Days' Reform programme with backing from the Guangxu Emperor, Lin advocated a radical position in which China adopt a modern-style government and convert the absolute monarchy system into a constitutional monarchy.

However, on 21 September 1898, the conservative faction in the Qing government, led by Empress Dowager Cixi, saw the Hundred Days' Reform programme as a foreign plot to overthrow the government. The State Protection Association was disbanded and the Hundred Days' Reform was terminated, while the Six Gentlemen were arrested and imprisoned. Seven days later, on 28 September, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the Six Gentlemen to be executed outside Xuanwu Gate in Beijing.

生平

光緒十九年（1893年）癸巳恩科福建鄉試解元。光緒二十一年（1895年）曾任內閣中書。1898年3月倡立閩學會，與粵、蜀、浙、陝各學會相呼應，推動維新運動。又是保國會倡始董事之一。同年9月5日，百日維新後期，授四品卿銜軍機章京，此後十日間，上書言事甚多，不少上諭出其手筆。

戊戌變法失敗被捕，與譚嗣同等（總稱戊戌六君子）同時被殺害于菜市口。著作有《晚翠軒詩集》。妻子是晚清名臣沈葆楨子沈瑜慶之長女沈鵲應，擅詩詞，在林旭就義後，服毒自盡（一說抑鬱以終）。

著作

林旭在獄中題有絕命詩，感懷身世如下：

林旭墓

林旭死後，義僕朱德貴將其遺體運回福州，停柩於金雞山地藏寺。光緒二十六年，林旭的夫人沈鵲應以悲憤病歿。次年沈瑜慶歸閩營生壙，並葬林旭夫婦於左側。林旭墓聯：千秋晚翠孤忠草；一卷崦樓絕命詞。

1965年，吳家瓊寫信報告，在北門外貓頭山上發現林旭墓，王鐵藩去他家了解情況。

備註