Xu Dehai

• Xu Dehai, courtesy name Yanbo, was commonly known by his courtesy name and used the sobriquets Lingnan Waishi and Xianghai Jushi. He was registered with the Zheng Han Banner garrison stationed in Guangzhou and was a native of Tieling, Liaoning Province. He was a student of the Imperial Academy and held the honorary rank of a sixth-grade military official, serving as a staff officer in the Infantry Command. He excelled in poetry and was highly accomplished in calligraphy, particularly in seal script and clerical script. During the Guangxu period, he encountered difficulties while traveling to the United States and was rescued and taken to Hakodate. He subsequently abandoned his journey to the United States and traveled extensively throughout Hokkaido and other parts of Japan, where he exerted a considerable influence.