Liu Shan Bang facts for kids

Liu Shan Bang (simplified Chinese: 刘善邦; traditional Chinese: 劉善邦; pinyin: Liú Shànbāng) was a Chinese gold miner. He lived from about 1800 to 1857. He was a leader in the 1857 Chinese Uprising. This was a fight against the ruler of Sarawak, James Brooke, known as the White Rajah.

Liu Shan Bang's Story

Liu Shan Bang was born in Lufeng, Guangdong, in China. This was during the time of the Qing dynasty. When he was about 20 years old, he moved to Sambas, Borneo. He worked in a gold mine there.

After some problems with the Dutch, Liu Shan Bang led a group of miners to the Bau area of Sarawak. They started a company called the 'Twelve Kongsi'. This company ran the Mau San gold mine. The mining town of Mau San became very successful. It even governed itself for a while.

The miners found a lot of gold. Mau San grew into a rich and busy gold town. But then, the White Rajah, James Brooke, started charging high taxes on the gold mining business. This made the miners very unhappy.

The Uprising Begins

On February 18, 1857, Liu Shan Bang led about 600 Chinese rebels. They traveled along the Sarawak River to attack the White Rajah in Kuching. The rebels did not know that Brooke had escaped. He swam across the Kuching River to safety.

During the attack, five Europeans were killed. Many buildings were burned, including Brooke's house. The town was in chaos. Most Europeans found shelter at the Anglican Church.

The rebels did not want to take over the government themselves. They offered control to Helms, who managed the Borneo Company. They also offered it to another trader named Ruppell. The Datu Bandar would manage the Malay people. After this, the rebels moved back upriver. Liu Shan Bang even sat on the White Rajah's seat for a short time.

The Rajah Fights Back

Just one day later, Liu Shan Bang found out that the White Rajah was still alive. Brooke decided to fight back. He got help from his Malay supporters. His nephew, Charles Brooke, sailed from Lingga with soldiers from the Iban tribe.

On February 23, Charles led his Iban forces. They joined up with local Bidayuh tribes. They all went after Liu Shan Bang and his rebels.

The next day, Liu and his rebels were on their way back to Bau. They were attacked by the Rajah's Iban forces. Liu managed to gather his group at Jugan in Siniawan. But they were greatly outnumbered. Liu Shan Bang was shot and killed there. Many of his rebels also died.

Charles' Iban forces then chased the remaining rebels to Bau. A terrible loss of life occurred among the 3,000 villagers there.

Remembering Liu Shan Bang

A stone was placed to mark Liu Shan Bang's grave. A small temple was built near it. For a long time, the reason for this was kept secret. The community later honored Liu as a special spirit or deity named “Shin.”

On July 27, 1993, Liu Shan Bang was officially recognized. His name was added to the new Heroes' Monument in the Sarawak Museum Garden. He is remembered as one of the "freedom fighters, liberators, and martyrs."