1856 in China
# 1856 in China

Events from the year 1856 in China.

## Incumbents

* Xianfeng Emperor (6th year)

### Viceroys

* Viceroy of Zhili — Guiliang
* Viceroy of Min-Zhe — Wang Yide
* Viceroy of Huguang — Guanwen
* Viceroy of Shaan-Gan — Yi Tang then Yue Bin
* Viceroy of Liangguang — Ye Mingchen
* Viceroy of Yun-Gui — Hengchun
* Viceroy of Sichuan — Huang Zonghan then Wu Zhenyu
* Viceroy of Liangjiang — Yiliang

## Events

* Nian Rebellion
   * several Nian bands formed an alliance led by Zhang Lexing, organizing themselves into a loose confederation of five armies
* Second Opium War begins
   * Authorities in Canton order attacks on Thirteen Factories, which are subsequently destroyed in a fire
   * Merchant ship Arrow seized by Qing authorities
   * Battle of Canton (1856)
   * Capture of the French Folly Fort
   * Battle of the Bogue (1856)
   * November — Battle of the Barrier Forts
* Taiping Rebellion
   * Battle of Jiangnan (1856), Qing forces twice fail to re-take Nanjing
   * Tianjing incident, internal conflict within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
* Miao Rebellion (1854–73)
* Panthay Rebellion
   * a massacre of at least 4,000 Muslims organized by a Qing Manchu official responsible for suppressing the revolt in the provincial capital of Kunming sparked a province-wide multi-ethnic insurgency.
* Red Turban Rebellion (1854–1856) ends

## Deaths

* Yang Xiuqing in Tianjing
* Jirhangga, Qing commander in Battle of Jiangnan (1860)
* Xiang Rong, Qing commander in Battle of Jiangnan (1860)
* Hu Jiumei, Chinese rebel in the Taiping Rebellion
