Lu Hao-tung

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Lu Hao-tung (陸皓東 pinyin: Lù Hàodōng) (1868-1895), born Lu Chung-gui (中桂 Zhōngguì), courtesy name Hsien-hsiang (獻香 Xiànxiāng), was the first "revolutionary martyr" of the Republic of China. In the same year he died, he designed the "Blue Sky with a White Sun" emblem that came to be used as the Kuomintang party flag, national emblem of the Republic of China, and the canton of the flag of the Republic of China.

Born in Cuiheng Village, Xiangshan County, Guangdong, Lu Hao-tung had been a playmate and close friend of Sun Yat-sen since they were classmates at the Lu-shi Ancestral Temple (陸氏祖祠) school. They deliberately damaged the statue of the god Pak Tai, and were scorned by the villagers. Lu fled the village after this incident, and arrived at Shanghai later to study at the Shanghai Telegram School (學堂). During that time, he worked for the Wuhu Telegram Office (蕪湖電報局).

He returned to the village in 1890, and met other revolutionaries. And five years later, he was executed by the Qing Empire when plans of the abortive 1895 Canton Uprising were leaked out.

Lu appeared in the film Once Upon a Time in China II, in which he was killed by an official while trying to escape Guangdong. Wong Fei Hong avenged his death.

See also: History of the Republic of China