Huang Xing Huang Xing or Huang Hsing ( ; October 25 , 1874 – October 31 , 1916 ) , was a Chinese revolutionary leader , militarist , and statesman , and the first army commander - in - chief of the Republic of China . As one of the founders of the Kuomintang ( KMT ) and the Republic of China , his position was second only to Sun Yat - sen . Together they were known as Sun - Huang during the Xinhai Revolution . He was also known as the " Eight Fingered General " because of wounds sustained during war . His tomb is on Mount Yuelu , in Changsha , Hunan , China . Huang was born in the village of Gaotang , now part of Changsha , Hunan . Like many other Chinese men born before 1949 , Huang was known by many different names during his life . His birth name was " Huang Zhen " , but this was later changed to " Huang Xing " . He was also known as " Huang Keqiang " and " Qing Wu " . In the period after 1911 he also used the names " Li Youqing " and " Zhang Shouzheng " . Biography . Early life . Huang Xing began his studies at the prestigious South Changsha Academy in 1893 , and received his Jinshi degree when he was only 22 years old . In 1898 Huang was selected to complete further study at Wuchang Lianghu College , from which Huang graduated in 1901 . In 1902 Huang was selected by Zhang Zhidong to study abroad in Japan , and was enrolled in the Tokyo Hongwen University . While in Japan , Huang developed an appreciation for the study of military affairs , and studied modern warfare under Japanese officer in his leisure time . While living in Japan Huang practiced horsemanship and shooting every morning . Huang ' s military training in Japan prepared him for his later role as a Chinese revolutionary . Taking up the sword . In 1903 , in order to protest against Russia ' s growing hegemony over Outer Mongolia and Manchuria , Huang organized a volunteer army of over two hundred fellow students in Japan . Later in 1903 Huang returned to China and organized a meeting with Chen Tianhua , Song Jiaoren , and more than 20 other people . The group founded the Huaxinghui , a secret revolutionary party dedicated to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty . Huang Xing was elected president . The Huaxinghui cooperated with other revolutionary parties , and in 1905 scheduled an armed uprising in Changsha during the Empress Dowager ' s seventieth birthday celebration . The Huaxinghui ' s plan was discovered , and its members ( including Huang ) were forced to escape to Japan . In Japan , Huang met Sun Yat - sen and helped Sun found the Tongmenghui , another revolutionary party dedicated to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty . Huang held the post of General Affairs Officer , and became the Tongmenghui ' s second most important leader , after Sun . Following the founding of the Tongmenghui , Huang devoted his time and energy to the revolution . Attempted uprisings . In 1907 Huang secretly returned to China and traveled to Henei in order to participate in numerous revolts , including the Qinzhou Uprising , Fangcheng Uprising , and Zhen Nanguan Uprising . All of the revolts that Huang was active in failed . In the autumn of 1909 , Huang was commissioned by Sun Yat - sen to establish the South Branch of the Tongmenghui , and to prepare the Party for a planned military uprising from Guangzhou . In the spring of 1909 , Huang led another uprising , but this revolt also failed . In October 1909 , Huang held an assembly with Sun Yat - sen in the British colony of Penang ( now part of Malaysia ) . The assembly decided to concentrate human and financial resources in order to stage further uprisings in Guangzhou . In the spring of 1911 , Huang established the Department of the Guangzhou Uprising in Hong Kong ， and became the Department ' s minister . On April 27 , Huang launched the Huanghuagang Uprising in Guangzhou , and lead hundreds of people in an attempt to capture the viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi . Huang and his followers failed to capture the viceroy , who climbed over a wall in order to escape them . The Huanghuagang Uprising was the last unsuccessful revolt before the Wuchang Uprising , which ultimately succeeded in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty by the end of 1911 . After the outbreak of the Wuchang Uprising in October 1911 , Huang Xing traveled from Shanghai to Wuchang and commanded the revolutionary forces in the Battle of Yangxia against Qing loyalist forces of Yuan Shikai . Opposing Yuan Shikai . On January 1 , 1912 ， the Nanjing Interim Government was established , and Huang was selected to be one of its leaders . In August 1913 Huang became the director of the KMT . In March 1913 , the provisional president of the newly formed Republic of China , Yuan Shikai , successfully assassinated the chairman of the KMT , Song Jiaoren , whose party had won China ' s first elections and who had shown indications of a desire to limit Yuan ' s powers within the new government . In 1913 Yuan Shikai expelled KMT members from all government offices and moved the government to Beijing . Huang stayed in Nanjing , and attempted to reorganize the South Army in order to oppose Yuan . Because a shortage of money Huang ' s army later mutinied , and Huang had to abandon Nanjing and retreat to the foreign concession areas of Shanghai . Sun Yat - sen again fled to Japan in November 1913 . In July 1914 , Sun organized armed forces to suppress Yuan , and the Second Revolution broke out . On July 14 Huang went to Nanjing from Shanghai , convinced the military governor of Jiangsu to declare independence from Yuan , and pushed to be the military commander in charge suppressing Yuan ' s forces in Jiangsu . After Huang ' s rebellion in Jiangsu failed , Huang fled back to Japan . Final years . Huang went into exile in the United States in 1914 , and Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself emperor in 1915 . While abroad , Huang raised funds in order to raise a Yunnan National Protection Army to suppress Yuan . After the death of Yuan , in June 1916 , Huang returned to China . On October 1916 , Huang died in Shanghai at the age of 42 . On April 15 , 1917 , Huang was given a state funeral , and was buried in Changsha on Yuelu Mountain . Remembrance . In popular culture . Huang Xing is portrayed by Jackie Chan in the film 1911 , released in 2011 on the 100 year anniversary of the Wuchang Uprising .