The Making of a Revolutionary

Born on February 14, 1889 in rural Anhui province, Wang Ya-qiao’s early life gave little indication he would become one of China’s most feared figures. The son of tenant farmers who suffered under landlord oppression, Wang displayed remarkable intellect, ranking in the top ten of imperial civil service examinations during the Qing dynasty’s final years.

The 1911 Revolution that toppled China’s last imperial dynasty awakened Wang’s political consciousness at age 22. In a bold move, he organized local militias to declare independence in Hefei, establishing a revolutionary government that sought immediate land redistribution to peasants. This brought him into conflict with Sun Pin-san, an official representative of Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary alliance who favored gradual reform. When Sun’s forces massacred Wang’s comrades, the young revolutionary began his life as a fugitive – an experience that would shape his worldview.

From Scholar to Shanghai’s “Axe Gang” Leader

Between 1911-1923, Wang’s journey took him across China – from Anqing to Nanjing and finally Shanghai. Three pivotal experiences forged his identity:

1. In 1913, exposure to anarchist philosophy through Beijing University professor Jing Mei-jiu cemented Wang’s belief that all authoritarian power must be resisted by any means necessary. He later advocated bombing Beijing’s government to assassinate warlord Duan Qi-rui.

2. In 1921, after returning to Shanghai under threat of assassination, Wang transformed the Anhui Native Association into a formidable force. When a factory owner beat an Anhui worker, Wang famously ordered 100 axes forged and led a hundred men to confront the capitalist, securing justice through intimidation. His “Axe Gang” became legendary.

3. While recruiting soldiers for warlord Lu Yong-xiang in 1923, Wang formed a blood brotherhood with a young intelligence officer named Dai Li – a relationship that would ultimately prove fatal.

Defying Shanghai’s Underworld Kings

Wang’s power in 1930s Shanghai reached astonishing levels. When denied control of the Jiang’an ship by Zhang Yan-ling (nephew of gangster Zhang Xiao-lin), Wang simply blew a hole in Zhang’s mansion wall. Even the city’s most powerful triad leaders – Du Yue-sheng, Huang Jin-rong, and Zhang Xiao-lin – feared provoking him.

His audacity extended to national figures. After the 1931 Mukden Incident, Wang threatened “Young Marshal” Zhang Xue-liang (who had retreated from Japanese forces) with three options: return to fight, commit suicide, or donate his wealth to resistance efforts. Faced with Wang’s bomb threat, Zhang chose European exile.

The Assassin’s Code: Anti-Japanese and Anti-Chiang

Wang’s assassination career followed two principles: resisting Japanese aggression and opposing Chiang Kai-shek’s authoritarianism. His first major target was Shanghai police chief Xu Guo-liang in 1923, carried out for warlord Lu Yong-xiang.

But Wang’s most famous operation came in 1932. After Japan’s victory in the January 28 Incident, Wang collaborated with Korean independence activist An Chang-ho to bomb a Japanese victory celebration in Shanghai’s Hongkou Park. The attack killed General Shirakawa Yoshinori and maimed diplomat Shigemitsu Mamoru, earning Wang national acclaim.

The Failed Courtship of Chiang Kai-shek

Chiang initially sought to recruit Wang, offering military rank and 40,000 silver dollars. Wang famously rebuffed him: “The bald Chiang has a million troops but won’t resist Japan. We common people fight without needing thanks.”

After Wang’s failed plots to assassinate Chiang (1931’s “Lushan Attempt”) and finance minister T.V. Soong (the “North Station Incident” that killed Soong’s secretary), their feud turned deadly. When Wang targeted British diplomat Victor Bulwer-Lytton for pro-Japanese bias in 1932, his captured operatives revealed Wang’s role in prior attacks on Chiang’s government.

The Final Reckoning

By 1936, Chiang ordered blood brother Dai Li to eliminate Wang at any cost. After Wang fled to Guangxi, Dai exploited his loyalty to subordinates. By coercing information from the wife of imprisoned associate Yu Li-kui, Dai’s agents ambushed Wang on October 20, 1936. Blinded by lime and outnumbered, the “King of Assassins” fell to five bullets and three knife wounds – ironically killed by the same tactics he pioneered.

Legacy of a Complex Patriot

Wang’s death preceded the Xi’an Incident that forced Chiang into united resistance against Japan – the cause Wang had championed. Though he sought Communist affiliation before death, Zhou En-lai lamented Wang’s independent spirit might have clashed with party discipline.

Neither politician nor military strategist, Wang represented a unique phenomenon – an individual wielding violence against tyranny while maintaining moral clarity about enemies foreign and domestic. His story endures as both cautionary tale and testament to one man’s willingness to confront power with nothing but conviction and a gun.