The merits and demerits will be commented by future generations. History has long concluded Li Hongzhang's evaluation, but in recent years, Li Hongzhang's image in history has begun to change. We don't know the reasons for this.

First of all, let’s review the historical evaluation of Li Hongzhang. Li Hongzhang’s contemporaries’ evaluation of Li Hongzhang is polarized. One party highly praises Li Hongzhang, while the other party extremely belittles Li Hongzhang. Appreciators such as Liang Qichao, in his "Biography of Li Hongzhang", said: Hongzhang must be a figure in Chinese history for thousands of years, there is no doubt about it. Li Hongzhang must be a figure in the world history of the 19th century, there is no doubt about it. Liang Qichao said that he "respected Li Hongzhang's talent", "cherished Li Hongzhang's knowledge" and "sad for Li Hongzhang's encounter". Those who belittled Li Hongzhang insulted people such as Zuo Zongtang, who said, "One Li Hongzhang is worse than ten French generals." (Zuo Zongtang had conflicts with Li Hongzhang, and Liang Qichao was a constitutional monarch)

At the same time as Li Hongzhang The evaluations of Li Hongzhang by people in the early period have more historical resonance, but they are also mixed with personal emotions and are often not objective. Generally speaking, in the era in which Li Hongzhang lived, there were more positive reviews than negative reviews.

The second period of evaluation of Li Hongzhang was the Republic of China. Some historians at that time mainly evaluated Li Hongzhang with the word "difficult", lamenting that it was difficult for Li Hongzhang to do things.

In general, I sympathize with Li Hongzhang for his efforts to safeguard China's interests and pursue Westernization, but he cannot change the reality of China's backwardness

The third evaluation of Li Hongzhang is our current subject The evaluation focuses on Li Hongzhang's "greed", "selfishness" and "treason". Li Hongzhang used the Westernization Movement to amass a family fortune of 40 million taels. When he visited Russia, he secretly accepted 3 million taels in bribes and sold the rights and interests of China's Jiaodong Peninsula. These were all charges of corruption and treason by Li Hongzhang. This was also an issue that Li Hongzhang could not clean up. Therefore, overall, the evaluation of Li Hongzhang in this incident is negative, which is also an evaluation based on facts.

Looking at the evaluations of Li Hongzhang in history, I think they are all correct. The times are just different, and each one is a true reaction to Li Hongzhang.

In the same period of Li Hongzhang, because Li Hongzhang did good things and bad things, he would be evaluated from both sides; during the Republic of China, because China was doing things at the most difficult time, they lamented Li Hongzhang's difficulties; and by Now, we must face up to Li Hongzhang's personal ethics and excessive greed, so we give him the evaluation he deserves.

Nowadays, people are overturning Li Hongzhang’s case. On the one hand, Li Hongzhang did do things; on the other hand, many people now boast with little knowledge, "You don’t know Li Hongzhang when you are young, but you will know the truth when you grow up." There is also the influence of some TV series, and many people regard TV series as official history, and finally make evaluations based on TV series. Wouldn't it be ridiculous?