ABSTRACT

According to the calendar, autumn had already passed, but in the town of Xishan the trees were still lushly verdant. For spiritual reasons, Hong Xiuquan adopted the name Hong Huoxiu. He later called himself Xiuquan, as the Heavenly Father had called him when he ascended into heaven during his dream. In preparation for his meeting with Hong Xiuquan, Lian Liwen had gotten his hands on a copy of Liang's pamphlet in Guangzhou and tried to read it. He was now trying to verify the story Hong had just presented to him. Hong's dream seemed to be more deeply tinged with Daoism than with anything Christian. The golden seal and precious sword with which he was to attack the demons was really a Chinese Daoist conception. Hong could see the consternation in his father's eyes when his son awakened from this dream and referred to himself with the term "our person".