Hong Xiuquan: The Younger Brother of Jesus Christ Who Led a Bloody Rebellion in China

Regaining the Provincial Capital of Ruizhou, a scene from the Taiping Rebellion. Painting by Wu Youru (1886) / Public Domain

When the schoolteacher who would come to be called Hong Xiuquan first heard of the Christian religion, he wasn't particularly bowled over. However, when he had a nervous breakdown after failing his scholarly exams, he experienced a series of visions that he later believed revealed his true destiny: He was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, and he was meant to lead his followers to earthly and spiritual freedom. Tune in to learn how Hong Xiuquan's visions sparked one of the bloodiest rebellions in Chinese history.