Hong Xiuquan (1 January 1814 - 1 June 1864); born Hong Renkun; style name Huoxiu (??); was a Hakka Chinese who led the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing Dynasty; establishing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom over varying portions of southern China; with himself as the 'Heavenly King' and self-proclaimed brother of Jesus Christ.

By 1850 Hong had between 10;000 and 30;000 followers. The authorities were alarmed at the growing size of the sect and ordered them to disperse. A local force was sent to attack them when they refused; but the imperial troops were routed and a deputy magistrate killed. A full-scale attack was launched by government forces in the first month of 1851. In what came to be known as the Jintian Uprising; named after the town of Jintian (present-day Guiping; Guangxi) where the sect was based. Hong's followers emerged victorious and beheaded the Manchu commander of the government army.

Hong declared the foundation of the ;Heavenly Kingdom of Transcendent Peace' on 11 January 1851. Following a failed attempt by the Taiping rebels to take Shanghai in 1860; Qing government forces; aided by Western officers; slowly gained ground. Hong Xiuquan died by suicide; odf illness or possibly of starvation in 1864.