| Honorific Prefix: | Imperial tutor |
| Li Hongzao | |
| Office: | Grand Councillor |
| Term Start: | 3 November 1894 |
| Term End: | 31 July 1897 |
| Office1: | Assistant Grand Secretary |
| Term Start1: | 2 December 1896 |
| Term End1: | 31 July 1897 |
| Office2: | Minister of Zongli Yamen |
| Term Start2: | 6 August 1895 |
| Term End2: | 31 July 1897 |
| Office3: | Minister of Personnel |
| Term Start3: | 3 December 1896 |
| Term End3: | 31 July 1897 |
| Alongside3: | Xijing |
| Predecessor3: | Xu Tong |
| Successor3: | Sun Jianai |
| Term Start4: | 13 March 1882 |
| Term End4: | 8 April 1884 |
| Alongside4: | Gengshou |
| Predecessor4: | Wan Qingli |
| Successor4: | Xu Tong |
| Office5: | Minister of War |
| Term Start5: | 1 February 1881 |
| Term End5: | 13 March 1882 |
| Alongside5: | Gengshou (until 1881), Zhihe (since 1881) |
| Predecessor5: | Shen Guifen |
| Successor5: | Mao Changxi |
| Education: | Jinshi degree in the Imperial Examination (1852) |
| Birth Date: | 1820 |
| Birth Place: | Gaoyang County, Zhili |
| Death Place: | Beijing |
| Blank1: | Courtesy name |
| Data1: | Lansun (蘭孫) |
| Blank2: | Art name |
| Data2: | Shisun (石孫) |
| Blank3: | Posthumous name |
| Data3: | Wenzheng (文正) |
Li Hongzao (; 1820–31 July 1897), styled Lansun, pseudonym Shisun, was a high government official towards the end of the Qing dynasty. One of his sons was Li Shizeng, a prominent politician in the Chinese Nationalist Party.[1]
Li was born in Gaoyang County, Zhili, in present-day Hebei province. In 1861, the two dowagers empresses chose Li Hongzao, Qi Junzao, and Weng Xincun, who were all Imperial teachers, to instruct the newly enthroned Tongzhi Emperor in the classics. The Emperor, who was less than five years old at the time, displayed little or no interest in his studies, and would concentrate only when Li was instructing him. Li rose to be vice-president of the Board of Revenue and Grand Councilor, and in 1872 became head of the Board of Works. He then retired for a three-year period, 1877-1880, as required by custom and statute at the death of his mother.[2]
Upon his return to office, he resumed his post with the Grand Council and the Zongli Yamen, which was in effect the dynasty's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1884, Li and all the Grand Councillors, such as Yixin, who had been supported by the Empress Dowager, Cixi, were dismissed in a dispute with a group of conservative officials. He was gradually given permission to resume responsibilities, but often criticized for not carrying them out promptly. After the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894, he was given even greater duties, but died in 1897.[1] [2]