1856 in China

Events from the year 1856 in China.

Incumbents

 * Xianfeng Emperor (6th year)

Viceroys

 * Viceroy of Zhili — Guiliang
 * Viceroy of Min-Zhe — Wang Yide
 * Viceroy of Huguang — Guanwen
 * Viceroy of Shaan-Gan — Yi Tang then Yue Bin
 * Viceroy of Liangguang — Ye Mingchen
 * Viceroy of Yun-Gui — Hengchun
 * Viceroy of Sichuan — Huang Zonghan then Wu Zhenyu
 * Viceroy of Liangjiang — Yiliang

Events

 * Nian Rebellion
 * several Nian bands formed an alliance led by Zhang Lexing, organizing themselves into a loose confederation of five armies
 * Second Opium War begins
 * Authorities in Canton order attacks on Thirteen Factories, which are subsequently destroyed in a fire
 * Merchant ship Arrow seized by Qing authorities
 * Battle of Canton (1856)
 * Capture of the French Folly Fort
 * Battle of the Bogue (1856)
 * November — Battle of the Barrier Forts
 * Taiping Rebellion
 * Battle of Jiangnan (1856), Qing forces twice fail to re-take Nanjing
 * Tianjing incident, internal conflict within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
 * Miao Rebellion (1854–73)
 * Panthay Rebellion
 * a massacre of at least 4,000 Muslims organized by a Qing Manchu official responsible for suppressing the revolt in the provincial capital of Kunming sparked a province-wide multi-ethnic insurgency.
 * Red Turban Rebellion (1854–1856) ends

Deaths

 * Yang Xiuqing in Tianjing
 * Jirhangga, Qing commander in Battle of Jiangnan (1860)
 * Xiang Rong, Qing commander in Battle of Jiangnan (1860)
 * Hu Jiumei, Chinese rebel in the Taiping Rebellion