The Kuang-hsu Emperor, or Aisin Gioro Zaitian, was the tenth ruler of the Qing Dynasty and was the Emperor of China from 1875 to 1908. During his reign, his maternal aunt, Empress Cixi, was the real power, who had considerable influence on state affairs. Emperor Guangxu was born on August 14, 1871, and died on November 14, 1908. During his reign, China lost the first Chinese- Japanese War, which led to the Treaty of Simonoseki, and several foreign powers, including Germany, acquired territory from China. After these events, the emperor launched the Hundred Day Reforms, which aimed to quickly introduce political, legal and social changes. However, the reforms faced significant opposition from the Qing bureaucracy, and were finally reversed in 1898 after a coup supported by Empress Cixi, Yuan Shikai, and Ronglu. After the coup, Emperor Kuang-hsu was effectively deposed and kept under house arrest until his death. After his death, his nephew Puyi took the throne.

During the reign of Emperor Kuang-hsu (1875-1908), China's coinage underwent significant changes. The emperor initially continued the traditional Chinese minting practice of minting copper coins. However, in the 1890s, China's economy was in crisis and the government needed new financial measures. In this environment, Emperor Kuang-hsu began to introduce modern coinage technologies to China. The government built new mints and began minting new types of coins, such as silver and gold coins. These new coins were produced using more modern technology and proved to be more reliable than traditional copper coins. The coinage reforms of Emperor Kuang Hsu had a significant impact on China's economy. The introduction of modern coins contributed to the stabilization of the economy and helped to improve the efficiency of trade.