Background
Mr. Chi was born in Ningbo, Zhili, China in 1879.
Mr. Chi was born in Ningbo, Zhili, China in 1879.
Chi Hsieh-yuan enrolled in the Beiyang Military Academy and graduated from the artillery department in 1906. Later, he attended the Military College at Peking (Beijing) and completed his studies there in one year.
Mr. Chi was appointed superintendent of military affairs of Jiangsu (Kiangsu) in 1920. The same year he became a deputy High Inspecting Commissioner of Jiangsu (Kiangsu), Anhui (Anhwei) and Jiangxi (Kiangsi) with the brevet rank of full-federal. From 1921 to 1924 Chi Hsieh-yuan served as a Military Governor of Jiangsu (Kiangsu) with the rank of full-general.
He was a High Inspecting Commissioner of Jiangsu (Kiangsu), Anhui (Anhwei)and Jiangxi (Kiangsi) with the rank of marshal between 1923 and 1925. Mr. Chi was a Commander-in-Chief of the Zhili (Chihli) armies against Lu Yung-hsiang (then Military Governor of Chekiang) during the first Jiangsu-Zhejiang (Kiangsu-Chekiang) War in 1924, but suffered defeat at the hands of the Fengtian (Fengtien) Army under Chang Chun-chang and fled to Japan in 1924. Chi Hsieh-yuan was in retirement during the years 1924 to 1929. He joined the Northern Coalition against the National Government in Nanking and was made a commander in Yen Hsi-shan's Army, 1930.