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General Nieh Hsien-fan was born at He-fei Hsien, Anhui province, in 1880. He is the second son of the late General Nieh Shih-cheng, Military Commander-in-Chief of Chihli and Director-General of Huai Chun and other Imperial government troops, who died in the Sino-Japanese War. On account of his father's distinguished service, the Imperial Ching government awarded General Nieh Hsien-fan the rank of Prefect. Later he was promoted to the rank of Taotai. General Nieh received military education at the Chun-Wu Academy, Japan, in the same class with the late General Tsai Ao, the hero of the Yunnan Uprising against Yuan Shih-kai. After his return from Japan, General Nieh served under the Ching regime as Co-Director of Chihli Ying-Wu-Chu (Provost-guard); Director of the Staff Officers' Department and also of the Ammunition and Commissary Department of the Headquarters of the Metropolitan Defence Troops; Director of the Shantung Ying Wu Chu; Commander-in-Chief of Shantung Patrol Forces; Taotai at several circuits in Shantung; Judicial Commissioner of Shantung; Salt Commissioner of Shantung; Brigade-General at