The Taiping northern campaign of 1853-1855.In the summer of 1853,after Nanjing was consoli- dated as the Heavenly capital,Hong Xiuquan sent an army north to seize the Qing dynasty's capital of Peking.By October,the Taiping army of around thirty thousand men reached the suburbs of Tianjin,less than seventy miles from their goal,but here they were checked by the Qing forces and slowly driven back.After vainly fighting to hold a succession of towns,the Taiping northern army made a last stand in the Grand Canal city of Lianzhen,where they held out during an eight-month siege until they were annihilated in March 1855形 召%勿9冫Pg/,o/rD纟//a幽 9,,P夕 /g/9o/F⒏ 土 Z855,In tllc sttmmcr of18s3,aRcr Na"ing was co“ di￾datcd as thc Hcavcnly capital,Hong Xiuquan scnt an army north to sciz幂 thc Qing dynasty’ s capital of Pcking By Oct。bcr,thc Taiping army of around thirty thousand mcn rcachcd thc suburbs of Tianjin,lcss than scvcnty milcs± r° m thcir goal,but hcrc thcy wcrc chcckcd by thc Qing fol-cCs and slowly drivcn back Ancr vaillly丘 ghting to hold a succcssion of towns,thc Taiping northcrn army madc a last stand in thc Grand CanaI city of Lianzhcn,whcrc thcy hcld°ut during an cight m°nth sicgc until thcy wcrc annih⒒ atcd in Ⅸ汪arch1855