1885 in China

Incumbents

• Guangxu Emperor
• * Regent: Empress Dowager Cixi

Viceroys

• Viceroy of Zhili — Li Hongzhang
• Viceroy of Min-Zhe — Yang Changjun
• Viceroy of Huguang — Bian Baodi then Yulu
• Viceroy of Shaan-Gan — Tan Zhonglin
• Viceroy of Liangguang — Zhang Zhidong
• Viceroy of Yun-Gui — Cen Yuying
• Viceroy of Sichuan — Ding Baozhen
• Viceroy of Liangjiang — Zeng Guoquan

Events

• Sino-French War
• *January 3–4 — Battle of Núi Bop
• *February 3–13 — Lạng Sơn Campaign
• *February 14 — Battle of Shipu
• *February 23 — Battle of Đồng Đăng
• *March 1 — Battle of Zhenhai
• *March 2 — Battle of Hòa Mộc
• *March 23 — Battle of Phu Lam Tao
• *March 24 — Battle of Bang Bo (Zhennan Pass)
• *June 9 — Treaty of Tientsin (1885), Sino-French War ends

Births

• January 16 — Zhou Zuoren, writer and brother of Lu Xun
• April 17 — Sun Chuanfang, warlord in the Zhili clique
• April 27 — Ma Xulun, politician, activist and linguist
• April 28 — Qi Xieyuan, warlord in the Zhili clique
• May 20 — Zaixun, Manchu noble of the late Qing Dynasty
• October 30 — Song Zheyuan, general
• November 5 — Li Jishen, military officer and politician
• November 11 — Su Zhaozheng, labour movement activist and early leader of the Chinese Communist Party
• November 30 — Ma Zhanshan, general in the Northeastern army

Deaths

• June 15 — Consort Qing, consort of Emperor Xianfeng
• July 21 — Zaicheng, Manchu noble
• September 5 — Zuo Zongtang, former Viceroy of Liangjiang, Shaan-Gan and Min-Zhe
• December 6 — Hu Xueyan, businessman

Dates unknown

• Lin Hongnian, politician, writer and calligrapher
• Zeng Fengnian, military figure