生平

少时应有司试，不授，遂弃科举事。清穆宗同治初年，随舅氏李宗岱往济南，纳赀为知县，旋入鲁抚幕，先后为巡抚阎敬铭、丁宝桢所器重，经过数次推荐至道员。清德宗光绪年间，张任按察使，后调京赏三品京堂，两入主掌外交事务的总理各国事务衙门，累迁至户部左侍郎，赏加尚书衔，先后兼署工、刑、兵、礼、吏部等五部。

光绪十一年（1885年），任驻美国、西班牙、秘鲁三国大臣，办理华工被害各案交涉事宜。

二十一年（1895年），北洋舰队在甲午战争惨败后，光绪帝派张荫桓、湖南巡抚邵友濂为全权大臣赴日本媾和。

二十三年（1897年），出使英、美、法、德、俄诸国。8月12日，以英维多利亚女王登基60周年清帝贺使，获圣米迦勒及圣乔治爵级大十字勋章（荣誉会员）。

二十四年（1898年）3月，协助李鸿章与俄国签订《旅大租地条约》。

张荫桓是京城为数不多的曾经出洋、懂洋务的外交官员，但他得到清德宗的信任和得到外交消息的人。戊戌变法时，调任管理京师矿务、铁路总局，因为支持慈禧默许的戊戌变法，与翁同和、康有为关系密切，戊戌政变后，张荫桓安排家属返回佛山南海，销毁相关书札、文件，而他则留在锡拉胡同官邸待查。满大臣贻谷参奏其与康有为关系密切，随后获罪，因英国公使窦纳乐、日本署使林权助和伊藤博文的关注，李鸿章经荣禄说服了慈禧，张得以保存生命，改判流放新疆。贬戍新疆时，京剧演员秦稚芬一路护送至张家口。张荫桓性格开朗，沿途与接送官员谑称：「老太太跟我开玩笑，差我到关外走一回。」

光绪二十六年（1900年）庚子拳乱，八国不满。原出于张荫桓门下的新疆巡抚饶应祺上奏请求释放张荫桓，处理外交，未准。八国联军进入京城之际，把持朝政的端郡王载漪矫旨斩张荫桓于戍所。二十七年（1901年），两宫回銮，太后召见惠潮嘉道吴永时问到张荫桓，吴永回答：「庚子某月电旨正法。」太后听闻也感到哀伤。庆亲王奕劻受李鸿章死前交代，奏准为张荫桓平反、追复原官衔。

张荫桓著有《三洲日记》、《铁画楼诗续钞》。在京城居于东城锡拉胡同，为粤商刘学询（赌博业）所有。

Biography

At a young age, he attempted to take the imperial examination, but when he did not pass, he gave up, and in 1862, he followed his uncle to Jinan, paid money, and obtained the status of Zhixian. Afterwards, he became a staff officer in the Shandong Census, and his abilities were evaluated by the Shandong Census and Ding Baozhen, and he was recommended to the Taoist, and was promoted to Azechi.

Eventually, he was called to Beijing and joined the Prime Minister's Department of Foreign Affairs, where he was promoted to Sajuro Tobe, and thereafter held successive positions in the Engineering Department, Criminal Affairs Department, Military Department, Religious Affairs Department, and Office Department. In 1885, he became minister to the United States, Spain, and Peru. During his tenure, he consulted on the issues of overseas Chinese workers.

In 1895, due to the crushing defeat of the Beiyang Fleet in the Sino-Japanese War, the Qing court dispatched Yinhuan and Shao Youlian, the commander of Hunan, as ambassadors with plenipotentiary power to make peace. However, he was refused negotiations in Hiroshima and was eventually replaced by Li Hongzhang and his adopted son Li Jingfang, who signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki.

In 1897, he visited the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, and Russia. In March 1898, he served as deputy plenipotentiary for the Russo-Qing Treaty on Port Arthur and Dalian Concession, which was signed in Beijing (the chief plenipotentiary was Li Hongzhang).

Yinhuan supported the law reform movement and was close to Kang Youwei, so he was exiled to Xinjiang Province after the Hundred Days' Reform. In 1900, he was executed in exile during the Boxer Rebellion.