In late-Qing politics,
清流 (qīngliú dǎng) was an idealistic faction of upright officials around
李鸿藻 (Li Hongzao) and
翁同龢 (Weng Tonghe) who criticized the powerful and resisted foreign concessions. The label became a byword for moral incorruptibility — and survives today as a viral compliment ('
一股清流', 'a stream of clean water') for any celebrity or product that stands out as principled or untainted.
